Restoration work has commenced on Speechly’s Farm in Cambridgeshire to revive hundreds of acres of fen wetlands, aiming to establish a significant habitat for rare and diverse wildlife. The 136-hectare project, managed by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire (Wildlife Trust BCN), seeks to reconnect remnants of the ancient fenlands at Woodwalton Fen and Holme Fen, which have been separated for centuries.

The initiative includes 6.5 hectares dedicated to “wet farming,” where bulrushes will be cultivated as a sustainable source of fiber for textiles and construction. By rewetting the landscape, the project intends to halt the decline of drained peat soils, which are currently degrading by approximately two centimeters annually. As the peat oxidizes when exposed to air, it releases stored carbon, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. Raising the water table in the area is expected to preserve the peat and reduce carbon release.

This restoration effort is part of the broader Great Fen vision, a campaign supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, which aims to create a 14-square-mile restored peat landscape integrating wildlife conservation and sustainable farming practices. Nearby, similar work at New Decoy Farm has already enhanced habitats, attracting species such as whimbrel, Chinese water deer, geese, oystercatchers, and common terns.

Lorna Parker, project manager at Great Fen, described the Speechly’s Farm scheme as ambitious in scale. The area’s rich mix of reedbeds, wet woodlands, and water channels supports diverse species including dragonflies, butterflies, otters, and bitterns. Parker anticipates the restored habitats will draw numerous wading birds and lead to a proliferation of water voles. She hopes the site will become a suitable environment for cranes to settle.

In addition to more visible wildlife, the project could provide a refuge for elusive species such as the great silver water beetle, a large and rarely seen insect recently recorded at Woodwalton Fen for the first time in five decades. The restoration of these fenlands represents a multifaceted effort to recover biodiversity, support sustainable agriculture, and address carbon emissions linked to peatland degradation.