Norfolk Wildlife Trust is a charity dedicated to all aspects of wildlife conservation in Norfolk. Our members help us to create a county where there is space for nature to thrive and more people are inspired to take action for nature.
Thank you so much for being a member. Why not give the gift of wildlife to someone else? A gift membership is a unique present for wildlife watchers, outdoors enthusiasts, or families keen to explore Norfolk further. We can even post a welcome pack with a message directly to the recipient on your behalf. They will also receive three copies of Tern each year, access to local events, and be able to explore NWT nature reserves for free. Visit our website to buy your gift or call 01603 625540.
If you’re not already a member of NWT, please join us today by visiting our website, calling our friendly team using the details below, or asking a member of staff at one of our visitor centres. Help us create a wilder Norfolk for all. norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk/ Membership or 01603 625540
Tern is published three times a year by Norfolk Wildlife Trust. Advertising sales by Countrywide Publications.
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Editor: Vicky Boorman
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While every care is taken when accepting advertisements neither Norfolk Wildlife Trust nor Countrywide Publications can accept responsibility for unsatisfactory transactions that may arise. The views expressed in this magazine are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of Norfolk Wildlife Trust.
I'm delighted to feature such a diversity of voices in this issue of Tern, covering a range of topics that demonstrate the breadth of what we do. Hear from our Wilder Landscapes Advisor about our pond restoration work (p32) and from our Woodland Assistant on mapping ancient woodland to enhance the protection of this unique habitat (p16).
However, wildlife is facing significant challenges, and despite our hard work, we cannot tackle these issues alone. It’s essential to engage others in our vision, inspiring them to connect with nature and, in turn, feel motivated to protect it. Our new Wild Youth Action programme (p29) offers activities and opportunities for young people aged 11–25, a crucial age when interest in nature often wanes. I particularly
enjoyed reading the responses from our Wilder Wardens to the question: “What does nature mean to you?” (p30). Their heartfelt reflections on how the natural world positively impacts their wellbeing are truly inspiring. We delve deeper into this theme in our guest article ‘Human nature’ (p18), contributed by Norfolk and Waveney Mind, with whom we’ve collaborated at Sweet Briar Marshes and the surrounding areas as part of our Nextdoor Nature initiative.
With your support we have achieved so much this year and on behalf of the spoonbills and natterjack toads featured in our news pages, we thank you for making it all possible. Wishing you a wonderful wildlife-filled festive break.
Eliot Lyne, Chief Executive
Alternative ways to read Tern The magazine can be read on our website as a text-only document. You can make changes to font size and background colour, for easier reading, and enjoy Tern using a screen reader. This issue is available to download at norfolkwt.uk/PlainTextTern
WILD NEWS
Highlights from Norfolk and national news from The Wildlife Trusts
Teaspoons create a stir
Spoonbills were ‘top of the bill’ at NWT Hickling Broad and Marshes this year with a second successful breeding season, providing hope of establishing a future breeding colony of these distinctive rare birds.
Hickling Broad nature reserve has become a haven for the species in recent years, thanks to a combination of habitat management and an increasing British population. However, last year was the first summer that chicks successfully hatched — the first known breeding success in the Norfolk Broads for around 400 years.
‘It was so wonderful to see spoonbill fledglings again at Brendan's Marsh,’ says Robert Smith, NWT Senior Reserves Assistant for Broads North. ‘It shows that our work to enhance
the habitats on our reserves and across Norfolk is hugely important to the survival of wildlife, including visitors such as the spoonbill.’
The spoonbill is a large white heron-like species that stands at three feet tall and has a wingspan of four feet. It gets its name from its long bill, which has a flat spoon-shaped tip. The species is of European conservation concern and a very rare breeding bird in the UK.
Spoonbill fledglings — known affectionately as 'teaspoons' on account of their shorter bills — can also be identified by the black in their wing tips. The fledglings and parents spent the summer at the reserve but have now flown south. We very much hope they will return next year.
Championing nature at a time of change
Ahead of the general election, a coach filled with NWT staff, volunteers, friends and family travelled down to London to take part in the Restore Nature Now march. It was great to walk alongside hundreds of fellow environmental organisations and tens of thousands of their supporters for a peaceful, friendly event aimed at putting nature at the top of the agenda in the run up to the big day.
With the 2024 General Election behind us, we're looking forward to working with Norfolk's newly elected MPs to support our wildlife. The new government will be responsible for turning around our position as one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, and the action they take in the coming years will be critical.
We are in the process of meeting our new MPs, urging them to commit to championing the actions needed to drive nature's recovery within their constituency. We've written a 'Plan for Nature', which sets out three key priorities the government must address to give nature a fighting chance — and ensure wildlife is abundant and thriving in Norfolk.
Find out more:
norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk/ Priorities
Spoonbill fledglings on Brendan's Marsh
Business is booming
The Pleasure Boat Inn, purchased by Norfolk Wildlife Trust in 2023 and located at NWT Hickling Broad and Marshes, reopened this summer to the great delight of residents and visitors to the area.
After announcing in the summer that we had leased the Pleasure Boat Inn to Rick
and Felicity Malt, they opened the doors to a queue of happy customers just a few weeks later, on Friday 2 August.
Rick and Felicity already run two successful Norfolk pubs — The White Horse Inn at Neatishead and The Lion at Thurne — and there are good
Meadows Appeal update
Earlier this year, we asked you to help us bring the sights and sounds of summer back to our landscape. Since then, we have been blown away by your generosity. At the time of writing, you have helped us raise an astounding £37,592 to help protect and restore meadows in Norfolk!
It’s a sad fact that due to the changing way our landscape is managed, less than 5% of Norfolk’s meadows remain. An incredible array of wildlife, from bees to butterflies, depends on meadow habitat. Protecting our existing meadows, restoring lost areas of habitat, and teaching communities how to create and care for meadows are all crucial to the survival of vulnerable wildlife.
Your kind donations will help us create and maintain meadow-rich grassland on our reserves and to work with landowners to enhance existing wildlife-rich meadows throughout the county. Your support will also help train people in the skills needed to create and manage meadows that support wildlife in their community.
We have been inspired by some of the messages accompanying your donations, often expressing nostalgia for a time when Norfolk was home to many meadows, each thrumming with life. You have shared your experiences of this amazing habitat and wildlife that calls it home. Your support gives us hope for the future of Norfolk’s meadows: thank you!
signs that the Pleasure Boat Inn is going to follow in their footsteps.
‘Business has been wonderful since we reopened the pub — beyond our expectations,’ says Rick. ‘It’s great to be in partnership with Norfolk Wildlife Trust. We are looking forward to developing our offer in harmony with their values, including providing people with a warm welcome to Hickling Broad and Marshes to enjoy the area and learn about its special wildlife.’
In addition to taking care of this unique and vital landscape for wildlife, we are in the process of making plans to create even more facilities across the Hickling Broad and Marshes area. This includes additional boat trips, walking routes and other new ways for visitors to discover and enjoy this special natural landscape.
Find out more: norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk/ PleasureBoatInn
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Improvements at well-loved Norfolk nature spot bring a special view to all
The Rollesby Bridge area, found in the heart of the Trinity Broads, has been given a makeover. This will help more people access and enjoy the stunning views on offer at this well-loved nature spot.
The access point to Rollesby Broad, part of the Trinity Broads nature reserve, has been significantly improved,
thanks to fantastic partnership work, as well as huge contributions from the local community. Two fully accessible viewing areas and an accessible picnic area now provide a tranquil place from which to enjoy the view.
This was a true community effort. The Norfolk Broads Lions Club made a generous donation, local farmer and
businessman, Peter Starling, helped to dig foundations, and Ormesby St Michael Parish Council contributed the recycled picnic bench, which is a sustainable way of using and locking in plastic waste. Local chainsaw carver, Andy Usher, created a stunning marsh harrier sculpture now found at the site and raised considerable funds for the project through the sale of his sculptures at the Tacons Farm Shop, helped by Emma Tacon.
‘We’re so grateful to all those who helped with this important project including local businesses, volunteers, residents, and Ormesby St Michael Parish Council,’ says Eilish Rothney, our Warden. ‘It’s wonderful to see a community come together to provide an area that is so important for people’s health and wellbeing.’
