A former dairy farm near Wick St Lawrence in North Somerset is to be transformed into a "climate resilient" wetlands and nature reserve after being bought by the Avon Wildlife Trust. The purchase follows a £5m grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and the trust has described the project as the largest initiative it has ever undertaken, aiming to turn "nature depleted" farmland into a haven for wildlife and a model for climate adaptation.

The 44-acre Ebdon Farm, roughly 2km from the coast, was originally acquired by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, which gave the trust just two years to raise the funds needed to buy it. Work to create new wetland habitats will begin in autumn, supporting bats, newts, kingfishers and internationally important populations of wading birds and waterfowl. Once construction is complete, the site will open as Ebdon Farm Nature Reserve, giving the public access while allowing the trust to study climate impacts at a local level.