A Devon nature reserve is due to be significantly expanded today in part thanks to a unique piece of coastal engineering, which has seen 50 hectares of internationally important new wetland habitat created.

The huge climate change adaptation project led by the Environment Agency reconnected the River Otter with its historic estuarine floodplain – helping protect properties but also creating a new wetland habitat that has today been declared the third nature reserve in the King’s Series of National Nature reserves.

The enlarged national nature reserve, which is being extended by 90 hectares in total or the equivalent of 128 football pitches, will connect the Otter Estuary and the restoration project with the existing lowland heathlands of Pebblebed Heaths National Nature Reserve. This unique landscape supports some of our most precious wildlife, from Dartford warblers, silver-studded blue butterflies to populations of sea trout, Atlantic salmon and eels and will now be protected for nature.