Transforming a South Essex Coastal Habitat

The project contributes towards the goals of the Essex Wader Strategy (EWS), a partnership with the RSPB. The EWS aims to establish a network of climate change resilient ‘hotspots’ for breeding waders, allowing for sustainable populations of target species to develop across the wider landscape, and to train skilled volunteers to undertake surveys to monitor progress.

We will improve two areas of Blue House Farm totaling 40ha, creating new wetland habitat from species poor grassland of little ecological value, and improving an existing wetland. This will allow us to create and manage ideal breeding and feeding conditions for waders, and form greater functional links with surrounding SSSIs/SPAs. The work will realise benefits across a far larger area than our reserve alone and deliver climate change resilience through increased water holding, soil health and carbon storage.

Trained volunteers will undertake breeding wader surveys and form a robust ongoing monitoring and evaluation process.