The Trinity Broads project is a partnership between NWT, Essex & Suffolk Water, who own the Trinity Broads, Natural England, The Broads Authority and The Environment Agency.
Standing up for wildlife – update on our Western Link campaign
After Norfolk County Council announced in June that it had submitted a planning application for the Norwich Western Link road, NWT launched a high-profile campaign against the development alongside a coalition of local and national organisations.
The campaign resulted in members of the public sending over 4,600 objections against the road to the Council’s planning department during the public consultation period — sending a strong message that
there is widespread opposition to the road across the county and beyond.
Norfolk Wildlife Trust also sent its own detailed objection to the Council, outlining our concerns for the area’s wildlife and landscapes including habitats such as woodland, wetlands and rare chalk rivers, as well as the UK’s largest-known community of rare and legally protected barbastelle bats.
In recognition of the national significance of the environmental impacts of the proposed road, we wrote
to Rt Hon Angela Raynor MP, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government following the close of the public consultation, to ask that the planning application be scrutinised by national government.
We understand that no decision will be made on the planning application until 2025 and will watch as the story unfolds as we continue in our efforts to stop the Norwich Western Link.
Find out more: norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk/NWL
Natterjack toad
of spawn found and probably thousands of toadlets emerging from the ponds. The previous record was 36 in 1983!’
Natterjack news
The rare natterjack toad reached record numbers this year at NWT Syderstone Common, thanks to decades of careful conservation work from reserve staff and volunteers.
The nature reserve is one of only 60 sites in the UK where the natterjack toad is found — and one of four sites in Norfolk. Now largely restricted to coastal sand dunes, Syderstone is one of the few examples of an inland natterjack breeding site in the country.
‘We have been monitoring natterjacks at Syderstone since 1974,’ says Anne
Simpson-Large, NWT Deputy Reserves Manager for West Norfolk. ‘We follow the national recording scheme that is led by ARC (the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust) and record the number of strings of spawn each year. This tells us how many breeding females there are, and how many toadlets emerge from the ponds — so we can compare success year on year.
‘Natterjack toads lay their spawn in 1–2m strings in temporary, shallow ponds, warmed by the sun. This year was our best year ever with 61 strings
Sydney Long Medal award winner announced
In the autumn, we were delighted to award the Sydney Long Memorial Medal to Dr Anne Edwards, chair of Wymondham Nature Group.
The medal is Norfolk's most prestigious award for naturalists and given in recognition of our founder Dr Sydney Long, who died in 1939. It is awarded jointly by Norfolk Wildlife Trust and the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists' Society every two years for an outstanding contribution to the county's natural history.
Amongst her many achievements for Norfolk’s wildlife, Anne Edwards has been a committee member of Wymondham Nature Group for 20 years and its Chair for many of these. For the past 18 years, Anne has also organised
regular work parties to carry out conservation work at NWT Ashwellthorpe Lower Wood and NWT Hethel Old Thorn, helping to transform these sites into bountiful havens for biodiversity.
The award was presented to Anne by our Ambassador, Nick Acheson, in Ashwellthorpe Wood. 'Dr Anne Edwards is a hugely worthy recipient of the Sydney Long Memorial Medal,’ says Nick. ‘I feel sure that Sydney Long himself would endorse her as the recipient of this year's medal in his honour.’
‘I am hugely honoured to receive this prestigious natural history medal particularly in the setting of Lower Wood, a veritable cornucopia of biodiversity,’ says Anne. ‘At a time when it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the environmental challenges that we
As well as monitoring the toads, habitat management is key to success. Natterjacks have relatively short legs so need open terrain with sparse vegetation so they can move around. They also need access to sandy soil in which to burrow, places to shelter during the day and shallow, gravelly-bottomed pools in which to breed. Reserve staff have been known to conduct ‘rescue missions’ with tanks of water to prevent the ponds from drying up before the toadlets are ready.
Over the last century, the natterjack toad has experienced a significant decline in population and range, primarily because of habitat loss and fragmentation. These rare amphibians are now highly protected alongside their habitat.
‘Despite the success of natterjacks this year,’ says Anne, ‘they are a rare species in significant decline and the population here remains incredibly vulnerable. It’s vital for visitors to always be mindful of any activity that might disturb these special creatures so they can continue to recover.’
Dr Anne Edwards
face, an ancient woodland brings calm, inspiration and hope for the future.’
This summer, we held our annual nature photography competition — the winners of which have formed this year’s calendar.
Clash of emperor dragonflies by Stuart Merchant
With over 600 photographs submitted, whittling down the entries to just 12 was no mean feat! Staff from across Norfolk Wildlife Trust were invited to judge our entries this year, with around 80 taking part in the final vote.
This year’s overall winner was chosen unanimously. Stuart Merchant’s emperor dragonflies blew us away with the painterly colours of the water lilies, contrasted with the sharp, vivid forms of the dragonflies. Stuart shared that this photo is of his own garden pond in Wreningham, which was a recent build and an instant magnet for local wildlife.
Our runner up was tightly fought, with Roman Czajkowski’s kingfisher in the rain taking the title. Our staff felt that this atmospheric photograph captured all that we love about these birds, which are so often only spotted as a lucky flash of colour. Taken from our Kingfisher Hide at NWT Ranworth Broad, Roman commented that getting soaked on his visit turned out to be well worth it. Look closely at his photo, and you can even see the kingfisher’s tongue peeping out!
Meanwhile, we were delighted to see a range of impressive images
from young photographers. Our favourite was Tyler Hood’s excellently captured thick-legged flower beetle. At just 10 years old, we can’t wait to see where Tyler’s talents take him.
A free exhibition of the winners and highly commended images will be held at NWT Cley Marshes between 31 December 2024 and 12 January 2025.
The calendar is available to purchase from our visitor centres at Hickling Broad, Holme Dunes and Cley Marshes for £9.99.
The three winners were awarded prizes generously donated by competition sponsors ZEISS, which included a pair of ZEISS Conquest HD binoculars, and two ZEISS Secacam trail cameras.
Thick-legged flower beetle hiding from the rain by Tyler Hood
Kingfisher in the rain at NWT Ranworth Broad by Roman Czajkowski
Common ivy Species spotlight
Ivy (Hedera helix) provides a wealth of benefits for our wildlife, but it is sadly misunderstood, often incorrectly considered to ‘strangle’ trees. Its climbing stems and thick encircling foliage do twist around them, but it harmoniously binds hedgerows and woodlands, and when crossstitched with brambles and honeysuckle makes them dense and verdant.
The ivy leaf shape is instantly recognisable, shiny and evergreen. Its form and symbolism has been used in art and decoration for thousands of years across many cultures, considered by many as magical. In late autumn, when little else is available for nectar-feeding insects, ivy provides a bounty of yellow-hued blossom. A diverse set of insects feed on it, and it is essential for red admiral, comma and peacock butterflies. The energy it
provides enables them to turn the rich nectar into fat; without it they would struggle to survive hibernation. Ivy benefits from this army of pollinators and produces hard black berry-like fruit. Ripening in winter, ivy provides these sweet riches for thrushes to feed on, and this seasonal bounty is particularly important for our wintering warbler, the blackcap. A wide variety of moth caterpillars feed on ivy, including the small dusty wave, angle shades and the swallow-tailed moth.
Ivy stays lush and green throughout the winter, offering vital shelter for birds, bats, and small mammals. It also serves as an ideal haven for hibernating insects. In summer its tangled, meandering and hugging branches provide a perfect nest site for birds, many making a deep patch of ivy their first preference.
There are two native species of ivy in the UK: Hedera helix and Hedera hibernica
H. helix is the common ivy, which can be found throughout the UK.
H. hibernica is the Atlantic ivy, which is more common in the west of Britain and in Ireland. Both species can climb, but there is a cultivar of H. hibernica called 'Hibernica' which grows along the ground and does not usually climb. This cultivar is often planted as ground cover and can become invasive.
Drifts of birds and butterflies are among wildlife photographer and writer, Robin Chittenden’s spots of the last few months.
