Saving our saltmarsh in South Devon

The opportunity

The Yealm Estuary is a nationally significant landscape asset in South Devon, designated both a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a European Special Area of Conservation (SAC), and is central to local biodiversity, economy and community identity.

Saltmarshes are among the UK’s most valuable coastal ecosystems, acting as natural infrastructure that supports wildlife including important fish nurseries, sequesters carbon, enhances water quality, and buffers coastal communities against erosion and flooding.

However, some of the Yealm’s saltmarsh habitats are no longer functioning at their full natural potential. This project will restore three key saltmarsh areas to help reverse this decline, re-establishing vital habitat and ecosystem function.

Ecological value

• The Yealm Estuary supports rare intertidal communities including some wild oysters and seagrass beds, and provides essential nursery habitat for fish including commercially-important species.
• Saltmarshes host specialised plants, invertebrates and birds, offering high-tide refuges and supporting biodiversity year-round.

Climate resilience & natural capital

• Saltmarshes are powerful natural climate solutions, capturing and storing “blue carbon” more efficiently than most terrestrial habitats, with carbon locked into sediments for centuries.
• Their dense vegetation and sediment structure slows tidal energy, filtering the water and helping to protect shorelines and inland assets from erosion and flooding - all without the environmental cost of hard engineering.

Economic & community benefits

• Healthy estuaries support recreation, wildlife tourism, angling and local fisheries, underpinning the visitor economy of South Devon‘s National Landscape.
• Local volunteers are already engaged in monitoring and citizen science, building community stewardship and environmental skills.
• The project presents opportunities for high-impact CSR partnerships from staff volunteering and field days to funded interpretation and monitoring programs.

The project

This funding would unlock the critical design stage of the project and enable:

• Close engagement with regulatory bodies and landowners to co-design interventions.
• Detailed engineering and ecological designs to support and enhance natural sedimentation and vegetation growth.
• Securing all necessary statutory consents, licences and permits.
• Preparing for competitive tendering of on-ground restoration works.
  

Funding to date

Partners have already invested in this important project, including:

• £25,000 invested in design, assessment and stakeholder engagement.
• In-kind contributions from South Devon National Landscape, local estates and community groups.
• Seed resourcing from the Environment Agency and Tamar Estuaries Consultative Forum.

Additional corporate support will accelerate delivery, amplify impact reporting, and create meaningful CSR visibility.

Multi-faceted benefits

This project offers a range of co-benefits which we can adapt and amplify as per the interests of your business.

Environmental gains

• Increased biodiversity and functioning saltmarsh habitat.
• Restored and enhanced nursery areas for high-tide fish species and shellfish.
• Long-term carbon capture and storage in vegetation and soils.
• Natural flood buffering and shoreline stabilisation.
• Improved water filtration and estuarine health.

Social & economic outcomes

• Strengthened community engagement through citizen science and stewardship.
• Opportunities for volunteerism and environmental education.
• Positive local visitor experience enhanced by richer wildlife and interpretation opportunities.
• Strengthened resilience and attractiveness of the National Landscape for residents and visitors alike.

Corporate & CSR engagement opportunities

This project is well matched to ESG, CSR and natural capital investment priorities. Potential avenues for corporate engagement include:

Partnership branding & recognition

• Naming opportunities for restoration zones.
• Potential supporter presence on interpretation boards and online reporting.

Employee & community involvement

• Staff volunteer days in monitoring, planting preparation or citizen science • Corporate-community hybrid workshops on blue carbon, resilience and estuary ecology.

Impact reporting & co-benefits

• Data-driven insights on biodiversity responses, carbon gains and ecosystem services.
• Inclusion in CSR reports or sustainability impact statements.
• Regular project updates and field visit opportunities for stakeholders.