What is the Wareham Arc Project?
By Samantha Dallimore
Published in Love It Local magazine November 2024
Wareham Arc is an ambitious nature recovery project which aims to connect nature, communities and businesses
Wareham Arc is an ambitious nature recovery project happening on your doorstep. The project is part of the government’s agri-environment scheme called Landscape Recovery which was rolled out by the Department for Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in 2022. The word agri-environment is a hybrid between agriculture (farming) and environment, so on a practical level, agri-environment schemes provide a way to support nature-friendly farming and land management. The scheme encourages land managers to employ practices that allow wildlife such as pollinating insects, farmland birds and trees to thrive alongside rural businesses.
Who is involved in Wareham Arc ?
Wareham Arc is a partnership of more than 25 land managers, including: beef and dairy farmers, local estates, Forestry England, conservation charities RSPB, Dorset Wildlife Trust and Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, educational facilities, Natural England and local businesses. We are all working together on an exciting landscape-scale plan for the next twenty years, taking us into the 2040s!
What does Wareham Arc want to achieve?
The project aims to: clean up local waterways, create new wetlands, support sustainable forestry management, expand nature friendly farming practices, enhance the existing heathland network, remove invasive species, mitigate the adverse effects of climate change, and provide a diverse range of community projects that will help more people access the countryside.
What is Wareham Arc working on?
Excessive nutrient levels in our local rivers and Poole Harbour
You might have noticed the harbour is looking very green during low tides. Algal mats (dense webs of algae that bind together like a blanket) are building up on top of the mudflats. These mats cause disruption for people, plants, and animals in the area. For birds feeding in the harbour, the mats form a barrier that makes it difficult for their beaks to reach the mud and get to their prey such as snails and worms. For the people who use and work in the harbour, the mats can obstruct equipment and when the algae die and decompose the smell is unpleasant for both residents and visitors.
How did the algae get there? Historic land management practices have encouraged the land surrounding the harbour to drain water as fast as possible. A network of ditches helps rain to rush off the land and into our rivers, carrying with it silt and nutrients from agricultural and urban sources. River systems have also been modified by humans to take water quickly to the coast; they are deep, fast flowing and have high, steep riverbanks. Nutrients are good for algae growth and so if too many nutrients come into the harbour via the rivers, then we see too much algal growth. The natural balance has been tipped by our input of nutrients and the modifications we’ve made to drain the land.
It’s not just the harbour that’s suffering from algal growth, the rivers leading to Poole Harbour, some of which are protected for their special habitats and endangered species, are overwhelmed by algae too. According to the Rivers Trust, State of Our Rivers Report 2024, “no single stretch of river in England or Northern Ireland is in good overall health.” By working together across multiple sectors including farming, small business, education and conservation, together we can help to restore rivers. One of the ways we are aiming to achieve this goal is by re-wetting floodplains to create more wetlands around the Frome, Piddle and Sherford rivers. Wetlands bring lots of benefits to society: they can act as giant water filters, helping to purify water from pollutants, they can hold water on the land longer and release it slowly to prevent both flash flooding and low river flows in summer, and they also provide safe homes for many animals and plants. We want to harness the potential of functioning river and wetland ecosystems to undo the damage and restore a natural balance.
Wareham Arc shares plans with local community
In November 2024, the project team, along with representatives from the partnership, met with members of the local community to share more about the project’s aims and ambitions. It was great to see people in Bere Regis, Wareham, Wool, Sandford and Upton engaging with the project and keen to find out more. The project team wish to thank everyone who attended the recent events. In case you couldn’t make it this time, here are some facts we shared about the project:
Wareham Arc project facts
- The Wareham Arc partnership covers an area of over 4000 hectares (that’s the same as approximately 5500 football pitches).
- The project is currently in its two-year development phase, funded by DEFRA. If we secure the private and public funding we need to move into implementation, then you can expect to see changes to your local area from 2026.
- The project activities will benefit species of reptiles, amphibians, fish, bats, butterflies, birds, dragonflies, trees and more. On some sites we’ll be working on specific localised projects to help species that are rare, endangered and need help the most.
- Protecting the environment leads to protection for people and livelihoods too. The project will reduce the risk of flash flooding and droughts, help pollinators who are crucial for food production, lock up carbon from the atmosphere into the soil, and provide new employment opportunities for local people.
- We understand there’s no point creating a fantastic landscape for nature if people can’t enjoy it and that’s why the project will be improving access to green spaces. We’re hoping to encourage a more diverse range of local people to spend time in nature. We’ll also be providing opportunities for nature connection through volunteering and nature-based events.
Get in touch with Wareham Arc
To invest in nature is to invest in ourselves, both now and in the future. The Wareham Arc project is a great example of how working together across communities, business sectors, and charities can inspire long-term positive change. If you’d like to get in touch with the Wareham Arc team, please email: wareham.arc@rspb.org.uk and if you want to read more about this exciting partnership project see the Wareham Arc website.