Occasionally, weather conditions cause migrating birds from Scandinavia, which usually follow the continental coastline south, to accidentally cross the North Sea and end up in North Norfolk. This autumn, the weather conditions aligned twice in a major way resulting in many ‘drift migrants’, seen at various coastal locations including NWT Holme Dunes, Blakeney Point,
Burnham Overy Dunes and East Hills. We’re talking about hundreds of birds and in such numbers that they are referred to collectively as a ‘fall’.
It was a joy to see redstarts, pied and spotted flycatchers, whinchats, wheatears and willow warblers buzzing about, often resting together on fence wires and squabbling over favoured perches. Although the vast majority
departed the night after they arrived, some stayed on for a few days, to refuel before continuing their journeys south to Africa. A handful of rarer birds also appeared, including several wrynecks, a few icterine warblers, red-breasted flycatchers, and a greenish warbler. At the same time, a surge of red admirals arrived, seemingly perched on every bit of vegetation along the coast.
Spotted flycatcher
White-rumped sandpiper
It has been a good year for whiterumped sandpipers with around six to eight visible at RSPB Snettisham, although you had to time your visits to coincide with the ‘spring’ tides. These high tides mean the waders get pushed to the edge of The Wash and on to the pits at RSPB Snettisham making them easier to identify. Others were spotted at NWT Holme Dunes, NWT Cley Marshes and RSPB Titchwell. It could be the case that they are breeding in small numbers in the Arctic on the European side of the Atlantic.
The white-rumped sandpiper is a plainlooking wader from North America and can look surprisingly dunlin-like, especially in winter plumage, and will easily merge in with a dunlin flock. At a closer look, the white-rumped sandpiper has a proportionally shorter bill and a
more upright stance. There are also plumage differences, but when they fly, the white rump is a giveaway.
Several species of dragonfly have extended their populations northwards as the weather becomes more favourable for them. One that is taking its time is the southern migrant hawker, also known as the blue-eyed hawker. Although it has established colonies in south Essex for several years it is only slowly moving northwards. Perversely, it would seem for a dragonfly, it favours dried up ditches and ponds, so in fact could turn up nearly anywhere. However, it seems to favour Norfolk Wildlife Trust reserves — it has been seen over the last few years at NWT Thompson Common and NWT East Winch Common, and this year at NWT Syderstone Common and NWT Cley Marshes.
Rachel shares how she changed career paths, what her diverse role entails, and why she loves working at Hickling.
Istarted my career in the travel business, before reviewing what I wanted to do in life. I’d always been keen on nature and wildlife, so I started volunteering for the RSPB. I’d not studied ecology, so volunteering was a good foot in the door. I applied for a seasonal role at Norfolk Wildlife Trust and, seven years later, I’m still here! I always knew that I wanted to work with people, especially those who are passionate about the same things as me.
My day begins with a weather check. I then come in and have a team talk with our volunteers, where I’ll tell them what the day holds. Welcoming visitors to Hickling is a huge part of my role, providing a high level of service and sharing information. Another part of my job is ordering, checking and pricing stock, as well as arranging shop displays. I answer lots of phone and email enquiries. ‘Can I see a swallowtail butterfly?’ is one of our
most common questions. I conduct visual building inspections and make key site safety decisions. I also write a regular newsletter. No two days are the same and that’s one of the main reasons why the job is so enjoyable.
The best part of my job is working with volunteers. It’s humbling to be around such dedicated people who give up their own time and work so hard — it's not an easy role. I also love learning about the site — most days bring surprises. It’s wonderful to engage with people who have had a lovely visit and want to tell you what they’ve seen. It could be something common, like a swan, or something more unusual, like a pectoral sandpiper. It’s great to be able to pass on that knowledge — you can usually teach somebody something new.
is anything customer service or salesbased. Volunteering is a great way to get into conservation as it helps you get to know the organisation. Once you’ve got some experience, you’re in the ideal position to apply for a job.
The hardest part of my job is when I need to let people down due to unforeseen circumstances. I may have to cancel a boat trip, for example. It can
I’ve recently taken up birdwatching. I’m in a great place for that as I have lots of birdwatching colleagues! I’m also a keen crafter and I’ve made all sorts, from jewellery to jointed teddy bears. My current favourite is needle felting. I sing with a choir called The Voice Project which is a great way to relax. The contemporary choral music is written specifically for the choir, and I enjoy the challenge of learning new pieces of music and performing with other people.
Exclusive holidays for life
An initial payment from £5,000 and a quarterly fee of under £38 (that is around £150 a year), which can increase in line with but not exceed the Retail Price Index Excluding Mortgage Interest (RPIX), gives you access to all HPB’s holiday homes. For each HPB holiday, you will pay a no-profit user charge covering only property running and maintenance costs and use of on-site facilities. The average charge is the same throughout the year, and for a studio is around £360 a week and £540 for a two bedroom property. Larger properties are also available. After an initial charge of 25% your money is invested in a fund of holiday properties and securities. The fund itself meets annual charges of 2.5% of its net assets at cost, calculated monthly.
Your investment return is purely in the form of holidays and, as with most investments, your capital is at risk. You can surrender your investment to the company after two years or more (subject to deferral in exceptional circumstances) but you will get back less than you invested because of the charges referred to above, as well as other overheads and changes in the value of the fund’s properties and securities.
This advertisement is issued by HPB Management Limited (HPBM), the main UK agent and the property manager for HPB, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, registered at HPB House, Newmarket, Suffolk, CB8 8EH. HPB is available exclusively through HPBM. HPB is issued by HPB Assurance Limited (HPBA) registered in the Isle of Man and authorised by the Financial Services Authority there. HPBM promotes only HPB and is not independent of HPBA. Holders of policies issued by HPBA will not be protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme if the company becomes unable to meet its liabilities to them but Isle of Man compensation arrangements apply to new policies.
The Wildlife Trusts donation will only be made if: 1. You quote “Wildlife Trusts” when requesting further details; and 2. You have not previously requested or received information about the Holiday Property Bond from us; and 3. You invest in the Holiday Property Bond within 24 months of your initial enquiry and do not cancel that investment within the statutory 30 day cooling off period.
“In my experience, HPB has all the ingredients of a perfect holiday – stylish and comfortable homes, excellent leisure facilities, and all in such beautiful parts of the world. As a Bondholder, I’ve got a lot of holidaying to look forward to in retirement!” – Sue Barker
on a recent
trip to
Nature right on your doorstep
HPB has always strived to protect our natural heritage, looking after the environment and working closely with nature. Many of our properties in the UK are situated in National Parks or Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with a number having achieved awards for their sympathetic architecture and natural landscaping. Both here and overseas, HPB always seeks to find the most beautiful and unspoilt locations.
You can holiday in any of more than 1,500 HPB-owned properties at over 30 UK and European locations for the whole of your lifetime and then pass the benefits on to your children or grandchildren. An initial payment of as little as £5,000 means that you can look forward to truly memorable holidays in beautiful places, with top quality accommodation year after year after year.
To find out more about HPB, please read ‘Exclusive holidays for life’ on the left and then request your FREE information pack.
HPB support The Wildlife Trusts in their aim to save and protect the UK’s wildlife and wild places. That’s why we will donate £300 for every Norfolk Wildlife Trust member who becomes a Bondholder.
See summary of the terms and conditions on the left.
Tigh Mor Trossachs; HPB's turreted mansion on the banks of Loch Achray in the Scottish Highlands
Henllys, HPB’s former Franciscan monastery, offers captivating views of the Menai Strait and the spectacular Snowdon mountain range beyond
Sue
birdwatching
HPB’s El Pueblito de Alfaix in Almeria, southern Spain
Tigh Mor Trossachs: HPB’s historic mansion beside Loch Achray in the Scottish Highlands
Ospreys over Loch Achray at Tigh Mor Trossachs
Discovering our ancient woodland
Even the smallest woodland can be a lifeline for wildlife, especially if it has been there for hundreds of years.
NWT Woodland Assistant, Lydia Kittle has spent much of the past two summers visiting woods across Norfolk, as part of our Ancient Woodland Inventory Project. Together with our County Wildlife Site (CWS) team and volunteers, she has been deciphering if a site is over 400 years old. This means it could be designated as ‘ancient woodland’ — a scarce, unique habitat, and home to more threatened species than any other.
