GoCardless dedicated their Thursday to join GreenTheUK and Buglife for a volunteering event at Canvey Wick, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Essex. This unique habitat is home to a vast range of invertebrates and birds, many of which are at-risk. Once a marshland, Canvey Wick’s transformation began with the dredging of Thames material to create a site for an oil refinery (a plan that was ultimately abandoned). This process turned the area into a sandy environment, making it an ideal habitat for numerous invertebrates.

The abandoned oil refinery left behind tarmac circles which were to serve as the foundation for large oil tanks. These paved areas have become a favourite warm refuge for lizards, snakes, other reptiles, and invertebrates, with many accumulating large amounts of mosses and lichens, creating even more specialised habitats.

GoCardless' task was to clear Sea Buckthorn from these large paved areas, which had grown up through the cracks, damaging the tarmac with its roots and outcompeting native species that are more beneficial to local wildlife. By reducing the Sea Buckthorn, the team helped restore the balance of biodiversity in the area.

Clearing two entire tarmac platforms of Sea Buckthorn in a single day was a challenging goal, but the GoCardless team got right to work showing the Sea Buckthorn who was in charge. All the clearance was done by hand to minimise any disturbance to nearby habitats and potential bird nesting sites.

A huge thank you to the GoCardless team who took a day out of their week to help protect this important nature reserve - your efforts will have a lasting impact on this vital ecosystem.