Rewilding Middle England The Wetland Vision Andrew Heaton

Rewilding Middle England The Wetland Vision Andrew Heaton Environment Agency

Wetland Benefits g Biodiversity g Flood alleviation g Water quality g Water supply (groundwater recharge) g Recreation g Landscape g Climate change

The Wetland Vision g EA/EN/RSPB/WTs g Three stage process g g g Data gathering: where wetlands are, where they could be Development of maps identifying areas having future wetland potential Options for achieving the wetland vision Local communities, regional and other planning processes to use the Vision to protect and create wetlands g Naturalness: how managed should rewetted sites be?

The Wetland Vision g Layers of data (eg soil types, flood potential) identify future wetland potential g Step 1: overlaying environmental data sets g Step 2: summarising information (by catchment) g Step 3: proposing a way forward in any given area

Other Guidance g EMRBS - BEAs/SRCs focus for habitat creation g BEAs wetland focus g WM Landscapes for Living

Wetland opportunities in Middle England East Midlands: g Lincolnshire Fens g Trent Valley g Soar Valley g Nene Park

Wetland opportunities in Middle England West Midlands: g Trent Valley g Tame Valley g Severn/Vyrnwy Confluence g Severn and Avon Vales g Meres and Mosses

Wetland Opportunities in Middle England Elsewhere: g Great Fen Project g Coastal Wetlands - Freiston, Alkborough g Severn Vale (Gloucestershire)

What might these Wetlands look like?

What might these Wetlands look like?

The Elephant in the Room g CLIMATE CHANGE g water resources g invasives g future ecology

Rewetting Middle England g g g Landscape-scale approach Biodiversity Environmental services