‘The results of the surveying work will be added to the national Ancient Woodland Inventory, held by Natural England,’ Lydia explains. ‘The database was compiled between 1981 and 1992 to record and log ancient woodland in the UK. Back then it only included woodland over two hectares in size and omitted ancient wood pastures. There was also a lack of digital mapping resources and evidence availability, leaving gaps in the data. The database has since been digitised but still needs refining, hence the current Inventory Update Project. Our task has been to resurvey
already designated sites to ensure the current information is correct. We also visited smaller areas of woodland and wood pasture that could have been missed under the old system.’
The term ‘ancient woodland’ is applied to any area that has been continuously wooded since the 1600s and recognises the area’s vital ecological importance. According to the Woodland Trust’s State of the UK’s Woods and Trees 2021 Report, ancient woodland now covers just 2.5% of the UK. Around half of what remains has been felled and replanted with non-native conifers. Even more is under threat of destruction or deterioration from development and wider impacts such as overgrazing and air pollution.
‘Although surveying work involves being out in the field, other work behind the scenes is necessary,’ Lydia continues. ‘Before visiting a site, we must obtain permission from the landowner. Building these relationships is important to the whole process, not just this first stage
but after a site is designated. We'll be hoping to work with the landowner to advise on managing the habitat for wildlife. Other offsite assessment is common, including crosschecking the ancient woodland inventory by examining old maps and documentary evidence. This all helps build a picture of how long the woodland has been in existence.’
Remnants of humancaused earthworks can also provide clues about a wood’s cultural history. Features such as mediaeval wood banks, mature coppice stools and old pollarded trees on boundaries can suggest a woodland is ancient. But for Lydia, the real delight is in spotting and finding the plant species that show the age of the wood.
‘We’re looking out for species that are listed as
Leave Norfolk a wild and wonderful legacy
Lydia's role has been funded through a generous legacy, kindly left by Adrian Gunson, and a donation in memory.
For more information about leaving a gift in your Will to Norfolk Wildlife Trust visit norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk/ GiftsInWills
‘ancient woodland indicators,’ she says. ‘These plants are generally slow to colonise. If we spot them in a woodland, then it is a good clue that it may be incredibly old — wood anemone and herb paris are excellent examples. Each county has its own list of indicator species that are more commonly found there. It is always a delight to find moschatel, also known as town hall clock. It is the most amazing little plant, aptly named due to its singular flower having four faces.’
Norfolk only has around 2,700 hectares* of ancient woodland left, which is now heavily fragmented. NWT Foxley is the largest remaining such wood in the county. Although flourishing today, Foxley suffered decades of degradation under a commercial forestry regime. Large-scale restoration work by NWT staff and contractors has allowed surviving ancient woodland ground flora such as water avens and early purple orchid (pictured left) to thrive here.
‘Foxley Wood shows the improvements we can make through targeted conservation work to restore a previously altered habitat. However, there is no comparison for protecting a site in the first place,’ Lydia says. ‘The rich variety of plants in ancient woods has developed over hundreds of years, along with a unique mycelium network in the soil that connects fungi to the roots of plants and trees. This amazing fungal network can't be replicated in a short space of time.
‘Ancient woodland forms an essential piece in the puzzle in the fight for a bigger, better, and more connected landscape for wildlife’
‘Over the years, a multitude of species have come to depend on ancient woodland and the habitat it provides. Barbastelle bats rely on the flaky bark of veteran trees to colonise, breed and protect their pups. Male purple emperor butterflies use tall "master trees", often oak, to attract a female
for mating — and they rely on goat willow as the main food plant for their caterpillars. Goshawks are the ultimate woodland predator of the skies, their wings perfectly evolved to weave through trees. They build their nests high up in the canopy often within mature pine. This means a mixture of pine and broadleaved woodland is essential for the goshawk.’
Once added to Natural England’s inventory, Lydia's work will help to create an overall picture of the size and distribution of ancient woodland across the UK. It will also provide an extra layer of protection against harm. Crucially for our CWS team, the data will provide up-to-date information about the state of Norfolk’s woods. This supports their work advising landowners on how to improve their land for nature. It also strengthens our efforts in responding to planning applications that may negatively impact wildlife.
‘Ancient woodland forms an essential piece in the puzzle in the fight for a bigger, better, and more connected landscape for wildlife,’ Lydia adds. 'Not only are they surrounded by lore and shaped by human history, but they are also irreplaceable. We must do all we can to look after this incredible habitat.’
*This includes both Ancient and Semi-natural Woodland (ASNW) and Ancient Replanted Woodland (PAWS). This figure was taken from NE’s Ancient Woodland Inventory.
We’ve been supporting Norfolk and Waveney Mind with their Nature Connect project, which aims to improve wellbeing by connecting people to the natural world — and can also spark the desire to , tells us more.
Incredibly it’s nearly 20 years since our first ‘Eco-minds’ pilot project, with The Conservation Volunteers and Walk England. This explored the benefits of ecotherapy, which was then a new concept for our organisation. Since then, we have learnt a huge amount about the link between wellbeing and nature. More recently, through our work with Norfolk Wildlife Trust, we've seen how it also aids nature's recovery.
Thanks to grant funding in 2021, our explorations into the benefits of exposure to our many beautiful green and blue, urban and rural spaces across Norfolk began. This led us to the inspiring and fascinating work of the Nature Connectedness research group at Derby University. One of their key findings is that it is ‘the moments and not the minutes that count’ in nature connection.
We now have a much deeper understanding of how nature can boost our mental health, a challenge we all encounter at times. Our wellbeing, self-esteem, and resilience to stress and life's ups and downs all play a crucial role in shaping how we feel.
Many studies show that spending time in nature is incredibly good for our mental health. It only takes 20 minutes a few times a week to help us to feel physically more energised and boost our immunity to illness. We also benefit emotionally from the release of ‘happy hormones’, which are stimulated when we spend time in our natural environment. Areas high in biodiversity help us feel even more ‘green and serene’ (Mental Health Foundation). Feedback from our own Nature Connect participants last year showed that 100% of respondents agreed that greater contact with nature improved their wellbeing and 62.5% of them felt so strongly.
We offer a range of activities to try to keep people well, alongside supporting those who are struggling. We particularly try to reach the ‘nature sceptics’, as no onesize-fits-all when it comes to introducing people to feeling at home outdoors. These include newer approaches such as forest bathing and mindfulness in nature sessions. Our bestattended forest bathing sessions have taken place at NWT’s Sweet Briar Marshes nature reserve in Norwich, making the most of this truly wild haven in the city (read about one participant’s experience over the page). We can’t wait to host more of these in the future.
NWT Wilder Communities Officer, Lee Cozens (right) with residents in Mile Cross.
a wild space without speaking, but it feels different to be with a group of people moving slowly through, taking time to fully engage with one sense at a time.
With the help of Natural England, we are contributing to the creation of a Green Community Hub in Mile Cross, Norwich. This practical resource aims to share materials and expertise at an exciting new community garden. The hub is taking shape thanks to the help of local group, The Green Hearts, a dedicated and growing band of volunteers drawn from the local community. Recently we spent time together reflecting on what The Green Hearts group is, what we are proud of and what we hope to achieve. Turn to p38 to read more about the group. For me the biggest theme was seeing how important it was to be part of a community, where everyone is welcome and encouraged to be who they are.
Our work with NWT in Mile Cross has been one of our greatest recent successes. We quickly realised that Nature Connect and NWT's National Lottery Heritage Fundsupported, Nextdoor Nature project are interconnected at all levels.
For people to act on an issue, they must first care about it. Building these relationships empowers people to see the nature around them as something they would miss and want to protect. Our work together and supporting The Green Hearts has helped bring into action the concept of finding, looking after and improving nature and green spaces on our doorstep. Another big part of our work is to reduce the barriers that people may have to accessing nature. This could be feeling as though they lack knowledge or don’t have the right clothing.
‘Many studies show
Our minds have an incredible ability to focus on the feeling of our fingertips on a rough leaf or how the weight of our body feels as our feet touch the ground. Simply drawing attention to these often-overlooked sensations enabled me to quiet my mind and just be with that small experience. As someone who struggles with ADHD, I find it difficult to stop my mind racing. I felt a sense of calm, which lasted long after the session had ended.
