Canvey Island the 30 hectares known as West Canvey marshes, acquired by the RSPB in 2007, and the Canvey Wick nature reserve. Canvey Wick is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) at the site of the abandoned and incomplete oil refinery. The foundations of the 100 hectare (0.4 sq mile) site were prepared in the 1970s by laying thousands of tonnes of silt dredged from the Thames; the abandoned and undisturbed area has flourished as a haven for around 1,300 species of wildlife, many of which are endangered or were thought to be extinct; including the shrill carder bee, the
Canvey Lake Canvey Lake Canvey Lake is an 8.3 hectare Local Nature Reserve in Canvey Island in Essex. It is owned by Castle Point Borough Council and managed by the council together with Canvey Island Town Council. On 1 March 2010 Canvey Island Town Council signed a 99 year lease with Castle Point Borough Council to run the site with a committee of two councillor from each council and an independent chairman. The Town Council sought extensive funds to carry out extensive works to remedy years of neglect and create recreation, fishing and wildlife areas. It was formerly a creek which has