18th September 2009

Restoration project in the Broads celebrates a fantastic first year

On Monday 21 September, the RSPB and Natural England will come together to celebrate 12 months of dedicated work on a restoration project in the fragile fen habitat of the Mid Yare National Nature Reserve, near Norwich.
RSPB staff, volunteers and contractors have been working hard in the Surlingham South Marsh and Rockland Island area over the last year and with the help of a large, floating digger, they have already made vast improvements to the habitat.
Natural England is proud to support this exciting project through funding from the Broads Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) scheme. The work is improving the environmental condition of this reserve for wildlife and the public for generations to come.

Shaun Thomas, Natural England’s East of England Director, said: “This work will restore this internationally important Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) to favourable condition. It demonstrates how the combined efforts of Natural England and RSPB staff, volunteers and contractors can yield almost immediate results. The project will provide vital feeding and breeding areas for bitterns, bearded tits, marsh harriers, swallowtail butterflies and a wealth of other threatened wildlife. Scarce wildflowers like milk parsley and marsh pea should thrive in the restored fen.
“The work will also enhance views of the reserve for visitors and river users, restoring the open fen landscapes of the 19th century and opening up wide vistas across the reserve.”

The project started back in 2008 and over the next three years, the RSPB will restore 104 hectares of fen habitat on the reserves at Strumpshaw Fen, Surlingham Church Marsh and Rockland Broad. The work will involve removing around 27 hectares of scrub and re-excavating nearly five kilometres of silted-up ditches.

The project has been made possible by generous grants from SITA Trust and Natural England. SITA Trust provided £150,000, from its Enriching Nature fund which Natural England then matched with £177,330.00
Fen habitat has declined dramatically in the last century, restoring and protecting what is left is of this unique habitat is of vital importance. Restoring these large swathes of fen across the Mid Yare will help a whole host of wildlife, from scarce wild flowers and insects to bitterns, water voles and otters.