Ribble and Alt Estuaries
The Ribble is home to an impressive range of wildlife, with more than a quarter of a million migrating water birds feeding in and around the estuary. The marshes are home to thousands of nesting birds including gulls, terns and lapwings. On both sides of the estuary, the UK’s largest area of sand dunes host rare natterjack toads, sand lizards and rare insects. The colourful collection of plants is one of the most diverse found in the UK.
Behind the dunes and marshes, the mosses support declining farmland wildlife like corn buntings and brown hares. The area is also one of the UK’s strongholds for water voles. Sadly, this rich diversity of wildlife is often only found in isolated pockets because habitats have become fragmented due to drainage and other human activity. Our aim is to work with like-minded people to restore and recreate a network of linked havens where wildlife is able to thrive and people can relax and enjoy nature.
Sprawling preserve with sand flats & salt-marsh habitats for waterfowl & other wintering birds. The Ribble and Alt Estuaries lie on the Irish Sea coast of the counties of Lancashire and Merseyside in north-west England, and form the boundaries of a number of conservation schemes.