The future of the Calstock wetlands is assured for the next 20 years as Natural England has granted a Countryside Stewardship to the Tamar Community Trust (TCT).

The move comes as a scheme led by the Environment Agency to reconnect the River Tamar with its original floodplain at Calstock has finished and the land leased, also for 20 years, to the Community Trust.

Hugh Tyler of Natural England said:

The project was only possible through a lot of support from local people, including TCT and partnerships with Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty team, Cornwall Bird Preservation Society, Calstock Parish Council and Cornwall Wildlife Trust and we’re all excited to see the changes that will take place here in the coming years.

During the course of the next 20 years, the landscape will evolve from grazing land, that had been created when the floodplain was cut off from the river by the building of an embankment around 200 years ago, into intertidal habitat. Since the embankment was breached 18 months ago, the land has begun to return to tidal wetland and bird species including little egret and avocet have been spotted using the site, as well as water rail, kingfisher, snipe, teal, green sandpiper and reed bunting.