Hundreds Of ‘Seagrass Tubes’ Planted To Kick-Off Multi-Million Pound Restoration Of Thames

nuse.

Thousands of seagrass shoots have been planted in the Thames, as conservation charity ZSL kicks off work to transform one of the world's most famous waterways.  

Over the course of one week, ZSL’s conservationists collected nearly 1,000 cylindrical ‘seagrass cores’ – tubes of mud extracted from the Thames, each one containing multiple individual dwarf eelgrass shoots – from a seagrass meadow in Essex, before carefully planting each one in mudflats in Kent – as part of their work to make the estuary more resilient to climate change.

One of the largest UK restoration efforts using this method, ZSL’s work is the first step in restoring a thriving seagrass meadow, with the ambition that it will grow to cover an area the size of at least 1.5 football pitches over the next few years.

The work launches the start of on-the-ground work for Transforming the Thames - an ambitious ZSL-led project bringing together 20 partners to turn the tide on the health of the Greater Thames Estuary and deliver wide reaching benefits to the British wildlife and the 8 million people that live along the Estuary.

The five-year project brings together conservationists, local communities, government bodies and landowners, building on decades of experience to recover a rich, varied coastal landscape by 2030.

In doing so, Transforming the Thames will help improve access to nature, protect local communities against the impacts of climate change and support the species that call the Thames home – from Critically Endangered European eels and sharks to beloved seahorses and lapwings.

Thea Cox, ZSL’s Transforming the Thames Senior Restoration Manager said:

“Seagrass meadows are critical to the health of the Thames, and we’re thrilled to be kicking off our work transforming this iconic estuary by getting stuck in on the mudflats."

 “We rely on healthy ecosystems for our own wellbeing, but decades of degradation and fragmentation have left the Greater Thames Estuary with a poor bill of health – and increased storm events and marine heatwaves due to climate change threaten the health of the estuary further. We know that it can recover, and are excited to see the Thames flourish as we work to restore habitats along its shores, make its coastlines more resilient to climate-change driven storms, and connect people with everything it has to offer.”  

Seagrass meadows play a vital role in the marine environment, providing essential nursery grounds for fish, food for birds, and habitat for various invertebrate species. Seagrass in the UK has declined up to 44% of seagrass since 1936 due to decreased water quality, disturbance and pollution – threatening wildlife and putting people at greater risk of flooding and coastal erosion.  

Areas of healthy seagrass meadows can still be found along the Thames, and the seagrass was collected during low-tide from existing meadows near Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, ready to be planted in Egypt Bay, Kent.  

The team of conservationists and volunteers used specially designed wooden mudshoes to navigate the challenging mudflats, helping prevent them from sinking into the mud as they worked. As the work could only take place during low-tide, a hovercraft was also used to transport the team and their equipment over the mudflat so they could collect or plant as many seagrass plants as possible before the sites were submerged in water.

Thea added:

“This year marks ZSL’s 200th anniversary, a year where we celebrate all we’ve achieved so far and look ahead to a future where people and wildlife thrive together. As we work to restore these coastal meadows, we’re not only marking the start of a new exciting chapter for the Greater Thames Estuary – we’re also making that future a reality.” 

 To rebuild a healthy, resilient ecosystem, the seagrass planting will be followed by further work by the Transforming the Thames partnership to restore around 450 football pitches worth of six vital habitats across the Greater Thames Estuary - native oyster beds, seagrass meadows, saltmarshes, coastal grazing marsh, saline lagoons, and sand and shingle bird nesting habitat.  

Working towards a 100-year vision of recovery across the estuary, the partnership are also working to tackle the biggest threats destroying existing habitats – such as pollution - and working with local communities and businesses alike to empower them to be a part of scaling up transformation across the region.     

ZSL believes nature can recover, and that conservation is most effective when driven by science. We call for science to guide all global decisions on environment and biodiversity and build a healthier future for wildlife, people and the planet. Find out more and support ZSL’s world-leading, collaborative science and conservation work visit here.  

Categories

Jul 2, 2025
2 min read

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) is partnering for the first time with the RSPB to create a show garden at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2025.

The RSPB and RHS Swift Garden, designed in an exciting collaboration between landscape architect Lilly Gomm and horticulturalist Coralie Thomas, will bring to life one part of the migratory journey of one of the UK’s most remarkable yet threatened birds.

Swifts are small but mighty, flying from the savannahs and forests of Africa to the towns and cities of the UK – and back again – each year. During its lifetime, a single Swift can fly an astonishing two million miles – the equivalent of four round trips to the Moon.

These magnificent birds spend nearly their entire lives in flight – eating, drinking, mating, bathing and even sleeping on the wing, and they depend on healthy insect populations and suitable nesting sites for their survival. Their numbers plummeted by 68% between 1995 and 2023, and they are on the UK Red List of birds of highest conservation concern.

The Swift Garden aims to raise awareness of the species’ dramatic decline while celebrating their awe-inspiring journeys. It will represent the varied habitats that Swifts fly and feed over during their breeding season in the UK– including meadows, woodlands, and gardens – and will highlight the importance of planting for biodiversity. By encouraging gardeners to grow diverse, insect-friendly plantings, the garden promotes practical steps everyone can take to support these birds, and much other wildlife besides.

A key feature of the garden will be sculptural representations of their nesting sites – such as Swift bricks - that can be introduced into domestic homes and other buildings to help Swifts thrive.

Lilly Gomm, Landscape architect and garden designer, said: “I’m thrilled to be designing the RSPB and RHS Swift Garden with Coralie. These magnificent birds are a true symbol of summer skies and they need our help. By showcasing habitats rich in biodiversity and the small changes we can all make – like planting insect-friendly flowers or installing Swift boxes – I hope visitors will feel inspired to take action for wildlife in their own gardens.”

Bill Bailey, comedian and musician, said: “Swifts are majestic birds. I’m delighted to be joining forces with the RSPB and the RHS to bring attention to these incredible aerial acrobats, whose presence is such a joyful part of summer. Their dramatic decline is deeply worrying but there’s still a lot we can do to help."

"This garden is not only a celebration of Swifts but also a timely reminder that by making our homes and gardens more wildlife-friendly, we can all play a part in securing their future.”

The RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival runs from 1-6th July 2025. For more information and to buy tickets visit: https://www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-hampton-court-palace-garden-festival

n.

nuse.

Hundreds Of ‘Seagrass Tubes’ Planted To Kick-Off Multi-Million Pound Restoration Of Thames

nuse.

Most Read

Categories

Most Read

Categories

Recent Posts

Become a digital subscriber and support our publication enabling us to continue to share more news, each and every day.