Fronds reunited: an Isle of Wight trip to restore a priceless ecosystem

Seagrass protects us from coastal erosion – and it’s under threat. A day tracking its presence is a great way to savour and safeguard the coastline

Kevin smiles from ear to ear at the sight of a common periwinkle. This pretty and striated mollusc, clinging to a sandstone where the Solent laps the peach sands of St Helens beach, speaks to Kevin of something pleasingly enduring in the natural world. Like most members of our 12-strong group, Kevin signed up for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust’s coastal survey volunteer day to help soothe his climate anxiety.

“It feels good to be doing something for our coastal environment rather than sitting at home worrying about ecosystem collapse,” he says; the last time he poked about in rock pools was as a child in the 1970s.