Habitat explorer

Kent is lucky to have a huge array of habitats that host an incredible range of wildlife. From beautiful coastlines, wonderful woodlands, gorgeous grasslands and more discover what our wild county has to offer by searching below...

saltmarsh habitat with rainbow going over it
©Terry Whittaker

Saltmarsh

Saltwater marshes and mudflats form as saltwater floods swiftly and silently up winding creeks to cover the marsh before retreating again. This process reveals glistening mud teeming with the invisible life that draws in thousands of birds to feed.

Sand dune

Sand dunes

Sand dunes are places of constant change and movement. Wander through them on warm summer days for orchids, bees and other wildlife, or experience the forces of nature behind their creation – the raw power of a winter storm.

Seagrass bed
Seagrass ©Paul Naylor www.marinephoto.co.uk/

Seagrass

Meadows of seagrass spread across the seabed, their dense green leaves sheltering a wealth of wildlife including our two native species of seahorse.

Gardening with wildlife, snail on gardening gloves with pot plants behind
Tom Marshall

Urban

The green spaces of our towns and gardens bring nature into our daily lives, brightening our mornings with birdsong and the busy buzzing of bees. Together, the UK's gardens are larger than all of our National Nature Reserves combined, making them as important for wildlife as they are for our own wellbeing.

Wet woodland

Wet woodland

Wet woodlands in the UK can be wild, secretive places. Tangles of trailing creepers, tussocky sedges and lush tall-herbs conceal swampy pools and partially submerged fallen willow trunks, likely to deter all but the most intrepid enthusiast. These are some of our most natural woodlands.

Nene Wetlands, The Wildlife Trust BCN
©John Abbot

Wetlands

Healthy wetlands store carbon and slow the flow of water, cleaning it naturally and reducing flood risk downstream. They support an abundance of plant life, which in turn provide perfect shelter, nurseries and breeding grounds for wildlife.

Mixed lowland oak and ash wood

Woodland

Our woodlands are a key tool in the box when addressing climate change for their carbon storage potential, but are less well known for their potential to limit flooding events, with wet woodlands providing a great service in slowing the flow of water downstream after extreme rain events.