Natural England

Natural England is celebrating World Wetlands Day on Saturday 2nd February and the South West has good reason to join in the celebrations. Swamps and bogs, peatlands, rivers and lakes, estuaries and coastal zones are wet, wild and great places to visit.

Wetlands provide homes for many special plants and animals and are essential for the supply of fresh water. They also help control flooding and mitigate the effects of climate change. The South West is home to wetlands of global significance.

At the heart of Somerset lie the ‘Levels and Moors’ which have international status as one of the largest areas of lowland wet grassland and grazing marsh remaining in England. They stretch inland from Bridgwater Bay to the Mendip Hills in the north and the Quantocks in the west, barely reaching 25 feet above sea level. Ditches criss-cross the area, acting as "wet fences" and helping form a unique landscape of farmland, wetland, fens and mires. The county's ancient name, "Somerseata" - Land of the Summer People - originates from the time when much of this wetland landscape was only accessible in summer.

Home to a community of marsh frogs, which are great to hear on an evening walk, they are also one of the few areas in England where populations of water vole and otters flourish. The Levels are well known as a home for wintering migratory birds such as lapwing and teal. Shapwick Heath is a major wetland National Nature Reserve at the heart of the levels where at this time of year winter wildfowl gather in large numbers. Dusk is the best time to see spectacular flocks of wintering starlings forming aerial displays in the sky.

Further South in Dorset, Poole harbour contains tidal mudflats, lagoons and saltmarshes, reedbeds, freshwater marshes and wet grassland where over 25,000 waders and wildfowl come to spend their winters. Home to over 4000 shelducks and 2000 black tailed godwits, it receives regular visits from the Mediterranean gull which are rare visitors to our shores.

The harbour holds the record for the largest ever recorded flock of avocets recorded in England – over 1000! Winter is the best time to go and see these beautiful birds. And if you are lucky when walking through the reed beds at dusk you may also see a majestic bird of prey – the marsh harrier.

The South West also has the rivers Camel, Avon & Axe that are three of the best rivers in the UK for salmon, otter, bullhead (a small fish) and many other species of animals and plants. Working with local water companies, the Environment Agency and other partners Natural England is striving to manage the pressures that affect these sites and secure their long term future.

Jeanette Ward, Regional Director for Natural England in the South-West says, ‘Our region is home to a diverse and important range of wetlands. We must continue to recognise the value of these beautiful places and strive to protect them. World Wetlands Day provides us with an opportunity to raise awareness of their importance and now is a great time of year to get out and enjoy the many internationally important landscapes we are lucky to have in the South-West.’

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Notes to editors

For further information contact: The Natural England South-West Press Office Paul Wynne in 07900 608049. For further information about Natural England please visit: www.naturalengland.org.uk

1. Natural England works for people, places and nature to conserve and enhance biodiversity, landscapes and wildlife in rural, urban, coastal and marine areas. We conserve and enhance the natural environment for its intrinsic value, the wellbeing and enjoyment of people, and the economic prosperity it brings www.naturalengland.org.uk

2. World Wetlands Day celebrates The Convention on Wetlands, signed in Ramsar, Iran, in 1971, an intergovernmental treaty which provides the framework for national action and international cooperation for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. There are presently 158 Contracting Parties to the Convention, with 1712 wetland sites, totalling 153 million hectares, designated for inclusion in the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance.

3. The eight Internationally Designated Wetlands in the South-West are The Avon Valley, Chesil Beach and The Fleet, Dorset Heathland, Exe Estuary, Isles of Scilly, Poole Harbour, Severn Estuary, Somerset Levels and Moors.

4. Wetlands are defined as "areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres which may also incorporate riparian and coastal zones" i.e. areas where water is the primary factor controlling the environment and the associated plant and animal life. They occur where the water table is at or near the surface of the land, or where the land is covered by shallow water. The coverage of the Convention extends to a wide variety of habitat types, including rivers and lakes, coastal lagoons, mangroves, peatlands and even coral reefs.