Breaking News Newsletter for Breaking New Ground Landscape Partnership Scheme
May 2017
A newsflash for project partners and participants with news items, project updates, special features and forthcoming events.
Brecks Heritage Conference Speakers Announced—24th June 2017 10-am 4pm Since 2014 we have been working with our partners to deliver a wide range of projects focusing on the rich natural and historic environment of the Norfolk and Suffolk Brecks. As the scheme enters its final months, a one-day conference is being held in Thetford’s Carnegie Rooms to report on and celebrate the results of the numerous heritage-related projects which have been undertaken by us, our partners and volunteers as part of the scheme.
Help Survey Pinelines
Speakers:
We need your help to survey the iconic pinelines of the Brecks. Go to our website to find out how to fill in the simple survey form. http://www.breakingnewground.org.uk/news/ how-to-survey-a-pine-line
James Parry (Breckland Society)
Brecks Flora Art Workshops are Back
Book your free ticket here http://bit.ly/2oL5iQZ
Art by Isobel Bartholomew
Welcome and Closing Remarks
Nick Dickson (BNG) BNG and What Happens Next Peter Goulding (Breckland Society) The Military History of the Brecks Victoria Tustian (Forestry Commission) A People’s History of Thetford Forest Sarah Horlock (Norfolk Historic Environment Service) The Brecks From Above Richard Hoggett (Heritage Consultant) The Archaeological Training Programme The Brecks Earth Heritage Trail Jon Gregory (UEA) The Landscape Revolution Ed Goodall (BNG) The Brandon Engine House Project
We're excited to announce a new series of botanical art workshops coming up this summer! You will learn to paint and draw Breckland plants with an expert talk accompanying each workshop. £20per person Dates: 13th May, 3rd June, 5th Aug, Oct TBC To book, please drop in to Brandon Country Park or call 01842 810185. Contact sarahhowardpainting@icloud.com for more information
Project Evaluation A3:: Pingos and Pool Frog Re-introduction Thompson Common in Norfolk was the last refuge of the Pool Frog, one of the two native frog species to the UK, which went extinct in this country in the 1990s. Following the Norfolk Pingo Mapping Project in 2008 and an initial release of Pool Frogs, this project created more suitable habitat and released huge numbers of young frogs with the aim of re-creating a self sustaining population.
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Practical conservation work was undertaken by I have a better depth of volunteer work parties, led by Norfolk Wildlife understanding about Trust to restore the pingos to a suitable state for Pool Frogs to live in. 28 pingos were pingos and the range of restored by means of removing scrub of various management techniques. age structure and removal of hydra from the pingos themselves. Initial surveys identified Pingo Management course Youngs Covert and Oldhouse Yard Covert in Hockham as linked sites to be restored which attendee would eventually allow Pool Frog to spread to and create a stronger population. Landowners and managers were trained in pingo management and the reintroduction created a lot of media interest. Two interpretation boards were installed on the pingo trail and leaflets produced to educate visitors to the area.
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After considerable time analysing the genetics of remaining Pool Frog populations in Europe, the most genetically similar individuals to those who used to exist at Thompson Common were found to reside in Sweden. ARC Trust carefully planned the capture and breeding of Pool Frogs from Sweden with EU and ZSL consent and advice. 590 frogs were released during 2015-16 and early monitoring indicates that many of the 2015 individuals over-wintered. It will take up to 10 years to know for certain if the population has been successfully established but ARC and NWT will be working together to achieve that goal through habitat management and the release of more tadpoles and froglets.
"An amazing event for me personally, it's the culmination of a huge amount of work by Norfolk Wildlife Trust, restoring areas of Thompson Common…." John Milton, Norfolk Wildlife Trust, on the release of Pool Frogs at Thompson Common
What is a Pingo? A pingo is a periglacial landform which occurs when ground ice freezes and pushes the earth above it to create a bulge or small hill. When the ice retreated and the Brecks thawed out at the end of the last Ice Age, the pingos collapsed, leaving behind the inverse of a hill - a depression. These depressions, commonly mistaken for ponds, filled with water and fluctuate with groundwater levels. They are found in large numbers, scattered across the North East of the Brecks, most notably at Thompson Common. They are found in Siberia, Canada and Norway but nowhere else in the UK.
The project was delivered by: Amphibian and Reptile Trust Norfolk Wildlife Trust
Brecks Events BNG Events (see more and how to book at www.breakingnewground.org.uk/events)
Birds of the Brecks Spring—Identifying birds by their song 20th May, Lackford Lakes 10:00-16:30 Grazing Practitioners Day 18th May, Euston Hall, 10:00-16:00 Breckland Flora Art Workshops 13th May, 3rd June, 5th Aug, Oct TBC, Various Locations Brecks Heritage Conference 24th June, Carnegie Room, Thetford, 10:00-16:00 Partners Events Forest Fest 2nd June, Brandon Country Park 10:30-15:30 Mildenhall Warren Lodge Open Day
28th May 09:30-16:30 (organised by the Friends of Thetford Forest) If you’d like to see your event here, please send us details at bng.admin@suffolk.gov.uk
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Picture of the Month An old ‘Yard Stick’ ruler found during the Engine House restoration work
Back From the Brink—Shifting Sands The Brecks team in Natural England are recruiting for two roles to deliver the HLF funded Back from the Brink project. This £7.7million partnership project comprises of 7 integrated and 12 single species projects intending to pool expertise and develop new ways of working to put over 100 priority species on the road to recovery by 2020. The Brecks integrated project - Shifting Sands, Ensuring a future for the Brecks – is looking for two team members, a Project Delivery officer (0.7FTE) and a Keystone Species officer (1.0FTE). More information about the roles and how to apply can be found on the following links… The project delivery officer post (1140) is https://www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/jobs.cgi? jcode=1539213%20
The keystone species officer post (1141) is https://www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/jobs.cgi? jcode=1539253%20
Goshawk Returns to Nest! One of the Goshawks from year one of our Wings over the Brecks Nest Cam project has returned to its original nest (which has a camera still in place). This means that we can get it all connected up again for a bonus extra LIVE feed into High Lodge. It's very unusual to film a Goshawk incubating as they doesn't regularly return to the same nest site as birds like Ospreys might, and will give us lots of new data. Look out for it at High Lodge and we’ll let you know on our Facebook and Twitter feeds when it’s all in place.
Get your Brecks Events News noticed!: If there is something that you would like included in the next newsletter, please send details to Amy : BNG.Admin@suffolk.gov.uk Breaking New Ground c/o Visitor Centre, Brandon Country Park, Bury Road, Brandon, Suffolk, IP27 0SU 01842 815465 e: bng.admin@suffolk.gov.uk t: @TheBrecksBNG f: TheBrecksBNG. w: www.breakingnewground.org.uk