Large areas of wetland need to be created, protected and restored across London in the next 50 years if the country is to meet the challenges of the future.  The call comes from the Wetland Vision Partnership, an alliance of conservationists and government agencies, including the The Wildlife Trusts, the RSPB, Natural England, the Environment Agency and English Heritage.

The Partnership has produced a series of maps showing the loss and fragmentation of the country’s wetlands and where opportunities exist to create new ones.  The Wetland Vision project sets the scene for wetland creation and restoration across London.

Increasing pressure on land use and a changing climate mean our wetlands need to be protected and extended to safeguard our heritage and wildlife, reduce flood risk to people and property and combat climate change by storing carbon.

90 per cent of wetlands lost

England has lost 90 per cent of its wetlands in the last 1,000 years, much of them since the industrial revolution. Land drainage, river engineering and abstraction of water for homes and industry mean those that remain are often small and isolated.

The maps and the information behind them will help target the restoration and creation of thousands of acres of reedbed, grazing marsh, ponds and wet grassland.

Carrie Hume, the Wetland Vision Project Manager, explains “we have created an extremely powerful tool to help restore England’s wetlands, which are among our most useful as well as our most beautiful landscapes.

“Great efforts are already being made by groups involved in wetland conservation, but our Vision signals a step change in ambition for the partners in the project.

“By showing what is possible and where, we can unlock the potential benefits for people and wildlife and inspire action to preserve and create wetlands across the landscape, from local ponds to wide expanses of fen.”

The hope is that as well as informing the partners’ work, the maps will be used by everyone from community groups to local authorities and from farmers to water companies.

If we invest in wetlands, we will be richly rewarded

“In the right places, wetlands offer natural flood water storage and improved water quality, lock away huge amounts of carbon, provide havens for wildlife and fantastic places for people to visit and enjoy.

“What is more, wetlands contain some of England’s most significant heritage, including the remains of plants and animals, which help us understand past environments and unique artefacts made from materials like wood or textiles, which are preserved in these wetland sites” says Carrie.

Wild space for a world city: London Willdife Trust and The Crane Valley Project

The Crane Valley Project was set up through the Crane Valley Partnership to restore habitats and improve accessibility along the River Crane – one of the most natural rivers in London which rises in Harrow at the Yeading Brook and continues through Hillingdon, Ealing, Hounslow and Richmond, where it reaches the Thames.

Some stretches of the River Crane teem with wildlife and are cared for and appreciated by local people and community groups. But much of the river can’t be seen, and many of its bordering green places are strewn with rubbish, marred by graffiti and are generally unwelcoming.

In 2007 the Crane Valley Project received a project planning grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to identify target audiences, key areas of restoration along the river and improving the links between them.

The Crane Valley Project now hopes to raise funds to enable a three year programme of conservation and community activity concentrating on the target community groups and areas along the river. Our vision is for a well managed and high quality river corridor which is accessible to all, in which wildlife can thrive and local people can take pride and ownership.

Find out more

The Crane Valley Project

Crane Park Island nature reserve

The Wetland Vision project