Protecting the best: the pristine habitats and rare species of the New Forest
26th June 2025
The New Forest is famous for its freshwater habitats and wetland wildlife. From source to sea, its mosaic of clean-water habitats makes this landscape one of the best places for freshwater life, says Gemma Stride, our Area Lead for the New Forest.
Protecting the best remaining freshwater biodiversity hotspots is at the heart of our vision to build the Freshwater Network. And – with its pristine freshwater habitats and diversity of species – what better example do we have than the New Forest?
A landscape of some of the best freshwater habitats in the world
The New Forest is England’s second smallest National Park yet has the highest proportion of conservation-designated land. Its diverse array of freshwater plants and animals are supported by a vibrant mosaic of habitats from ponds and bogs to rivers and streams, and mudflats and saltmarshes.
Recognised as being part of the largest Important Freshwater Landscape identified so far – areas that support high-quality habitats and freshwater species at a landscape scale – the New Forest is one of the key remaining places for freshwater life, and a huge opportunity to accelerate its recovery. Building out from the Forest’s biodiversity hotspots to create a network of healthy, unpolluted and interconnected freshwater habitats will allow species to spread across the landscape.
- Ponies in the New Forest.
The Forest’s rich biodiversity is largely due to its clean, unpolluted freshwater and a long history of traditional grazing management. The Open Forest was historically the domain of the New Forest Commoners, and their free–roaming livestock still graze across the forest, creating the perfect conditions for wildlife to thrive. The grazing and depressions from the hooves of cows and ponies maintain a careful balance of species diversity by keeping more dominant plants in check.
Home to rare and threatened species
The New Forest’s unpolluted and diverse habitats mean it’s bursting with life, supporting more than two thirds of the UK’s freshwater species. Here, you might catch sight of rare species such as Tadpole Shrimp, Southern Dragonfly, Brook Lamprey, and European Eel.
The forest is home to 65% of the UK’s wetland plants – around 300 species – including all three native carnivorous plants (Bladderwort, Butterwort and Sundew), ancient Marsh Clubmoss, and Pillwort, the only native aquatic fern. Along the coast, plants found in few other places are specially adapted to the rising and falling tides.
Wading and ground nesting birds such as Curlew, Lapwing, Ringed Plover, gulls and terns feed in the forest’s shallow waters and breed in the forest, laying their eggs in a variety of habitats such as shingle beaches and heathlands.
Over 30% of the UK’s freshwater invertebrate species – approximately 400 species – are also found here, such as Medicinal Leech, Emerald Damselfly and Fairy Shrimp.
- Sundew in the New Forest. Photo: Naomi Ewald
Protecting the best
Through the Freshwater Network, we are creating a national network of wilder, wetter, cleaner, and better-connected freshwaters. At the heart of this vision is the simple but powerful concept to ‘protect the best’ – the most unpolluted, species-rich sites to prioritise conservation efforts. These places are increasingly rare, with the New Forest one of the few remaining examples.
The beauty of the New Forest attracts huge numbers of tourists each year. This allows people to connect with nature, but it can also place pressure on the forest’s habitats and species. We work to educate visitors about responsible tourism and encourage water and wildlife friendly behaviour through the New Forest Water Code. When followed, it helps keep grazing animals and wildlife safe and prevents pollution and the spread of invasive species.
Our hands-on conservation work in the New Forest is also helping to reduce pressures on its freshwaters through habitat creation, natural flood management and increasing awareness of how land use impacts water quality.
By protecting this extraordinary freshwater landscape, we not only conserve some of the UK’s rarest species and habitats but also set a powerful example for how we can build a better future for freshwater across the country.
- Assessing a pond in the New Forest. Photo: Louis Grant.