Wildife Benefiting from River and Floodplain Management

Otter
The European or river otter is the only species of otter found in the wild in the UK. Otters have not bred in Sussex since the 1970s and their decline has been largely due to the destruction of their habitat and the effect of pollutants. We are working hard to restore impoverished riverbanks that otters need for breeding, feeding and resting and in some places we are installing artificial otter holts. There are now regular sightings of otters in the county which suggests that conservation work is beginning to have an effect.
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Black Poplar
Just 33 mature black poplar trees remain in Sussex and they are Britain’s rarest native timber tree. They grow best in floodplain wetlands – a diminishing habitat – and so if the species is to recover we must restore their habitat. They were once an iconic feature of the Sussex floodplains and their root systems provide a structure for otters to build holts.
We are working towards the sustainable management of river landscapes and the restoration of wetland habitats for people and wildlife. Most of the rivers in Sussex have historically been over-managed but we have identified some stretches of river which would lend themselves to more natural management.
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Water Vole
Water voles are thought to be the species of British mammal in fastest decline. In 2000 when the Sussex Otters and Rivers Partnership first began, it was predicted that water voles would be extinct in Sussex by 2010. Thanks to conservation work their populations are now stabilizing and there is hope for their future.
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Please help us if you can. Whatever you can afford will help conservation work to restore our rivers and wetlands and benefit wildlife in Sussex.

If you would like to make a donation please print out the form below and send a cheque payable to Sussex Wildlife Trust to the FREEPOST address on the form.

Click for a donation form (pdf)

Thank you for your support