Europe’s largest nature reserve Wallasea isle

Construction work has begun on Europe's largest man-made nature reserve Wallasea isle, located in Essex. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds reserve is due to be completed by 2020, and will cost about £50m in total. The ground will be changed into marshes, lagoons and mudflats to attract birds and other wildlife. It is making good use of the excess earth being generated from the separate £14.8bn Crossrail scheme.

A new jetty has been constructed to allow the stuff to be unloaded on the island, which is nine miles north-east of Southend.According to Paul Forecast, the RSPB's director for Eastern England, the Wallasea Island Wild Coast Project is a sight engineering and conservation plan for the 21st Century. The RSPB hopes the marshland will attract species such as the spoonbill and Kentish plover, as well as increase numbers of birds, wigeon and curlew.