Wild Wetlands
Functioning and healthy wetland slow and store water within the landscape and increase the resilience to extreme weather events for both wildlife and people
Natural Flood Management (NFM) is a way of reducing flooding that works with nature rather than against it. It offers a range of different techniques to help slow and store water upstream, in order to reduce flooding downstream. NFM doesn’t just offer benefits for flooding - it also helps to enhance nature and provides a multitude of other natural capital benefits.
Restoring keystone species like Beavers to their historic range
Beavers are natural ecosystem engineers, which help so much with natural flood management and water quality, were hunted to extinction in the UK in the 16th Century. Beavers are extraordinary hydrological engineers, able to build leaky dams and lodges, and create channels and deep pools. This activities provide natural flood management benefits, as well as maintaining a base flow of water in drought conditions.
The extinction of Beavers has had a profound effect on their former surroundings, and the health of our aquatic ecosystems. The Beaver re-introductions will use the natural instincts of a native animal as a tool for restoring important wetlands. At least 80% of the UK’s natural wetlands have been damaged or destroyed in the past, and in Sussex it is probably closer to 95%. Wetlands are some of the most biodiverse areas on the planet, and are fantastic carbon sinks, helping to buffer us against climate change too.