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The charity making life better by water

Heron standing in shallow water surrounded by bushes.

Protect Canals for Nature

Protect Canals for Nature

With so much of the nation’s nature under threat, help our precious wildlife find the canal habitats they need. #ActNowForCanals today, so that together we can make our waterways a wonderful, thriving corridor of life.

Small actions can have a big impact. It's never been easier to help nature recover on your doorstep.

Here are two ways to get involved today.

Help nature thrive on your doorstep

Water Vole (courtesy of Daniel Trim)

A shocking 41% of our wildlife is in decline across the UK.

These dwindling numbers are as a result of severe loss of habitat, caused by changing land use and climate change.

Our canals can offer nature a sanctuary, with a wonderful mix of homes by the water.

But with 2,000 miles of potential nature habitat lining our waterways we can't map it, improve it or connect it all up, all by ourselves.

A heron stands in shallow water, surrounded by long reeds and bushes.

We need your help to make sure these spaces are a buzzing, fluttering, croaking, corridor of life so that wildlife can grow, spread and recover by water.

By playing our Tap that Habitat online game or taking part in our Spot that Habitat survey, you can help nature find the homes it needs on our canals.

Want to learn more about the important role canal habitats play?

Megan McCubbin takes to the towpath

Zoologist, conservationist and Springwatch presenter Megan McCubbin takes a look at some of the unique habitats found along our canals with our ecologist, Laura.

What we're doing

Discover some of the work already happening along our waterways to provide more habitats for wildlife.

Hear from Iolo

Watch this short video from Iolo Williams, naturalist and Springwatch presenter, as he talks about the important roles canals play in providing habitats for nature.

Last Edited: 15 September 2023

photo of a location on the canals
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