Essex  is a wonderful and varied county for wildlife!  With more than 300 miles of seawall, it has the longest coastline in England.  It also has the most islands off the English coast (30) and Mersea is the most easterly inhabited island in Britain.  The coastal marshes and mudflats are of international importance for birds as are the huge inland reservoirs of Abberton and  Hanningfield.  Traces of the Great Forest of Essex remain at Epping and Hatfield with many smaller ancient woods across the county.   Here, we can only highlight some of the places where you can see wildlife.  More information can be found on the website of the Essex Wildlife Trust.   There are also country parks run by local authorities and  reserves managed by the Woodland Trust and the RSPB.  Explore Essex is a guide book covering 260 sites and  40,000 acres.  Details can be seen here