£300,000 from the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund, awarded by NatureScot, has been used to return the landscape of WWT Caerlaverock’s reserve to its naturally wilder and wetter state. And the wildlife is loving it.
The team at WWT Caerlaverock is proud to share the fantastic improvements achieved with the NRF grant that ran from April 2023 to March 2026. The aim was to reverse years of damage from agricultural drainage and to increase the amount of water in the reserve's habitats, to boost natural biodiversity and support more wildlife.
And we have achieved just that!
The Caerlaverock area historically had a connected tapestry of wetland habitats, with mudflats connected to saltmarsh, saltmarsh connected to wet grassland and then those grasslands giving way to lowland raised bogs.
Years of agriculture and water-diverting efforts fragmented this natural connectivity, having devastating impacts on the area’s wildlife. The work done by WWT Caerlaverock has reversed much of this, and the benefits we saw were almost immediate.
So, what have we achieved? Here are our key successes:
- We have restored 250ha of wetland
- Created 5ha of scrapes and channels for wading birds such as lapwing, little egrets, and more
- Created 8km of fencing
- Created 33 new ponds
- Created several new hibernacula for our natterjack toad populations
- Pumped £250,000 into the local economy by working with local contractors
- New dragonfly species confirmed at the reserve: red-veined darter and black-tailed skimmer
Within the first year of the project, we had flocks of lapwing, wigeon, and teal feeding in the new scrapes and ponds. Furthermore, the increase of water capacity at the reserve encouraged the more unusual species to come here during this year's heatwaves, most notably a pair of glossy ibis.
While much of the country was suffering from the effects of the heatwave this summer, our reserve became a biodiverse oasis for these travelling birds, so good that they stuck around with us for over two months before moving on.
However, the most exciting achievements the Wilder, Wetter Caerlaverock project gained have not yet been announced.
We are delighted to share with you that our reserve is now a confirmed breeding site for both the elusive Cetti's warbler and the fearsome marsh harrier! This is a first for WWT Caerlaverock and is the crowning success of this incredible project, giving our habitat restoration efforts nature’s seal of approval.
he project’s aim was to reconnect the reserve to its historical, natural, cohesive state, and this project has achieved that. We are so proud to share our new and improved reserve and thank all the people who helped us get here. Come down and see the improvements for yourself!
Stay tuned for more exciting discoveries in the months to come.
Take a look at our previous Wilder, Wetter Caerlaverock Diary blog entries to see our journey and achievements.
By Georgia Pope, Engagement Officer. Title photo credit: Rebecca Davies
The Wilder, Wetter Caerlaverock project was funded by the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund, managed by NatureScot.
