DEFRA’s National Biodiversity Targets Team is aiming to restore or create over 500,000 hectares of wildlife-rich habitat across England by 2042. To help meet this ambitious goal, they’re working closely with Natural England to keep track of progress and make sure things are moving in the right direction.
One great example is the project ‘Wetter for Waders: Enhancing Somerset’s Coastal Wetlands’. Through this, DEFRA has helped build 12 new ponds and even brought a long-lost “ghost” pond back to life after it was previously filled in. They’ve also been working with locals, sharing sustainable techniques to help them restore wetlands on their land.
Beyond the practical work, DEFRA has been finding creative ways to get communities involved, including hosting mural workshops to encourage people to connect with their local environment. These events have made a big impact and received plenty of positive feedback.
Projects like this show just how important wetlands are, not just for wildlife but for the planet too. Wetlands can store up to 50 times more carbon than rainforests, which means protecting and restoring them is a powerful way to tackle climate change while boosting biodiversity at the same time.