The Wallasea Wetlands, taken from a Carnival funfair ride in September 2009. Upper centre is a breach in the seawall creating a lagoon to provide protected, shallow tidal waters for birdlife. © Nick Skeens

The Wallasea Island Wild Coast project is a massive bird sanctuary run by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB).

This landmark conservation and engineering scheme is the largest of its type in Europe.

The project has involved breach the seawall on the southern shore of the Crouch and on the eastern shore of the River Roach and flooding farmland. The dividing dykes were made from spoil shipped in from digging tunnels under London for the Crossrail Project.

Wallasea Island at high tide, showing how the lagoons flood. To the left of the picture is Lion Creek. © 2018 Google Maps

Walk along the seawalls to see the saltmarsh, mudflats and lagoons, where terns dive into the water in summer and huge flocks of geese and waders arrive in winter.

For more, click here.

Local Liaison Committee for RSPB Wallasea Island Coastal Wildlife Reserve

Councillor Nick Skeens represents the Town Council on this committee.