CONSERVATIONIST David Bellamy said the restoration of wetland on a Longdon farm was a dream come true.

Professor Bellamy visited the Andrew Fraser Reserve at Hill Court Farm, Longdon Marsh, near Upton-upon-Severn, on Wednesday for an inauguration ceremony.

"It's my last official duty as president of the Wildlife Trusts and the culmination of all I have been doing with the trusts for 50 years," he said.

"Wow! It's a fantastic achievement.

"This is a dream come true. I am the happiest man you ever came across."

Worcestershire Wildlife Trust bought the farm nearly four years ago and embarked on an ambitious scheme to restore the land to its traditional state as wildlife-rich wetland, mainly funded by a £800,000 Heritage Lottery Fund grant.

The marshes were drained in the late 19th Century to provide more land for farming.

"We've gone through a great period of destruction of the countryside and now we're putting it back into working order," said Prof Bellamy.

"This land used to hold the floods in winter and it was absolutely overflowing with natural history.

"It fed lots of people in those days, keeping them going through the winter with wild ducks and birds, and the floods brought free fertiliser, so the farmers didn't have to use it."

The restored wetlands would ease flood problems along the Severn by acting as a giant sponge to absorb floodwater, he said.

"We haven't got enough water on it yet, but the wildlife is already coming back. We've been bombarded with lapwings today as we walked around."

The reserve is named after Andrew Fraser, the man whose vision first inspired the restoration of traditional wildlife-rich wetland to Longdon and Eldersfield marshes.

Although the reserve is not open to the public, the Trust plans to build a bird watching hide and organise guided walks in the future.