Combatting climate change
As the impacts of climate change become more of a concern, we're doing our best to protect our nature reserves against further damage.
The protection we're putting in place
We're ensuring our nature reserves are as protected as they can be against the impacts of climate change, such as the rising sea levels which could flood and destroy our precious coastal sites.
We're also creating new habitats elsewhere to compensate for any losses.
For example, the creation of a new reedbed at Lakenheath Fen in Suffolk is providing a home for wildlife depends on our vulnerable coastal reserves. Bitterns, bearded tits, marsh harriers and even cranes now nest here!
We're doing the same at Needingworth Quarry in Cambridgeshire to create a massive reedbed.
At other sites, such as Freiston Shore and Nigg Bay, we have actively encouraged carefully managed breaches of the sea defences by the sea, to create areas of inter-tidal habitat for wildlife.
We've also increased the size of several of our nature reserves. Bigger sites are more resilient to changing conditions around them and they allow more space to accommodate incoming wildlife from elsewhere.
Nigg Bay, Moray Firth - New wildlife habitats
This area is internationally important for wintering waterbirds which come here for their winter 'holidays'.