A PROJECT is under way to create a wetland wildlife reserve costing up to £1m on a stretch of the River Thames near Wallingford.

In a scheme called the River of Life, at North Farm, Shillingford, environmental charity the Earth Trust is working with the Environment Agency to create a series of backwaters, reed beds and ponds along a 2.5km (1.4 mile) stretch of the river.

Chris Parker – head of land management at the Earth Trust, based in Little Wittenham near Didcot – said the trust had been working with the agency for some time to develop the project. He added: “We hope to restore the original water channels and an ancient wetland landscape along this section of the Thames. Although we are yet to raise all the funding needed, we think this will become one of the most significant wetlands in the country.”

Jon Woodcock, biodiversity officer for the Environment Agency, added: “We are very pleased to be working with the Earth Trust in transforming this stretch of the River Thames back to its natural wild state.

“We want to create an important habitat suitable for a wide range of river and wetland wildlife, while providing a stunning haven for the local community and visitors to the area.”

According to the Earth Trust, the project will restore wetland features and wildlife habitats that were more typically seen two centuries ago.

Wetland and woodland species in the area include water vole, otter, and a wide range of birds.

A statement on the trust’s website says: “Our vision is to create a truly wild stretch of river. Avoiding any impacts on the navigation, backwaters will be introduced to feed new wetland habitats covering 50 hectares along the south bank for approximately 2.5 kilometres in length. The full scale of the landscape impacted will include more than 4km (2.44 mile) of the River Thames, which will become continuous wildlife habitat.

“The River of Life project will create extensive areas of wet woodland, wet grassland, fen, reedbed, ponds and subsidiary channels.

“The wetland habitat will be bounded by rich grassland, and will be one of the few places on the Thames, and the UK’s navigable rivers, where the bankside habitat and river topography are as near to “natural” as possible.”

Trust spokesman Jane Cabutti said: “The River of Life project is in its early stages and could cost a total of £1m over a period of three to four years. We need as much support from the public we can get.”

For further information visit earthtrust.org.uk

What is the Earth Trust?

It is a charity which runs the Wittenham Clumps beauty spot near Didcot and the land around it.

In 2011, it struck a £6m deal to almost double the size of Oxfordshire’s most visited open space and the Northmoor Trust became the Earth Trust.

The 700-acre Wittenham Clumps and Little Wittenham Wood expanded with the addition of 500 acres of land from neighbouring North Farm.

The Earth Trust also manages Radley Lakes, where a new visitor centre is being built.  Martin and Audrey Wood launched the Northmoor Trust, but in 2011 it was felt the name no longer reflected the charity’s aims. It staged 30th birthday celebrations last year.