Sunrise at Grove Ferry, Stodmarsh Nature Reserve, May 2020. Mist rising over the reed beds.

A large area of open water at Stodmarsh Flooded gravel pits at Westbere Extensive reedbeds Alder woodland and carr Water meadows and rough grazing at Grove Ferry Stodmarsh is designated as one of only 35 "spotlight reserves" in England by Natural England in the list of national nature reserves in England. This is not strictly speaking a "natural" habitat – the area around Grove Ferry has been restored to wetland habitat by English Nature (now Natural England) and the areas of open water came about as a result of the flooding of areas used for gravel extraction or undermined by mining subsidence.

The Stodmarsh NNR and the area around Grove Ferry have become famous for attracting rare and endangered bird species. A species list can be found on the website of the Kent Ornithological Society.

The Stodmarsh NNR now forms a central and ecologically important feature in the Kentish Stour Countryside Project and is an important site for the protection and encouragement of critically endangered aquatic mammal species such as the European otter and the water vole.