The winner of the Living Wetlands Award 2005 was Essex Wildlife Trust's Abbotts Hall Farm coastal realignment scheme. The announcement was made by CIWEM President Geoff Bateman at CIWEM's World Wetlands Day Conference in London. Also commended were Knottingley Flood Alleviation Scheme and Wetland Creation project and Creation and rehabilitation of stream and wetland features at Tittesworth Reservoir, Staffordshire submitted by the Environment Agency and Severn Trent Water respectively.

© Chris Gomershall, Essex Wildlife Trust   

A Curlew on intertidal muds created by the realignment at Abbotts Hall Farm. Other notable species overwintering and living on the site include avocet, redshank, snipe and lapwing, as well as Great Crested Newts, water voles and lagoon sea slugs.