River Dart & Saltmarsh
The year saw major progress in our saltmarsh restoration project on the River Dart - an important step in protecting a rare, carbon-rich habitat.
Backed by £200,000 in funding and a powerful partnership including the Environment Agency and the Bioregional Learning Centre, this important project is restoring around four hectares of precious marshland at Sharpham Point and North Quay.
Volunteer-made hazel and willow bundles are now capturing sediment to support new plant growth, while the heritage stone walls were rebuilt to protect marshland from erosion. New species have already been recorded, and the site has been designated a County Wildlife Site, joining our reedbeds in receiving expert conservation guidance and monitoring.
In January 2025, the saltmarshes were designated as County Wildlife Sites, acknowledging their importance as locally significant habitats. They join our reedbeds in this designation, which means they will be monitored for biodiversity, feeding into Devon-wide wildlife reports and helping to determine how our natural environment is faring. The designation means we get advice on specific habitat management and further sources of funding.
In early March 2025, work began on repairing stonewalling which protects areas of saltmarsh at, Sharpham. With the help of Dart Harbour, stone was transported from a local quarry up river on a barge. Then local stonewaller Martin Stallard began to rebuild the sections of dry stone wall which have collapsed over the decades.
In this reporting year we supported the Friends of the Dart with two gifted mindfulness retreats, helping raise nearly £60,000 to address pollution in the River Dart - a powerful example of aligned action for community and ecological wellbeing. Work on this project began in earnest in April 25 and we’ll be reporting on our impact in due course.
See more about the saltmarsh work here