National Wetlands Day
February 2, 2017
Today is National Wetlands Day which celebrates wetlands around the world. These special habitats are vital for animals but also for humans, here is just a little bit of information about how important the wetlands of the South Downs National Park are…
The rivers and streams of the South Downs National Park create a range of wetland habitats that support a large number of different species. Wetland habitats found here include freshwater streams, marshes, lakes, reedbeds, ponds, canals, wet woodland and wet grassland. These habitats support a huge number of invertebrates, birds and also mammals such as water shrew, otter and water vole. The fish species in these rivers and streams include salmon, brown trout, bullhead, European eel and brook lamprey.
As well as supporting an immense variety of wildlife, wetlands have an economic value – not only to the thousands of people who live on their edge, but also to communities living miles away. They are important sources for food, fresh water and building materials, and also provide valuable services such as water purification, flood defense and erosion control.