Our local Trusts play a huge role in the creation and improvement of wetlands. Last year, Thames21 played a part in developing a number of urban wetlands in and around London. They're not stopping there, though, and have plans to create even more wetlands around the capital. So why the big push on wetlands—and what does this mean for the environment and community?

Dan and Jayne speak to John Bryden, Senior Programmes Manager at Thames21.  We speak about the wetlands the Trust has created, and find out more about the process of sculpting an entirely new habitat. In addition, we take a closer look at the benefits that wetlands can deliver - ranging from improved biodiversity to reduced flood risk. There are a number of challenges associated with carrying out this type of work in urban wetlands, and we find out more about these from John.

In part two of this podcast, we hope to speak to the community volunteers involved in one of these projects to find out more about how it has impacted their lives. Stay tuned!