Canvey Wick is a 93 hectare brownfield Site of Special Scientific Interest on Canvey Island in Essex. Rich in plants, insects and animals, it is one of the most wildlife-rich sites in the UK- it has even been referred to as ‘England’s Rainforest.

As such, it’s one of the most important British sites for endangered invertebrates. The RSPB now manage all 93ha of the SSSI as a nature reserve in partnership with Buglife, on behalf of the Land Trust, thanks to the completion of a three-year habitat restoration project in May 2025.

Community Warden Blogs Timeline of Events Habitat Restoration & Maintenance Works

The site is home to over 2,000 species of invertebrate including at least 30 on the UK ‘red list’ of endangered species including:

Canvey Island Ground Beetle (Scybalicus oblongiusculus)
Five-banded Weevil-wasp (Cerceris quinquefasciata)
Shrill Carder Bee (Bombus sylvarum)
Brown-banded Carder Bee (Bombus humilis)
Scarce Emerald Damselfly (Lestes dryas)

Scarce Emerald Damselfly (Lestes dryas) © Dan Mullen

How can you get involved?

You can get involved through a series of opportunities including volunteering, taking part in events and activities, workshops, training and more!

Why not join our Canvey Wick Community Facebook Group to keep up-to-date! Or listen to the Canvey Wick Podcast, which guides you around this Site of Special Scientific Interest, taking in the sights and sharing information, folklore, myth and legend associated with the species that call Canvey home.

Explore the reserve using our new Orienteering Map, which shows the location of 13 brass-rubbing plaques depicting wildlife that can be found at Canvey Wick. Download the map and pack a piece of paper and a crayon/pencil to complete the challenge!

Information, advice and support is also available to those who would like to know more about Canvey Wick, how to get involved and how to improve your own wild spaces (no matter how big or small) for pollinators and other invertebrate species.

For more information on how to get involved in our work at Canvey Wick please get in touch with Community Warden Katie Hargreaves via email [email protected]

To visit Canvey Wick please see the RSPB website’s ‘Plan Your Visit’

Young adults from the Get Started in Conservation programme helping to remove unwanted vegetation at Canvey Wick Nature Reserve © Ben Andrews RSPB

A brief history of Canvey Wick, its inhabitants and the Launch

Buglife’s work at Canvey Wick is currently funded by the Swire Trust and the Fowler, Smith and Jones Trust. With thanks to our previous funders, the Ida Davis Foundation, Milkywire and the Leslie Mary Carter Charitable Trust.

The Land Trust

RSPB

The Swire Trust

Fowler, Smith and Jones Trust

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