At the end of the session, we drank tea and shared our thoughts. It reminded me of how different we all are. How a similar experience of nature can bring such a variety of responses.
NWT Sweet Briar Marshes, run by Norfolk and Waveney Mind. Shinrin Yoku. The idea is
I hope we have been able to show that nature is for everyone and learning together is a big part of the journey. A key part of our approach has been training individuals to lead groups themselves. The idea is that they will pass on their enthusiasm to continue groups beyond the end of our funding. That way, we hope more people will find their own ways of engaging in the nature around them, when it works for them. Whether people grow lettuce on a windowsill or take notice of fallen leaves on the way to the bus stop, it all matters.
The most interesting benefit we witness in our work is the growing
understanding that just as undertaking a random act of kindness for a stranger gives us an emotional boost, so does becoming aware of the reciprocal relationship we have with our natural environment. The more we tune into our innate ‘wildness’ — recognising that we are an intrinsic part of nature — the more connected, content and appreciative we become, inspiring us to protect and preserve what we cherish.
This has been critical with our work supporting people experiencing climate distress. Although we cannot ignore
the devastating loss of biodiversity and damage to our ecosystems, cultivating appreciation for what remains can help us navigate the difficult emotions these environmental crises evoke. This can even help propel us into greater action on behalf of nature and help us understand the importance of taking care of ourselves. The mantra of our team is that there can be no truly lasting wellbeing recovery for society, without nature restoration and recovery.
Norfolk and Waveney Mind offer a whole host of activities to help people feel better through experiencing the natural world as part of their Nature Connect project. These include:
Wellbeing walking groups, to share and learn from each other Forest bathing in parks and urban green spaces
Creativity and foraging, to open new avenues of enjoyment
Mindfulness in nature sessions, to help calm our minds and observe the beauty around us
Life gardening sessions, which draw on ecotherapy practices to explore personal meanings and significance in the shared cycles of nature
Specific sessions for those experiencing long-term conditions, thanks to a grant from the Empowering Communities Fund
For more information, please contact natureconnect@norfolkandwaveneymind.org.uk or norfolkandwaveneymind.org.uk/nature-connect
Members of The Green Hearts group beside one of their new raised flowerbeds
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in the wild
Wrap up warm and join NWT Ambassador, Nick Acheson, as he takes a winter wildlife walk along the Cley coast.
Come with me on a seaside walk. Wear your wellies and a coat; and bring a scarf and gloves. Autumn is done now and the short, cold days of winter are upon us. Another year is grinding to its dark and bitter end.
Today, though, despite the icy, gusting wind, the afternoon is bright. The horizontal winter sun is glancing off the warm tan shingle of Cley beach. Our boots make a delicious crunching with each step we take, heard above the rattling stones pushed up the beach and down again by roiling grey-green surf.
Above us, where the restless shingle becomes land, the wind is shearing through the arcing, architectural seedpods of horned poppies. Their butter yellow petals have long gone, but their pods persist, singing in the wind. Between them, and between the wind-chapped stalks of summer’s sticky groundsel and sea beet, the shingle seems to shift and scurry. This mirage soon resolves itself into a flock of birds. Snow buntings. Winter visitors from the Arctic tundra, their dry trills bless our beaches through the winter. Their plumage marked in chalk and rust and ink, the busy buntings blend with ease
Snow bunting
To our north, there’s nothing but waves and wind between us and the Arctic Circle. Like dappled Norfolk beachstones, we’re dwarfed by the immensity of nature. The same wind chafing at my cheeks has stirred, perhaps, the fur of polar bears; has ruffled the ice-white wings of ptarmigan and felt the beluga’s warm and fishy breath. Across the wind-whipped sea that I can see today are plenty of summer inhabitants of the Arctic, driven here by winter’s cruelty.
Not far offshore, a slim bird rides the waves. Low in the water, its long neck stretches up at right angles to its body. White in the breast and throat and cheeks, its back is silvergrey. Its pick-sharp bill, held angled upwards — haughtily — is silver too. This is a red-throated diver. It laid its eggs and raised its chicks last summer by a peaty wetland in the tundra. Under the ceaseless summer sun, it wore a hood of velvet grey, broken by pencilled lines along its nape and by a slender chestnut triangle in its throat, only recalled in winter, on the sea, by the diver’s polished jasper eye.
Further out, there is a blur, a whirr, as a tiny bird flies east above the waves.
This is a little auk. Millions of these pocket penguins breed in the Arctic, in coastal fields of scree. The bulk of them nest around the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, above lush green meadows grazed by reindeer. In winter, shedding their boot-black cowls, they take to the open water of the North Sea, typically far offshore. A small number can be seen off Norfolk, especially after early winter storms. The moody sea off Cley is as good a place as anywhere to see one, and today our luck is in.
‘Nature, on land and in the sea, should be at heart of all decisions about the future of our beautiful county.’
colour from the landscape, here the fresh green leaves of alexanders promise spring. In April, the hollow stems of these young plants will reach for the early sun; their pungent heads of flowers will offer the year’s first nectar to countless bees and flies. For now, their leaves lie glossy on the bank, gathering early winter’s weakling sunlight, waiting for their time to bloom.
We have reached the western sea wall now, and the narrow belt of shingle and shrubby seablite that — like the holdfast of a seaweed — anchors Blakeney Point in place. Bidding the sea farewell, we turn south along the muddy bank towards the village. In the Eye Field, to our east, the tawny blades of summer’s grasses shiver, and by the Eye Pool sits a common gull, its putty-coloured bill thrust in defiance at the gnawing onshore wind. Behind its neat black eyes, perhaps it harbours thoughts of squealing summer colonies by slaty moorland rivers in the north.
The sea wall speaks of summer too. While all around us winter has bled
This is winter’s meaning. Hunkering, withdrawal, biding time and gathering energies. Without the cleansing cold of winter — without the storms and wind and too-short days — the soaring joy of spring would not be half so sweet. Without the tundra’s buntings lent for these short months, without the common gulls yowling in the gale, without the geese...
The geese. We hear their chest-deep, burbling voices first. Dark-bellied brent geese from the tundra of Siberia. Soot dark and lovely, they’re flying low towards us from the saltmarsh around Blakeney Harbour, with the sinking sun behind them. Held together in families through the winter, by their constant gossip, they’re coming now to drink and rinse the sea’s brine from their plumage on the scrapes at Cley.
For almost 40 years I’ve known the geese here. I’ve watched the grandparents and great-grandparents of the very geese we’re seeing now. Like the whistling wigeon and the softly murmuring golden plover, they are the winter in this place. They’re the reason that we come.
There is a rosary quality to my walking here. Its meaning weightier with every repetition. A thousand times I’ve trudged this shingle; a thousand times I’ve slipped along Cley’s muddy banks; been overwhelmed by Russia’s envoy geese; a thousand times I’ve felt the spiteful north wind’s kiss at Cley. Each time my story has been stitched more intimately to this place.
I, of course, mean nothing to the buntings, nor to the alexanders, nor the geese; but they mean life to me. They are the beads by which I say my prayers. They are the beings which bring me, time and time again, to Cley. And knowing them is blessing.
Why not take yourself on a winter walk at Cley or one of our other reserves?
Behind the scenes
Reserve Warden, George Baldock, tells us about working at NWT Cley and Salthouse Marshes in the winter months
The main conservation task in winter at Cley and Salthouse is reed cutting. This enables us to maintain a varied age structure through the reedbed. By cutting different areas on a rotation, we can keep the reedbed from drying out and suppressing scrub growth. This benefits a range of bird species, such
Numbers of heron species have also gone from strength to strength, with spoonbill nesting on the fringe of the reserve. We now have a high number of cattle egret and great white egret, potentially breeding onsite in the future.
Winter is my favourite time
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Where making memories is a walk in the park
With over 3000 acres of parkland at your fingertips, follow our walking and cycling routes to explore off the beaten track and discover our wonderful wildlife.
Holkham Park open daily (weekends only 3rd January-14th February)
holkham.co.uk
With its beautiful sandy beaches, big skies, pretty villages and wonderful coastal walks, Norfolk is the perfect choice when it comes to choosing a holiday destination here in the UK. From cosy cottages to luxury retreats close to beautiful sandy beaches, in rural hotspots or in the middle of quaint market towns, we’ve got something for everyone.
