Solway Wetlands

An amazing place for people Our work so far and for wildlife Building and maintaining partnerships Overlooked by the hills of Scotland is central to our work throughout this to the north and the Cumbrian Fells region, and vital for our plans going to the south, the Solway Plain offers forward. As part of the Solway Wetlands a mixture of coastal, estuarine and Project we’re working closely with a wetland habitats. The Solway Estuary number of like-minded organisations, is hugely important for migratory water including Natural England, the birds, supporting around 120,000 birds Environment Agency, Solway Coast Area every winter. Inland, fragmented of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) areas of raised peat bogs with high Unit, Cumbria Wildlife Trust, Tullie House conservation value are surrounded by Museum and Cumbria Tourism. intensively-managed farmland, most of it pastoral. There is also a dense network Together with Natural England, we have of highly-managed rivers, streams and been working towards the complete ditches, and limited woodland. restoration of the peat bogs of Bowness Common. This large-scale restoration will Economic decline, changes in agricultural not only bring huge benefits for wildlife, practices and climate change all threaten but will eventually play a vital role in DECLINEBoosting wetland of this stunning landscape. It is essential helping to tackle climate change through bird the numbersCapercaillie that communities diversify and seek new carbon storage. The key to this work has means to prosper for the benefit of both been gaining control of the surrounding CapercaillieSnipe are medium-sized, are woodland skulking grouse, people and wildlife. farmland, and so far we have purchased confinedwading birds to nativewith short pine legsforest and and three farms (600 acres). This has enabled somelong, straight commercial bills. coniferThey are Our vision is to see actively-growing us to build up the necessary infrastructure plantations.widespread Theiras a breeding needs are species not peat bogs that are rich in plantlife and to manage and maintain optimum water straightforwardin the UK, but their as they numbers require have vast invertebrates, especially dragonflies levels for peat bog restoration. expansesundergone of moderate suitable habitat.declines Males in the and butterflies. The bogs should be arepast black, 25 years. huge Sadly, and unmistakable, these declines surrounded by fen, wet woodland and We’re also working with partners to especiallyhave been so much when steeper they gather in lowland to wet grassland, which support sustainable restore three other bogs on the Solway performwet grassland their mating areas, ritualmaking at snipe numbers of breeding wading birds. Next Plain at Drumburgh Moss, Glasson Moss traditionalan amber-listed lek sites. species. They Butspend we’ve a lot to these, grazed saltmarsh and other and Wedholme Flow. ofbeen time working feeding hard on blaeberriesto reverse thison estuarine habitats should support flocks thetrend ground, and at butCampfield may also Marshbe found of breeding and wintering water birds. At Holme Dub and other areas throughout innature trees, reserve, feeding we’re on pine seeing needles. an the region, we’ve been advising farmers Theincrease UK capercaillie in their numbers. population Through and Our Campfield Marsh reserve will remain and landowners on how to manage their rangea mixture has ofdeclined grazing, rapidly, rush cutting and the the hub for visitor exploration of the land to create wet areas for breeding and speciesand careful is now water at management,risk of extinction. wetlands and will provide visitor and wintering wading birds and wildfowl, Conservationwe’re restoring and their restoration natural wet of the educational facilities to promote public through Natural England’s Higher Level habitatgrassland is essentialand fen habitat, if they areand to access and enjoyment of the natural Stewardship scheme. This work will thrivehelping once them more. to make a comeback. beauty of the Solway Wetlands. provide sustainable homes for nature. Annan

Bowness-on-Solway

Carlisle

Solway Wetlands “ Working together towards a common aim is the best way to make real, landscape-scale changes for wildlife and habitats, and this is paying dividends through the work that we are carrying out on bog restoration, landowner advice and habitat management.” Naomi Hewitt, Acting Project Manager, Solway Wetlands Partnership

What’s next? Get in touch Working with our partners, we will continue to restore the We want to hear your ideas about how we can work peat bogs on the plain and work closely with farmers and together to make the Solway Wetlands even better for landowners to manage their farms for wading birds. people and wildlife.

We will utilise the new facilities at Campfield Marsh nature Senior Sites Manager reserve as a visitor hub to promote the Solway Plain and Cumbria Coast Reserves develop a programme of educational events for local schools Norman Holton and community groups. Through the new visitor facilities, we North Plain Farm, Bowness on Solway, hope to raise awareness of the importance of the Solway Wigton, Cumbria CA7 5AG Plain and influence a more sustainable management regime across the whole area. It is only by working together that we T 01697 351330 can make a big difference for wildlife. M 07866 554141 E [email protected]

The Solway Wetlands Futurescapes project is kindly supported by: Natura 2000 – Europe’s Futurescapes is The RSPB is a member of nature for you. We are generously supported BirdLife International, a working together across the by the EU Life+ partnership of conservation EU to safeguard Europe’s rich Communications organisations working to give and diverse natural heritage Programme nature a home around the world for the benefit of all

Futurescapes is the RSPB’s contribution to landscape-scale conservation throughout the UK. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: England and Wales no. 207076, Scotland no. SC037654. Images: Solway Firth by Andy Hay and snipe by Steve Round (both rspb-images.com). Maps produced by RSPB CDMU © Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. RSPB licence 100021787. 020-1-1222-13-14