Morecambe ’ s garden of Eden

Morecambe has thousands of visitors each year with migrating wader populations, but in the next few years it’ll be human visitors too, as Eden Project Morecambe lands on the waterfront, says Kirsty Tyler

Our friends at Eden Morecambe have been awarded £50 million in the second round of the Government’s Levelling Up Fund, which allows the project to move into its next phase.

On the seafront looking out across Morecambe Bay, Eden Morecambe will be a boost to the town, economically and socially. Having a major hub of tourism and education, as well as celebrating this hugely important ecological area, is welcome news to Morecambe and the whole of Lancashire.

Lancashire Wildlife Trust’s Chief Executive Dr Tom Burditt welcomed the news “We are delighted that it looks like Eden is definitely coming to Morecambe permanently.

“We have been working in partnership with the Eden team, the Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Trust and Cumbria Wildlife Trust for a couple of years on the pioneering The Bay: A Blueprint for Recovery project. We have pooled resources to look at how caring for nature can promote positive health and wellbeing for our residents; and how people, in turn, can help nature, from beach cleans to coastal hay meadows.

“The arrival of Eden will further spotlight the wonderful wild riches of Morecambe Bay, which, with the largest expanse of intertidal mudflats in the UK, is already an Eden for hundreds of thousands of birds.

“We look forward to continuing to work together with them to make sure this wildlife is celebrated, conserved and enhanced; and to promote opportunities for local people to take action for our nature so that all our communities –both wildlife and people - benefit.”

Morecambe Bay is a nature-rich and biodiverse coastline, providing habitat to thousands of species, from molluscs all the way up to seals and dolphins.

Keep up to date with news of Eden Morecambe and The Bay in our e-newsletter sent out to all members

Home to the UK’s largest expanse of intertidal mudflats, which is a hugely important stopover on the migration path of thousands of waders each year, the bay has hidden depths and beauty.

The Eden Project’s experience in teaching people about nature is going to be a major win for wildlife in the North West, particularly on our coast and in the Irish Sea.

Building work is scheduled to start later on this year.