For the Love of Saltmarsh

A new interpretation sign is now in place at the end of the Longmarsh trail in Totnes, where the new boardwalk creates a loop around the marsh. The sign, boardwalk and Napoleonic wall repair at Sharpham are all part of The Saltmarsh Project.

This very short film portrays the Dart’s constellation of saltmarshes, tells the story of this 3-year, 13-partner restoration project and encapsulates everything you might want to know–the habitat, why it’s ‘useful’, the work that has been accomplished, the people involved, how it makes us feel and how understanding leads to valuing and conserving.

The leaky dam technique being trialled by the team aims to help saltmarshes maintain their own natural processes and ecological function. Over 600 bundles made of locally coppiced willow and hazel have been tied together with sisal and staked into the mud across gullies just downstream from Longmarsh, helping to slow the flow of the tidal waters. Over time, this should help to build up sediment, establishing the conditions that support the saltmarshes to flourish.

The design and installation of the sign are the result of close collaboration between Jane Brady from the Bioregional Learning Centre (BLC), illustrator Stuart Jackson-Carter, Nigel Mortimer, Estuaries Officer at South Devon National Landscapes, Keith Rennells and team from ParkLife South West. The boardwalk and sign are now part of the Longmarsh landscape and trail, owned by SHDC.