The 207 hectares of Dawlish Warren that is designated as a national and Local Nature Reserve encompasses a nationally important range of habitats and the plants and animals that these support. Botanically it is an incredibly rich area with 620 species of plant, including the Early Meadow Grass and the Warren Crocus. The site also supports over 2000 different species of invertebrates including the Ruddy Darter, Hairy Dragonflies, and the Scarlet and Jersey Tiger Moths. In total over 583 different species of flowering plants have been recorded and over 260 species of fungi.
The shores and mudflats around Warren Point are the main high tide roost for wading birds that use the Estuary. They are also important for the nationally important populations of Slavonian Grebe and for large congregations of sea ducks, divers, grebes and other bird species.