Acorn Cottage, Oulton
WILD YOUTH ACTION
We have launched an exciting new initiative to inspire young people to care about the natural world.
Agrowing body of research demonstrates something referred to as the ‘adolescent dip in nature connectedness’. This occurs between the ages of 11–14, a period of transformation; when puberty, school and social pressures — and desire for independence — compete for attention. This dip in nature connectedness can sometimes not recover until we’re in our 30s.
Further to this, young people who live in urban areas, from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and those who experience disabilities are less likely to be able to access green spaces — and experience the benefits that nature connectedness brings.
This disconnection from nature has a dramatic effect on health and happiness, affecting cognitive development, physical health and wellbeing — as well as our ability to advocate for the environment.
It is vital that all young people in Norfolk are supported to connect with and act for nature, empowering themselves and benefiting the wildlife around them. This is why we have launched an exciting programme of activity and events for young people aged 11–25, made possible thanks to funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Wild Youth Action will encompass a Youth Forum, monthly workshops and Wilder Wardens sessions; free and accessible opportunities that are co-created by young people living in Norfolk.
We’re working with local charities and organisations including MAP and Norwich International Youth Project to help widen access to nature and contribute to a nationwide revolution in nature connection.
Alex Day NWT Senior Youth Engagement Officer
Wild Youth Action will empower young people from all backgrounds to lead nature conservation projects and pursue climate-conscious careers. They will also experience the transformative effects of the natural world on their mental health and wellbeing.
During a time of increasing social inequality and surging mental ill health amongst youth (in part driven by ecoanxiety), it is vital that nature and wild spaces are made accessible, and young people are provided opportunities to lead meaningful projects and be active agents in nature’s recovery.
The rewards of taking part are reciprocal. The more we connect with nature, the better we know it and the faster nature will recover. The more we can repair it, the more it will repair us.
If you’d like to take part in Wild Youth Action or you’d like to join our Youth Forum, please email youthaction@norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk Or visit our webpage: norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk/ YouthAction
How does nature make us feel?
In celebration of Wild Youth Action, we asked six young volunteers to respond to the question, how does nature make us feel? Many of these accounts are provided by Wilder Wardens, a group of regular volunteers aged 11–17 who help maintain and restore habitats on our nature reserves, including NWT Hickling Broad and Sweet Briar Marshes.
Erin, age 14, is one of our Wilder Wardens. Being part of the group has consolidated her wish to be a conservationist.
'I honestly do not know what I’d do without nature. Words cannot describe the absolute contentment I feel when I’m with it and the overwhelming desire I feel to be in a natural space when I am not. I have always felt a strong connection to nature and enjoyed being outdoors. Only recently have I been utilising how nature makes me feel to improve my headspace and overall wellbeing.
Being autistic means that the hustle and bustle and overwhelming unnatural information that the urban world gives me is almost unbearable. The only way I am able to take a breath of fresh air is in nature. I love to experience the therapeutic properties of it everywhere. All you need to do is notice.'
William, age 15, is just starting Year 11 at high school and thinking about a future in marine biology and conservation. He has been a Wilder Warden with us for two years.
'Nature allows me to escape from the real world and forget any worries or concerns — especially time pressures. I enjoy snorkelling on the chalk reef between Sheringham and Cromer. I love seeing all the underwater creatures, from crabs and lobsters to eels and fish. On holiday in Wales this year I saw
bottlenose dolphins for the first time. I was completely amazed by their sheer size and speed through the water.
I sometimes think that climate change is inevitable, and the planet is doomed. When I am at a Wilder Wardens session, I feel that at least I am doing something practical to help. Lots of my friends think nature is boring, and that there is nothing fun to do. We need to find a way to convince them it’s more interesting than their phone.'
Alfie, age 17, is currently in his second year of A-levels at East Norfolk Sixth Form College and plans to go to university next year to study Biological Sciences. He is one of our Wilder Wardens.
'Nature provides an opportunity to take a break from technology and other external pressures. I feel the Wilder Wardens sessions have been hugely beneficial in providing me increased opportunities to be out in natural environments.
I think it’s important to get more young people involved with nature, to preserve the local habitat through skills and knowledge that will otherwise be lost. If we fail to inspire more young people to conserve biodiversity on a local level, then how can we expect it to be there for future generations on a global scale?'
Chalk reef
Wilder Wardens
Heather, age 21, is a third year Media Studies student at UEA
'My favourite outdoor memories are of the many walks that I have taken at local parks with my dog, including through an ancient bluebell wood and birdwatching at RSPB Rainham Marshes in Essex, which is described as a peaceful paradise for wetland birds on the outskirts of London. Since joining my university, I have particularly enjoyed going on walks around the UEA lake and the Bowthorpe Marsh nature reserve in Norfolk.
There is something unique in the way that stepping out into wildlife can divert the mind from everyday stresses and create a tranquil sense of calmness and a distraction from the cacophony of our busy lives.'
Oscar, age 13 and a half, is one of NWT's regular bloggers, as well as being a conservation volunteer. You can read all his blogs on our website.
'I wholeheartedly believe nature is a blessing. We walk through her fields, shelter beneath her trees and eat from her branches. But one thing that perhaps we don't consider is how much she benefits our mental health. It is truly a gift in this world that we can walk out of the hustle, bustle and stress of work or school, and immerse ourselves in a sea of birds, butterflies, bees and plants. Even in the busiest cities, a tiny shoot seeping up through a tiny crack in the pavement can be a wonderful spark of hope. At first glance it may not be obvious, but nature is everywhere. We just have to open our eyes.'
Kasper, age 11, joined Wilder Wardens this year and enjoys conservation work at both Hickling Broad and Marshes and Sweet Briar Marshes.
'When we went to Cley Marshes this summer the lake was alive with birds, from avocets raising chicks to the swallows somersaulting, catching their insect food. As we were sitting in the hide watching this spectacle, a swallow flew in through the viewing hatch and, in the beams, three huge yellow gapes were there to meet her. The chicks were so small they could have sat on your fingertip and so close I could see their downy feathers.
To me, experiences like this are so special. When you can sit down surrounded by nature you forget everything else and live in the moment.'
About the project: Building Foundations for the Future is a new project funded by a £241,642 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, with thanks to players of the National Lottery. This project aims to embed youth-voice throughout the Norfolk Wildlife Trust, supporting disadvantaged young people to connect with nature and increase youth participation through events, activities and outdoor learning programmes, empowering more people from all backgrounds to value and act for nature locally.
Do you have a pond in need of restoration? Find out more here: norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk/Ponds
Ponds found in farmland and the wider countryside are a huge asset to wildlife, and restoring these as well as creating suitable new ponds is a big step on our path towards a wilder Norfolk.
Norfolk is home to around 23,000 ponds — more than any other English county. Despite this impressive number, it is estimated that half of Norfolk’s ponds have been filled in over the past 80 years.
WHY HAVE WE LOST SO MANY PONDS?
Many ponds were filled in to help increase the area of land available for food production following World War II. And whilst that's not the case now, without the right care, ponds can become dominated by invasive species
or inundated by scrub. Shady, dark ponds do have value, but research by the Norfolk Ponds Project has shown that open ponds typically support three times more wildlife species. Light reaching the pond base helps aquatic and marginal plants grow which, in turn, supports other wildlife.
Ponds can also become ‘silted up’ over time, as leaves drop into the water and decay, reducing water quality and depth.
It is estimated that up to 90% of ponds are under-managed and therefore of reduced value to wildlife.
WHY ARE PONDS SO IMPORTANT FOR WILDLIFE?
Ponds are home to a wide range of wildlife which needs still, freshwater conditions. Numerous animals rely on
ponds for completing part of their life cycle. A well-known example being frogs and toads who return to ponds in the early spring to breed, spawn and develop young, before leaving in late summer to spend winter on dry land.
Yellow flag iris
Common frog
After excavation Before
How NWT is bringing Norfolk’s
NWT is part of the Norfolk Ponds Project, a partnership of organisations committed to researching and restoring Norfolk’s ponds.
Our Nature Recovery team provides advice to a range of farmers and landowners on managing and restoring existing ponds to benefit wildlife, including how to find funding. We also advise on the restoration of filled in ponds — known as ‘ghost ponds’.
