Management and extension to Brading Marshes nature reserve

Brading Marshes, on the east coast of the Isle of Wight, encompasses 230ha of coastal and floodplain grazing marsh, reedbed and saline lagoons – all priority habitats under the Government’s Biodiversity Action Plan. We will protect and enhance the existing biodiversity by restoring lowland wet grassland, creating reedswamp and managing the saline lagoons. This management work will benefit a wealth of biodiversity including breeding and wintering wildfowl, a variety of mammals including red squirrels, dormice, water voles as well as invertebrates and plant communities. We plan to purchase land adjacent to the reserve to extend the existing site, bringing more land into conservation ownership. Physical and intellectual access to the reserve will be enhanced, ensuring visitors have an informative and enjoyable experience and gain awareness of the importance of the site’s conservation, encouraging community involvement.