Suffolk Wildlife Trust's Worlingham Marshes project gets £2m in lottery funding

The Suffolk Wildlife Trust said it wants to provide a haven for birds including the woodcock (pictured), lapwing and redshank

Plans for a new nature reserve have been boosted by a £2m grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Suffolk Wildlife Trust has received the money to support the establishment of Worlingham Marshes, near Beccles.

Some 381 acres within the Lower Waveney Valley and the Broads National Park would become a "corridor of wildlife".

The trust's Matt Gooch said it could "develop a landscape-scale example of reversing wildlife decline, supporting nature to adapt to climate change".

It is hoped Worlingham Marshes in Suffolk will become a "corridor of wildlife"

"Less than 3% of land in Suffolk is reserved for nature, therefore we are very excited about the opportunity to protect more of the beautiful Waveney Valley, allowing more space for nature to thrive," said Mr Gooch.

"We are hugely grateful to the National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Lottery players for supporting our vision."

It was hoped species such as lapwing, redshank and woodcock would find a haven in the wet woodland, while otters and water voles would use the restored network of waterways as corridors and breeding habitat.

The new nature reserve will be located in the River Waveney valley on the Suffolk and Norfolk border

Liz Shaw, from he National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: "We are delighted to support Suffolk Wildlife Trust with this ambitious project.

"Worlingham Marshes forms a vital habitat connection along the river valley, and through this project we hope to support the renewal of the area for wildlife, residents, and visitors.

"The development of large-scale nature corridors is so important in combatting our declining natural heritage, and it's thanks to National Lottery players that we are able to fund Worlingham Marshes."