Surrey birders travelling to Kent, Essex, Suffolk or even as far as Yorkshire may be interested to learn that England’s east coast wetlands will be added to the UK’s Tentative List of World Heritage sites. Inclusion is the first stage towards joining UNESCO’s (United National Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) World Heritage List, which recognises cultural and natural heritage across the globe that is considered to be of outstanding universal value to humanity.

The proposed site brings together a coastal network of wetlands covering 170,000 hectares, and covers sites that many Surrey birders will be familiar with, such as Kent’s north coast, RSPB’s Minsmere reserve in Suffolk and the National Trust’s Blakeney National Nature reserve. 

The application was initiated in 2022 by the RSPB, National Trust and Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT), with endorsement from Local Authorities and The Crown Estate. 

An independent expert panel described the east coast wetlands proposal as presenting “a clear and convincing case for the potential to demonstrate Outstanding Universal Value” both through the role the wetlands play in supporting migratory birds along the East Atlantic Flyway migratory route, as well as the globally leading examples of coastal adaptation in the face of a changing climate.  

The east coast of England is one of the most vulnerable coastlines in the UK. Sea levels are expected to rise due to climate change, threatening many habitats and communities. It is highly likely that some of the coastal species, such as migratory waders, that pass through Surrey also use these internationally important wetlands along the Eastern coast of the UK.  We therefore hope this is good news for Surrey and highlights how important it is that conservation operates at various spatial scales, from local to international. 

Surrey Bird Club is keen to see more conservation work within Surrey to create more wetland habitats, especially within the Wey and Mole river valleys as well as those wetlands associated with our fantastic mosaic of former sand and gravel workings. The club not only wants to see more new wetlands, but also work to improve the quality of our existing wetlands for birds. This will ensure ducks, waders and other wetland species passing through the county have somewhere to stop, feed, rest and hopefully – in some cases – breed and/or winter.

Sources:

https://www.rspb.org.uk/about-the-rspb/about-us/media-centre/press-releases/ecw-announcement/

18/04/2023