Our Sea Meadow site on the coastal levels is "crying out to be a wetland" according to bird expert and Regional Wetland Advisor for the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group - South West - Antony “AJ” Bellamy. Wetlands are biochemical hotspots of biodiversity, chimneys that pump nature far beyond it's physical borders, the IUCN says that “freshwater ecosystems are the ultimate biodiversity hotspot.

They contain a greater concentration of life than anywhere else and are seriously imperilled”. Well located on the Parrett Estuary that feeds straight into the Severn Estuary and Bristol Channel, and opposite WWT Steart Marshes, it's a great opportunity to create some much needed feeding and safe roosting habitat for overwintering and passage wildfowl such as dunlin, curlew and golden plover.

The process was made simple by the involvement of FWAG SW (on the advice of Natural England), first we conducted an ecological survey to check for the presence of the red list species Great Crested Newts, plus a general baseline of the site. Water samples were sent off to test using E-DNA - but despite neighbouring populations, no newts were discovered, however it was noted that a healthy population of watervoles are present on site and this meant we had to adjust our initial plans to protect their nesting sites in certain places.

Local contractor Jason Bell and his digger were brought in to block the three points on the field where the topside runnels ran into the perimeter ditches, and then dig a 1.5m deep trench around the circumference of the field to smash any historical land drains which were expected to be there - the trench was refilled and made good as he went along. AJ and the FWAG team secured permission from the drainage board to carry out the works - it's important to note we aren't affecting our neighbours or the drainage ditches themselves so all was straight-forward.

Now the works are complete we just need to wait for a nice wet winter, and watch it fill up - with water and hopefully birds!

Kindly sponsored by Arcadis, Arup and Mott Macdonald.

See more https://vimeo.com/877246293