Somerset wetlands to receive major funding

Hundreds of hectares of wetland habitat will be restored or improved in Somerset following the award of £800,000 of funding.

The money will be spent on projects across Steart Marshes WWT and Bridgwater Bay National Nature Reserve (NNR), with the grant coming from the government's Species Survival Fund.

The funding will be used to boost local biodiversity, improving the condition across more than 370 ha of coastal floodplain grazing marsh and freshwater habitats.

Avocet is one of the wetland species that will benefir from the Wetter for Waders scheme (Ian Bollen).

Wetter for Waders

As well as creating new saline lagoons, scrapes and ditches across both nature reserves, the Wetter for Waders project will restore at least one 'ghost pond' previously lost on the land, on top of six others that will be improved.

A new boardwalk across the saltmarsh at Steart Marshes will help visitors get closer to nature and learn about the specialist wildlife of the saltmarsh ecosystem. Predator-proof fencing will help protect new areas to support vulnerable breeding waders, and 'no fence' collars will enable cattle to graze areas across 290 ha of saltmarsh, helping to naturally manage the vegetation.

On top of improvements to the landscape, the sites will host a series of willow and art workshops for the local community, producing huge wildlife sculptures and murals, and hold sessions for local landowners on how to create wetland features. Four new members of staff will deliver and champion the work done at WWT Steart Marshes and Bridgwater Bay NNR.

Boost for birds

Alys Laver, Site Manager at WWT Steart Marshes and Bridgwater Bay said: "This generous funding will help us to provide a huge boost for Somerset's wildlife, enhancing 370 hectares of habitat that is home to more than 500 species of plants and animals.

"Making the landscape wetter again will protect the internationally significant numbers of waders roosting within the estuary over winter and further support wider nature recovery plans across Somerset.

"These works will ultimately lead to a greater variety and abundance of wildlife across WWT Steart Marshes, Bridgwater Bay, and across the wider landscape."