Generally, restoration is achieved through a combination of excavation and scrub removal.
During scrub removal, we aim to open up the pond to allow in more light, whilst retaining any large trees that are valuable for wildlife.
Careful excavation of accumulated silt from the bottom of the pond (or infilled material in the case of ghost ponds)
ponds back to life
can provide a new lease of life. This sometimes reveals hidden seed banks, often over 100 years old, which can help bring back locally extinct plant species.
CASE STUDY
In recent years, NWT has worked with Nick Meade at Earsham Estate to restore around 20 of the Estate’s 100 ponds. Our work together focuses on supporting great crested newts, by expanding and linking separate newt populations found here.
We looked at survey data, which showed the location of known
We look to ensure the pond has the best possible water quality by avoiding, or stopping, drainage inflows or ditches bringing water with unwanted nutrients or chemicals into the pond.
The best time to restore ponds is in September to October when water levels are lowest, and the ground is driest. It's important not to work on ponds between March and August, when they can be full of amphibians and other life.
Within six months of restoration, come spring you can see amazing regrowth — no other form of ecological restoration is so quick to produce results!
Find out more about the Norfolk Ponds Project: norfolkponds.org
they move through the landscape, such as bats, swallows and deer.
Why not create a pond at home or in your community? Ponds can help wildlife in almost any location.
Discover
Ducking out this winter
Winter is a great time to go out in search of ducks. Ducks are part of the ‘waterfowl’ family, which also includes geese and swans. They vary greatly in plumage, and when viewed closely through binoculars the intricate patterns can be quite breathtaking.
This winter we are asking people to ‘duck outside’ and go in search of these three species of duck:
Pintail
The pintail is an uncommon dabbling duck, which rarely breeds in the UK and is most likely to be seen during the winter when it can be found with other ducks. Larger numbers gather on selected sheltered estuaries, such as The Wash. Like all dabbling ducks, pintails feed at the surface rather than diving for their food.
HOW TO IDENTIFY
The pintail is easily distinguished by its long, pointed tail feathers. Males have a chestnut-coloured head, white neck and grey body, while females are mottled brown with smaller, pointed tails. Pintails also have a long, graceful neck.
DID YOU KNOW?
The oldest pintail was recorded as living to 27 years of age! Normally, these ducks live for an average of about three years, breeding after a year.
Pochard
The pochard is a diving duck and feeds on plant seeds, waterweed, snails and other aquatic invertebrates below the water's surface. The once common pochard is now under threat, with its populations declining rapidly. The UK is an important winter destination for this beautiful duck, with 48,000 birds visiting our wetlands and coasts.
HOW TO IDENTIFY
The pochard is a plump, grey diving duck. The male has a chestnut head and a black chest and rear end. The female is a darker, duller grey-brown.
DID YOU KNOW?
As with many duck species, male (or 'drake') pochard moult their colourful feathers when the breeding season is over and go into 'eclipse' plumage — a mottled grey-brown, just like the female (or 'hen'). This helps to camouflage them from predators.
Wigeon
A common dabbling duck, the wigeon is a winter visitor that gathers in large numbers, particularly on wet grasslands, floodplain meadows, flooded gravel pits and reservoirs with gently sloping edges where they can easily get out onto the grassy banks. They can be spotted dabbling in close-knit groups or flying in tight formations over wetlands.
HOW TO IDENTIFY
The wigeon is a medium-sized duck with a round head and short bill. Males are grey with a pink breast, orange head, yellow forehead and obvious white wing patches that can be seen when they fly. Females are similar to mallard females, but with rusty brown plumage and a pointed tail.
DID YOU KNOW?
Like other ducks, wigeon will sometimes mate with other species to produce hybrid young. This includes the closely related American wigeon, but also mallards and gadwalls.
Explore
Upton Broad and Marshes
Reserves Officer, Robert Morgan shares a favourite walk
A sense of quiet wilderness in our continually squeezed countryside can be an elusive experience. So, a little reluctantly, I’m going to share with you one of my favourite places to get away from it all. NWT Upton Broad and Marshes is an absolute gem of a nature reserve, and each season has so much to recommend it. Its tucked-away location and no dogs policy on the main fen area means the reserve has remained an ideal place for a tranquil, undisturbed walk.
Start and finish point: car park, w3w: estuaries.connector.contact
Distance: 2.5 miles
Length: around an hour at a leisurely pace
From the car park, the entry path soon widens and gives the visitor two options — turn right to walk through Garden Fen. This area is fantastic for fenland flora and the scattered turf-ponds teem with life. It is a good spot for dragonflies, with 18 species recorded across the reserve. In spring, golden daffodils cover the top end, hence the fen’s name.
Continue past an alder woodland on your left. In winter, look for flocks of redpoll and siskin in the treetops, prizing seeds from the alder cones. A small reedbed to your right is a great spot for harvest mice, and the path edge is sprinkled with southern marsh and common spotted orchids in the spring and early summer. Tall tussock sedges are scattered along the route — the biggest is possibly a century old.
At the next junction, the route carries straight on or left. Turn left through a short corridor of brambles and scrub, which will widen to reveal Flight Pond Fen. This is where the fen orchid is found. Once extremely rare, hundreds
Car park Access
Viewing platform
Walk route
are now here, a testament to the hard work of staff to improve the condition of the habitat. Over decades, a thick layer of peat has built up over the former pond, creating a floating mat known as hover. The ground moves in waves as you walk across it, and as with all the mown paths at Upton, they can be wet and muddy, so stout footwear is recommended. As you emerge from Flight Pond Fen, look for the unusual lesser bladderwort in the shallow pools near the path. This aquatic plant is very shy to flower, so count yourself lucky if you find one with its small yellow bloom sticking out of the water.
Look right and you will see the first of two viewing platforms. Take the right-hand path which will lead to a dyke bridge that takes you over to the platform. From here, enjoy views across Mark’s Marsh and the distant Doles grazing marshes. This is a good spot to see hobby in summer and hen harrier in winter.
If you have time, further along the path is a small footbridge on your left that will lead you along a dyke to an alder wood and through to a sedgebed that is dissected by mown paths.
It is here, in late summer, that you will find grass-of-parnassus and devilsbit scabious in profusion. Returning to the original path will lead you to the second viewing platform, where you can gaze across Upton Great Broad In winter, it is a fantastic refuge for winter wildfowl. The path away from here is accompanied by a vegetationlush dyke and wet woodland — don’t be startled when you inevitably flush a woodcock. This route will return you to the car park via Garden Fen.
Upton Great Broad Upton Little Broad
Garden Fen
Flight Pond Fen
Mark’s Marsh
Harvest mouse
Woodcock
Take action
Building nature connections
A community group is transforming overlooked green spaces in Norwich’s Mile Cross ward to benefit both wildlife and people.
The Green Hearts is a flourishing partnership between residents and organisations, Norwich City Council, Mind Nature Connect Project and Norfolk Wildlife Trust. With over 90 members, the group brings colour and community spirit to the neighbourhood through projects such as a shared orchard and communal gardens. Member and resident, Diem, tells us more.
We get ideas for projects by looking at our estate and spotting areas that have potential. Between my block of flats and the neighbouring houses, there is a green space bordered by an ancient hedgerow, left over from when Mile Cross was farmland. We've turned the area beside the thicket into a garden space we manage responsibly; it feels like we’re honouring the history of the land.
Everyone has their own knowledge and experience, which means we get things done. All around the estate there were unused spaces, now there are flower borders. With the expertise of Lee from Norfolk Wildlife Trust, we learnt how to prepare the ground to allow wildflowers to grow.
I’ve lived in Mile Cross for 17 years. I used to be an active person, but having chronic fatigue has made me more housebound. I love the nearby Sweet Briar Marshes, but it’s not always possible for me to get there. On days when I don’t feel well, I can go to my estate and experience nature, be with people and garden together. We need nature reserves, but we also need green spaces closer to home, especially where people don’t have their own gardens, or are unable to travel.
Mile Cross was a historically deprived area with a bad reputation, so people kept to themselves, but alongside all the other fantastic community groups here, we’ve worked hard to change that and seen real improvement in community spirit.
