Wetlands should be atmospheric places teeming with wildlife, dramatic flocks of wildfowl in winter and a haven to otters, water voles and dragonflies.

In Wales, land drainage over the years has resulted in the loss of wetlands and their associated wildlife. A partnership of the Environmental Agency Wales, RSPB Cymru, Countryside Council for Wales and North Wales Wildlife Trust, has set out an ambitious plan to reverse that trend. Their aim is to restore the best examples of wetlands in North Wales to their former glory.

The first step has been to purchase land so that water levels can be controlled and valuable habitats can be re-created. On the Dyfi estuary, with its dramatic backdrop of the Cambrian Mountains, more than 250 hectares have been acquired so far and mangement work has begun. Already the birdlife has responded; lapwings have shown a dramatic increase in numbers, and hundreds of golden plover, teal and wigeon relish the new feeding areas.

On Anglesey, the valley formed by the Afon Cefni was a vast marshland before agricultural improvement. The Malltraeth Marsh Reserve, one of the remaining undisturbed areas of the valley, is now being extended with controlled flooding, grazing and reedbed creation. The reserve is being developed for the benefit of birds, primarily lapwing and bittern, but species such as gadwall, shoveller and snipe are also returning to this site as evidenced by the highest numbers ever recorded on the reserve. Otters and water voles will also benefit from this restoration work.

As this large-scale HLF-funded project proceeds, local communities will be enriched as birds flock to these new wetlands, and people enjoy the enrichment of their natural environment.