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Restoring Saltmarsh

Saltmarsh, a threatened habitat.

85% of England's saltmarsh had been lost in recent centuries to development and changing land use and more is at risk through rising sea levels and climate change. Saltmarshes are essential as they capture carbon, protect shorelines from erosion, provide habitat for fish, birds and other wildlife and help clean water.
Saltmarsh plants grow along the upper shorelines of the estuary—a surprisingly harsh habitat. They absorb tidal and wave energy and help prevent flooding. They regulate water quality by absorbing excess phosphates and nitrates in river water as well as salt from the incoming tides.
They are important places for wading birds to breed, spend the winter and stop off during migration. The habitat can only grow in specific conditions in intertidal zones, which limits the global extent that saltmarsh can be found, and means any site suitable for supporting saltmarsh should be protected and supported.  
John DoeCEO
This project is funded by
geese2

Restoring saltmarsh

In 2025, a group of local stakeholders, including Sharpham Trust and Ambios, Bioregional Learning Centre and The Environment Agency among others, coalesced to protect and restore the saltmarsh habitat near Sharpham House. Existing saltmarsh was stabilised through the addition of leaky dams and the work of a wonderful team of volunteers. To highlight the saltmarsh’s historic and cultural significance the below video was created with the help of partners, artists and the local community.

What's next for the project?

Beyond the existing saltmarsh that was reinforced in 2025, there is an area of historical saltmarsh that has been lost over the years due to erosion. Funding for further efforts to protect and re-establish this habitat has been secured, and planning around the next move is underway. Keep up to date on this project on this page and through our partners’ social media accounts.

This project of restoring saltmarsh on the River Dart has been made possible through a partnership with The Sharpham Trust, The Bioregional Learning Centre, Dart Harbour Authority, The Environment Agency.

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