Mute swan swimming across canal in front of closed lock gates

Nature is in crisis. Will you help us protect it?

Canals have become a lifeline for nature. Without constant care, these vital habitats would be lost.

We need to raise more money to protect and preserve our waterways for the species that depend on them, before it's too late.

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Climate change, invasive species and habitat loss are putting devastating pressure on the wildlife we all love.

One in six native species are now endangered, and with 90% of wetlands already lost, our waterways offer a unique blend of land and water habitats to help nature recover and thrive.

But these precious ecosystems need care all year round. Our expert teams are tirelessly planting reedbeds to shelter fish, restoring hedgerows for pollinators, and clearing invasive plants choking the waterways.

Please donate today to help protect canal habitats so they remain a lifeline for nature.

Two swans with three cygnets swim along the canal from right to left, which is surrounded by lush green grass.

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Protect nature's refuge

If we lose our canals, we lose more than a peaceful place to walk or watch boats drift by. We lose one of nature’s last refuges.

Canals provide a thread of wildness that weaves through our towns and cities, and connect an increasingly fragmented landscape. From butterflies and bees to kingfishers and water voles, there's an abundance of wildlife that calls them home.

We're giving it all we've got, but we can't do it without your help. Your gift today could help protect the nature you love, and the canals that make it possible.

A birds-eye view of a red butterfly with yellow-blue circles on its wings perched on a leaf

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What does Canal & River Trust do to protect nature?

Two men in a dingy attach coir matting covered in reeds to the side of the canal

£18 could help create safe havens

We’re installing floating reedbeds to provide havens for fish, insects and mammals, and act as safe spaces for nesting birds to care for their chicks.

Three colleagues with life jackets use nets on poles to collect invasive plants from the water.

£22 could help fight back against invasive species

Floating pennywort is a fast-growing weed that blocks light, drains oxygen, and smothers native plants, insects and fish. Our teams spend thousands of hours clearing every tiny fragment from the water by hand.

A volunteer in a blue jumper in the centre of the images is weaving branches to form a hedgerow, which runs alongside a canal.

£35 could help plant hedgerows and orchards

We’re restoring ancient hedgerow habitats and planting thousands of trees, so wildlife can travel freely from place to place and pollinators can keep our canals buzzing.

Help protect nature's lifeline

If we lose our canals, we lose more than a peaceful place to walk or watch boats drift by. We lose one of nature’s last refuges.

We're giving it all we've got, but we can't do it without your help. Please donate today to help protect canal habitats so they remain a lifeline for nature.

Donate