HUNDREDS of acres of wetland habitat in the Bridgwater area will be restored or enhanced thanks to £800,000 of government funding.

WWT Steart Marshes and Bridgwater Bay National Nature Reserve (NNR) have both benefitted from a grant from the government’s Species Survival Fund.

The £800,000 awarded to the WWT charity will be used to boost local biodiversity, to improve condition across over 370 hectares of coastal floodplain, grazing marsh, and freshwater habitats.

The funding will help to create new saline lagoons, scrapes, and ditches across both nature reserves.

The project, dubbed Wetter for Waders, will restore at least one ‘ghost pond’ previously lost on the land, on top of six others that will also be improved.

Also among the upgrades includes a new boardwalk across the saltmarsh at WWT Steart Marshes to help visitors get closer to the nature at the site.

Predator-proof fencing will be installed to protect new areas and support vulnerable breeding waders, as well as protection to help cattle graze the land.

In addition to improving the landscapes, sculpture and mural workshops for the local community will be held.

Sessions for local landowners will also be held on how to create their own wetland features.

Four new members of staff will be taken on to deliver and champion the work.

Alys Laver, Site Manager at WWT Steart Marshes and Bridgwater Bay, said: “This generous funding will help us to provide a huge boost for Somerset’s wildlife, enhancing 370 hectares of habitat that is home to more than 500 species of plants and animals.

“Making the landscape wetter again will protect the internationally significant numbers of waders roosting within the estuary over winter and further support wider nature recovery plans across Somerset.

“These works will ultimately lead to a greater variety and abundance of wildlife across WWT Steart Marshes, Bridgwater Bay, and across the wider landscape.”

"This partnership will further our vision for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future."

Environment Minister, Rebecca Pow, said: “The funding awarded today as part our flagship Species Survival Fund will enable local authorities, landowners, farmers, and our protected landscapes organisations to restore nature at scale and provide valuable green jobs in the process.

“Only by creating bigger and better habitats for wildlife will we be able to halt the alarming decline in species loss.

"This fund will be a key plank in achieving our legally binding targets to halt species loss and protect 30% land for nature by 2030.”