Wildlife is making a welcome return to parts of the Cambridgeshire Fens, thanks to an unusual but simple idea that’s working wonders in our local ditches.

In one of Britain’s most nature-depleted regions, a small but bold conservation team has delivered an outsized success. The New Life on the Old West (NLOW) project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, is celebrating final survey results confirming that their experimental berms are providing vital habitat for rare and threatened species in the Fens.

Built into the sides of drainage ditches, these humble half-metre-wide shelves – called berms – may look simple, but they’ve transformed sections of the vast drainage ditch network into a sanctuary for struggling wildlife.

“Just having this shallow shelf makes such a difference,” said beetle expert Martin Hammond, standing on an 850-metre long berm at Queenholme Farm in Willingham.

“Finding Agabus undulatus here is as high an accolade as you can get in the Fens.”

Also accidently netted in these newly created habitats: Spined Loach, an air-gulping fish, listed as threatened on the IUCN Red List, and a suite of rare beetles including Hydrochus crenatus and Berosus luridus – testament to the project’s ecological punch.

“We took a risk on something unproven,” said Karen MacKelvie, Natural Heritage and Communities Officer at Cambridgeshire ACRE. “But it’s paid off — they’re inexpensive, don’t take land out of production, and they provide a huge boost for biodiversity.”

The NLOW team’s approach – backed now by survey data – offers a replicable model for future Local Nature Recovery Strategies and Sustainable Farming Incentive schemes, proving that low-cost, smart interventions can help nature thrive again in even the most industrialised landscapes.

Over the last five years, the small NLOW team has delivered more than 75 habitat improvements across the Fens, from Willingham to Little Thetford. These include new ponds, wetland scrapes, wildflower meadows and nearly two kilometres of berms. Each site helps build a “stepping stone” route for nature, linking iconic reserves Wicken Fen and RSPB Ouse Fen.

 

Celebrate with us – NLOW Wildlife Festival (2 August 2025)

To mark the end of the funded phase of the project, Cambridgeshire ACRE is hosting a Wildlife Festival at Kingfisher’s Bridge Nature Reserve near Wicken on Saturday 2 August, from 10am to 9pm.

The free, family-friendly event will celebrate five years of work “helping wildlife thrive in the Fens.” There will be nature walks and talks, children’s activities, hands-on workshops, local music and storytelling and delicious food and drink from Fenland producers.

“We’d love people to come along and see what’s been achieved,” added Karen. “Whether you’re a wildlife lover, a local resident, or just fancy a fun day outdoors, there’ll be something for everyone. We want this work to continue in community hands – and this is the handover moment.”

Full event information can be found at: https://www.newlifeoldwest.org.uk/sat-02nd-aug-nlow-wildlife-festival-kingfishers-bridge-nature-reserve/