Wildlife to benefit from reserve

The reserve will stretch from the A130 to the sea wall at East Haven Creek

The RSPB warden responsible for much of south Essex's marshland believes a new nature reserve on Canvey Island will soon attract a variety of new wildlife.

The 256-hectare site to the west of the A130 is currently being landscaped and is due to open to the public as West Canvey Marsh in the spring of 2010.

The RSPB's Marc Outten said: "There's a wide variety of wildlife here already.

"But by changing the management you'll look to encourage and increase the level of bio-diversity on the site."

The land, which is the largest green space on the Canvey Island, was purchased by the RSPB in 2006.

At present it is predominantly dry grassland and already home to a variety of wildlife.

RSPB Reserves Warden for South Essex marshes, Marc Outten, explained the current groundwork, which includes the raising of fresh water levels, will bring in even more species to the area.

"It will have water which just lays across the grass in the winter and that will attract a whole range of species," he said.

"We'll also raise water levels in many of the ditches and that will improve it for not only birds but other wildlife as well.

"[We have] dry nesting birds such as skylarks and we do get some overwintering waders and wild foul, but not in great numbers because it stays very dry because of the drainage.

"We'll look to retain water through to May/June time, when these birds will want to nest and by creating nice, wet mud and grass, it gives them the ability to feed in the mud because it's soft."

Marc's role with the RSPB sees him oversee around 660 hectares of marshland along the south Essex estuary.

"We've got some very important areas for overwintering wild foul," he said.

"By increasing habitat in the wider Thames area we'll encourage not only overwintering birds, but breeding birds to settle down here.

"Things like red shank and lapwing have really declined as breeding species of birds across the country, so by creating this habitat and these conditions on this reserve will bring breeding success."

New ditches are being dug to encourage water vole

Community benefit

Funding for the new reserve has come from a number of agencies, including the East of England Development Agency, Cleanaway Pitsea Marshes Trust and the Department for Communities and Local Government's Thames Gateway Programme.

John Meehan, the Parklands programme manager working on behalf of Essex County Council, said the benefits of the new nature reserve stretched beyond those of a wildlife nature.

"We often look at south Essex and see pylons and pits, but in fact this is transforming south Essex into a landscape of marshes, mud flats and mountain biking," he said.

"We're really passionate about the landscape and the bio-diversity of south Essex and we fully intend to make that happen.

"So in 10 or 20 years, this will be a completely different place - it'll have the feel more of a national park than somewhere just south of the A13."