Heaths to Sea project receives funding boost

A scheme to restore habitats in the Lower Otter Valley in Devon has been awarded £750,000 of government funding.

Clinton Devon Estates said that the project – called Heaths to Sea: Landscape Recovery of the Lower Otter Valley – aimed to improve the area for people and wildlife.

The award will fund the two-year development phase of the project, which will be assessed by the government. If approved, work will start on planting more woodland, expanding wetland areas and improving access to the countryside.

Reed Bunting breeds in the reedbeds in the Lower Otter Estuary (Zane Sargent ).

Nature recovery

Clinton Devon Estates said the aim was to bring environmental benefits in harmony with food production across a large area of east Devon.

Kirstie Ellis, leading the project, said: "Although this scheme has a focus on nature recovery, it is not about stopping food production. We believe that nature recovery and agriculture can and indeed must co-exist."

The Lower Otter Estuary meets the sea at Budleigh Salterton. The estuary, along with the cliffs of Otterton Point, is a nationally important site for biodiversity and is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). It contains a range of intertidal habitats including saltmarsh and tidal creeks.

Bird hot-spot

The estuary and marshes support a wide variety of breeding and wintering bird species, including waders and wildfowl. They form part of a network of important feeding sites which include the Axe and Exe Estuaries.

The Devon scheme is one of 34 projects across England to share £25 million in the second phase of the DEFRA Landscape Recovery plan.