When water is the key to life

Above: Marsh harrier, just one of the species that stands to benefit if the wetland reserve goes ahead (Kent Life Magazine)

The RSPB is asking the public to help restore a major wildlife site in Kent. Fifty years ago, the Lydden Valley, just south of Sandwich, was a wildlife-rich wetland, but prolonged drainage has seen the area dry out and wildlife leave as a result.

Now the RSPB is asking people to help turn this landscape back into a swathe of grazing marsh, creating a natural asset that will benefit countless generations to come.

The environmental charity has already secured £1.1m of the £2.6m project via grants from GrantScape (via the Landfill Communities Fund) and the Environment Agency plus other donations, but needs the public’s help to raise the rest.

The charity plans to raise water levels by disabling drains, which bleed moisture out of the fields. It will also restore the land’s ancient network of ‘grips’ – shallow meandering watercourses that provide vital feeding areas for wader chicks. A reedbed system to benefit at-risk species such as the bittern will also be restored.

Alan Parker, RSPB Kent reserves manager, said: “Water is the key to life, and when we buy this land, water will be the key to restoring it. What makes it such a marvellous opportunity is that the water’s still here, still being channelled away – it’s one of the few places in the south east where we can easily reverse the drainage process. This is people’s chance to make a real difference.”