Sadly, the UK’s lost 90% of its wetlands – they often get drained for agriculture, development, forestry and other land uses. This is bad for wildlife because around 40% of the world’s species rely on freshwater wetlands. UK wetlands now cover just 3% of our landscape, yet 10% of our species still call them home. 

Our wet grasslands are where lapwing, curlew and snipe nest, where bitterns boom in reedbeds, and where bats feed on the swarms of insects that emerge from them. Dragonflies, amphibians and water voles are found across ponds and marshes, and in some places, beavers engineer new wetlands, creating habitat for aquatic insects, mammals and plants. 

People rely on wetlands too. They provide ‘services’ that society needs and without them, we struggle. The problems we face are set to intensify as our climate shifts and our settlements expand, but we can help by taking urgent action to reverse the loss of wetlands. 

It may seem counter-intuitive, but wetlands provide flood protection by slowing down and storing flood flows. Coastal reedbeds and saltmarshes also buffer us from storm surges, while floodplains hold excess flows from our rivers. 

Wetlands are also important carbon stores. When wetland plants die, rather than decomposing and releasing their carbon into the atmosphere, they become buried in the sediment making up peatland soils. These soils, which accumulate over thousands of years, hold vast amounts of carbon and are our biggest carbon store on land. If allowed to dry out, wetlands release carbon dioxide and rather than mitigating climate change contribute to it. 

Finally, wetlands are good for mind, body and soul. Nature is scientifically proven to benefit physical and mental health, but our intrinsic fascination with water suggests wetlands habitats might be especially important in this nature-health interaction. 

For all these reasons and more, our wetlands are a treasured part of the UK landscape, crucial for wildlife and people.  

The Wildlife Trusts are working to protect and restore our damaged wetlands as part of its vision to see 30% of our land and seas managed for nature’s recovery by 2030.  

Three amazing wetlands you can visit in our region include Blashford Lakes, Farlington Marshes, and Morton Marsh nature reserves. Find out more at hiwwt.org.uk/nature-reserves