Until relatively recently, water shaped the landscape of Southern England to a much greater extent. From the Somerset Levels to the Fens, a sprawling mosaic of reedbeds, watercourses, wet grassland and low-lying islands once sheltered a far wider and more plentiful array of species than we see today.
England’s wet landscapes have been in decline since the Romans, but in the past century alone, the UK has lost 90% of its freshwater and wetland habitats. Now covering just 3% of the UK – down from around 20% - they remain home to 10% of its wildlife, confined to fragments of this forgotten water-world.
The Species Coastal and Wetlands Programme
Funded by the Government’s Species Survival Fund (SSF), developed by Defra and delivered by National Lottery Heritage Fund, the RSPB is launching a major new programme to restore England’s wetland habitats, from the Solent to the Norfolk Broads. The SSF supports projects which contribute to halting the decline in species abundance, part of the government’s legally binding commitment to do so by 2030.
Working at a range of sites, the ‘Species Coastal and Wetlands’ programme will restore, create and connect wetland and coastal habitats, for the benefit of a wide range of species. These include birds which are in serious decline like Lapwing and Common Tern, as well as those which are making a comeback, like Cranes and Bitterns. The work will also benefit other species like Water Vole, which have been lost from 90% of their previous range in Britain.
What does this work entail?
On the ground, this will mean the physical construction of islands, the restoration of lagoons, reedbeds and wet grazing meadows, the creation of (seasonal shallow pools that remain damp all year) and dragonfly ponds. In addition, the programme will build footdrains, sluices, tunnels and barriers to manage water, install solar pumps, predator exclusion fencing and nesting rafts, unblock ditches, and restore hundreds of tonnes of shingle. The result will be habitat which is ‘more, bigger, better, joined’, in line with the Lawton Principles - and which is better able to withstand drought and rising sea levels.
Why does it need to happen?
The sites have been identified for their richness in wildlife and potential to benefit from targeted actions for multiple species. By restoring wetland habitats along England’s Southeastern coastline, the programme will not only benefit UK bird populations, but the millions of migratory birds which traverse the East Atlantic Flyway every year.
Habitat loss and degradation are driving the UK’s decline in species abundance, and landscape-scale restoration is essential if we are to halt this trend by 2030. By not just restoring but reconnecting wetland habitats, we can help to undo the fragmentation of our natural world and allow breeding populations to recover and reclaim the landscapes from which they have been lost.
Working with local communities
However, the programme is not just about physical restoration. Working in some of the most deprived wards in Southeast England, Species Coastal and Wetlands will run four Get Stated in Nature programmes for young people who are not in employment, education or training. Attendees will have the opportunity to apply for two apprenticeships with the programme, which will provide paid firsthand experience in conservation.
As well as providing new opportunities to volunteer at many of the sites, the programme will also train 30 prescribers to deliver 900 nature prescriptions by February 2026, a new and innovative way to improve wellbeing by, essentially, prescribing nature to patients.
This work will contribute to restoring a mutually beneficial relationship between communities and the natural world in Southeast England. After all, when people feel they have a stake in nature, they are more likely to give it a home.
Who are the partners, and how is the programme funded?
Species Coastal & Wetland is a partnership between RSPB, The Prince’s Trust, The Church Commissioners for England, Kent Wildfowling and Conservation Association and private landowners.
The programme is funded by the Government's Species Survival Fund. The fund was developed by Defra and its Arm's-Length Bodies. It is being delivered by The National Lottery Heritage Fund in partnership with Natural England and the Environment Agency. The Species Survival Fund supports projects which “tackle habitat loss, safeguard our fragile ecosystems, and create and restore nature-rich landscapes”.
The Species Coastal and Wetlands programme successfully applied and was awarded £2,487,752 from the Fund, which makes up 94% of the programme’s funding. The remaining 6% comes from partners in match funding.