Coastal and wetland habitats across southern and eastern England have faced sustained pressure from habitat loss, poor water management and the impacts of climate change.
Breeding wader populations have declined sharply as a result, with lapwing numbers down by around 80% since 1960 and redshank down by at least 25% in 25 years.
A Species Survival Fund grant of £2.4million enabled the RSPB to address these pressures at landscape-scale, working across 10 reserves and partner sites at Dungeness, Otmoor, Wallasea, Medmerry and the Hoo Peninsula.
The project restored coastal and floodplain grazing marsh, created new islands for breeding birds, installed predator exclusion fencing and delivered hydrological improvements including foot drains, bunds, sluices and pumps across multiple sites.
Species have responded quickly to project activity
At Medmerry, terns and other bird species moved onto newly installed rafts within the same breeding season. Lapwings at Wallasea responded rapidly to the creation of new islands with numbers of breeding pairs projected to increase substantially.
Careful budget tracking enabled the team to identify underspend and direct it to a new site at Higham Marshes to better link habitats across the wider landscape. One project staff member said: “Parts of [Higham Marshes] would have happened over time but it would have taken a lot longer and would have been nowhere near as connected as it now is.”
Alongside capital works, the project developed partnerships with organisations, landowners, farmers and community organisations to connect a wider range of people to nature.
At RSPB Dungeness, a local group that advocates for and supports disabled people in accessing the outdoors provided advice on how to improve the site. These included adaptations to the boardwalk, new accessible signage, grid-lock surfacing to make the shingle easier to cross, and the acquisition of an all-terrain mobility scooter available to hire for free.
The Species Survival Fund was a £25million two-year programme, delivered by us on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). It supported 20 projects across England to create and restore wildlife-rich habitats and strengthen people's connection with nature. Find out more about the achievements of the programme.
