Jon Cuthill

Volunteers at Calshot Beach gather seagrass seeds during an especially low tide, supporting a restoration effort aimed at reversing the UK’s severe loss of seagrass meadows. Seagrass is highlighted for its strong carbon‑absorbing capability and ecological value. Collected seeds are processed at the University of Portsmouth, where they undergo an eight‑to‑twelve‑week rotting procedure before being stored over winter and replanted in spring to regenerate depleted habitats.

Volunteers surveying the River Meon in Hampshire have found strong evidence of a recovering water vole population, including breeding indicators such as flattened scent‑marked droppings and characteristic 45‑degree‑cut plant stems. Once devastated by habitat loss and invasive American mink, the species has benefited from a decade‑long reintroduction programme that has released more than 2,800 voles. Conservation groups report thriving populations and improved biodiversity along the waterway, with ongoing monitoring planned to maintain progress.

Volunteers surveying the River Meon in Hampshire document signs of breeding water voles, a species whose population collapsed after the spread of American mink and habitat loss. More than 2,800 water voles have been reintroduced since 2013 through a partnership of conservation groups and landowners, with monitoring showing stable and thriving numbers and no mink detected. Their presence boosts biodiversity by improving riverbank vegetation and soil health, and continued conservation work is planned to support the recovering population.