New projects to save threatened freshwater species
5th October 2026
Some of England’s rarest freshwater plants and invertebrates will benefit from major new research and conservation projects funded through the Species Recovery Programme.
Freshwater Habitats Trust has secured funding for four ambitious projects focused on restoring threatened freshwater plants:
- A Future for Oxfordshire’s Floodplain Flora. This project will restore floodplain habitats for five threatened freshwater species: Marsh Stitchwort, Lesser Water-plantain, Round-fruited Rush, Frogbit and the Frogbit Smut fungus. Habitat restoration, improved land management, surveys, and the propagation and translocation of selected species will help rebuild resilient floodplain plant communities.
- Saving Sium: Developing a National Recovery Plan for Greater Water-parsnip. This project will develop the first comprehensive national recovery strategy for Greater Water-parsnip by bringing together published and unpublished evidence alongside targeted field investigations.
- Greater-Water-parsnip (c) Anne Heathcote
- Making Space for Scarce Tufted-sedge (Carex cespitosa). Focused on the UK’s only native population in Herefordshire, this project will restore the site’s natural hydrology through earthworks, groundwater monitoring and management planning. Drones and field surveys will monitor the population’s recovery while management plans will help secure its future.
- Ecological and Ex-Situ Studies Supporting the Conservation of Starfruit (Damasonium alisma). This project combines habitat restoration with applied ecological research. Conservation work at two sites will include pond creation, pond restoration, grazing management and seed reintroductions. Research will investigate why Starfruit populations experience dramatic ‘boom and bust’ cycles and identify the conditions needed for self-sustaining populations. Historic sites will be assessed for their potential for future restoration.
- Starfruit (Damasonium alisma)
Freshwater Habitats Trust is also working with partners on three projects focused on freshwater invertebrates facing extinction:
- Fen Futures: Recovering Rare Fen Insects (led by Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT))
- Developing an integrated conservation programme for the Glutinous Snail (Myxas glutinosa) (led by BIAZA)
- Saving the Tadpole Shrimp Triops cancriformis(led by Natural England).
Running until 2029, the projects will deliver targeted action to prevent these species from becoming extinct.
The funding will boost Freshwater Habitats Trust’s strategy to build the Freshwater Network, creating a wilder, wetter, cleaner, more connected landscape to reverse the decline in freshwater biodiversity. One of the aims of the Freshwater Network is to increase populations of rare and threatened freshwater species.
- Clubbed General soldierfly by Judy Webb
Freshwater Habitats Trust Technical Director Dr Naomi Ewald said: “Securing this funding gives us a fantastic opportunity to accelerate our work to halt and reverse the decline of some of our most threatened freshwater species, and achieve our vision of building the Freshwater Network.
“These projects all focus on species that we have worked on for decades, through our scientific research and practical conservation activities. Now, with this new funding we can build on our existing knowledge to work with our partners and carry out targeted conservation work to help restore populations of these species across England.”
Natural England’s £60 million Species Recovery Programme includes 130 projects encompassing 364 threatened species. All the species receiving funding are considered priorities for recovery. More than half are classified as near threatened, vulnerable or endangered, according to International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List assessments for Great Britain.