You don’t expect people to do urban regeneration in a council estate. We needed that softness and warmth. Without green spaces there isn’t anywhere that we can get together. There are only hard, empty spaces, and you don’t feel like you should be there. People now use these spaces in place of gardens. Kids have somewhere to play. We've had family days, a harvest festival and a party in our orchard. I’ve also met other people from the queer community through a shared love of nature — something I didn’t expect to happen. It's not just regeneration of the green spaces, it’s regeneration of Mile Cross as a community, that’s
Norfolk Wildlife Trust has been working alongside groups such as The Green Hearts in Mile Cross as part of Nextdoor Nature, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
going to last longer than anything we plant in the ground this year.
As a neurodivergent child growing up in the countryside, nature was my solace. My great-grandfather used to take me birdwatching, but I didn’t have the patience for it, so when Lee taught us bird calls, it felt like I was connecting with my roots. I wasn’t happy living in an urban area before The Green Hearts, but now I want to stay. This place feels like home.
The Green Hearts, Mile Cross
Paul’s walking no longer an uphill battle thanks to TURMERIC+
Walking is one of the most beneficial forms of exercise, and also one of the most underestimated in terms of wellbeing. It’s a great way to reach the recommended level of physical activity needed to stay healthy without the toll to joints, ligaments and muscles.
When taking longer walks however, some of us can find it difficult. Paul Goddard, 66, a Nordic Walking instructor from Saffron Walden in Essex, swears by a product called Turmeric+.
‘I decided to become a Nordic Walking instructor in 2009 and started walking 40 to 50 miles a week. Two years ago it became uncomfortable to walk distances that should have been easy for someone of my age and fitness levels. I felt very apprehensive as walking is not only my passion, but my business.’
Paul continues: ‘I started doing
some research. I learned that turmeric could be helpful and bought supplements… and then stumbled upon Turmeric+.’
Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, is difficult for the body to absorb, Some turmeric products offer high levels of curcumin but unless this is easily absorbed by the body, the higher amounts make little difference.
This is what led the scientists at FutureYou Cambridge to create Turmeric+ using the patented ‘Curcuma Phospholipid Complex’ formulation. It’s 30 times more
‘Soon after taking it I experienced that ‘light-bulb’ moment’
absorbable than standard turmeric and contains vitamin C, which contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of cartilage.
‘Soon after taking it I experienced that ‘light-bulb’ moment - I realised my knees felt like they used to. I take Turmeric+ religiously now. I walk around 200 miles a month and even my customers have remarked on my mobility.
Trial Turmeric+ for just £5
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The offer is aimed at helping those who commonly suffer with joint health issues. Turmeric+ has received numerous positive reviews since its launch, becoming the company’s best selling product.
‘I used to suffer with great discomfort in my knees and neck, particularly when going up and down the stairs.’ says Jacqui Hunter, 60, who runs her own event management
consultancy and enjoys yoga, golf, gardening and travel.
‘It certainly improved my flexibility and mobility dramatically and I’ve recommended it to lots of my friends. When you find something that works for you, you want to help others too.’
Turmeric+ is certified by Informed Sport. Adam Cleevely, FutureYou Cambridge’s Chair, explains:
‘We want to support more people to become or stay active. We think Turmeric+ can play an important role in that journey.
‘We’re happy to offer people their first pack of Turmeric+ for just £5 so they can experience it for themselves. Most people know if it’s working for them within four to eight weeks –and if they like it, they will stick with it.’
‘It certainly improved my flexibility and mobility dramatically’
‘Walking is great for fitness as well as your mental health. Being able to walk easily has made a huge difference to my life and I feel fitter now than I did twenty years ago.’
Adam Cleevely, Chair of FutureYou Cambridge comments;
‘We have tens of thousands of happy Turmeric+ subscribers who regularly tell us about their positive stories, just like Paul.’
Fruit trees are fantastic
Ecology, conservation and wildlife gardening teacher, Paul Ritchie, shares his most loved garden fruit trees that offer a bounty of flowers, berries and fruits. These eight trees will boost wildlife in any garden, while offering treats for your winter kitchen store.
Fruit trees are fantastic for wildlife and a great way of making space for nature in gardens. Wild fruit trees offer homes for numerous insects at all stages of their lives, nesting birds and small mammals such as bats. Vitally they also provide year-round food: blossom is nectar for wild bees emerging from hibernation, leaves and the fruit feed moth caterpillars.
Fruit trees in blossom are beautiful but they have a broader benefit for the natural environment and for people too. They improve soil quality, filter the air and slow water run-off which reduces flooding, as well as providing shade in hot weather and lessening noise pollution. I plant native hedgerows to provide wind breaks and shelter for wildlife such as hedgehogs and house sparrows.
For more information and advice on planting fruit trees in your garden, visit mycoronationgarden.org
CHOOSING A TREE
You do not need a big garden to grow fruit trees and some smaller varieties will grow happily in pots. When I am choosing the right tree for the right place I always consider:
Height: The mature size should be appropriate for the available space. Especially important if there are buildings, telephone cables or powerlines nearby.
Shape: The average dimensions of the tree’s canopy spread will affect shading and space so slender trees such as rowan are ideal for smaller gardens.
Soil: Check the label when buying a tree for its hardiness to drought and preference of soil type to match with your garden, e.g. clay, chalky, sandy or loam soils.
I suggest buying trees as bare-root whips to plant in winter, but potted trees can be planted all year in square holes. Remember that fruit trees can be pruned to suit your own garden and needs.
Paul Ritchie is a biologist, passionate about trees, outdoor learning and connecting people with nature. He has worked for City of London Open Spaces, Surrey Wildlife Trust and now teaches at Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and RHS Garden Wisley.
Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) or ‘Lady of the Mountains’ produces large clusters of scarlet berries loved by redwing and fieldfare and used as a sugar substitute for diabetics.
Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) or ‘Mayflower’ supports hundreds of different insects, and its berries can be used to make ketchup, chutney, jam and beverages.
Crab apple (Malus sylvestris) has small apples loved by hedgehogs, mice, voles, fox and deer and, if cooked, as jelly, chutney, cordial or brewed as cider, is enjoyed by humans too.
Elder (Sambucus nigra) we use the clusters of creamy flowers and black berries to brew cordials, champagne and wine, whilst the berries are loved by thrushes and blackbirds.
Holly (Ilex aquifolium) has evergreen leaves that are slow to break down, so hedgehogs, small mammals, toads and slow worm hibernate in the leaf litter under the tree.
Wild cherry (Prunus avium) has fruit suitable for making jams, puddings, chutneys, soups, vinegar, cordials, wine and beer.
Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) is culturally linked with Hallowe’en and, like many wild fruits, sloe berries have medicinal uses as well as being used to flavour gin.
Wild plum (Prunus insititia) or bullace grows in hedgerows and, whilst smaller and less sweet than domestic plums, it can be stewed to make fruit preserves.
Learn Tern with
ONick Acheson Author and NWT Ambassador
ver Christmas and New Year, many of us bring evergreen plants into our homes, echoing ancient rituals of hope and renewal in the bleak depths of winter. Typically, these plants include holly, ivy and — famously beloved of druids — mistletoe, under which tradition holds that we must kiss.
Certainly, mistletoe is easiest to spot in midwinter, as it grows in deciduous trees, by whose leaves it is hidden through summer and autumn. At this time of year bunches of mistletoe can readily be seen in tall poplars along Norfolk rivers. However, as mistletoe is a hemiparasite — which thrusts its root-like haustorium into trees and steals hard-won nutrients from them — it is perhaps a strange plant under which to evoke romance and love.
Mistletoe is termed a hemiparasite because it both photosynthesises (capturing the energy of the sun and
sequestering atmospheric carbon, using chlorophyll) and it filches nutrients from its host. It is not the only hemiparasite which is hugely popular with UK lovers of nature. In recent years, as we have become fully aware of the devastating loss of traditional hay meadows, another hemiparasite — yellow rattle — has achieved rockstar status among conservationists.
Termed the meadow-maker, yellow rattle, like mistletoe, both photosynthesises to produce its own food and steals nutrients by plugging its haustorium into other plants. In the case of yellow rattle, it steals from grassland plants, especially grasses, which it consequently weakens, creating space in the sward for other wildflowers. Hence its popularity with rewilders.
Nor is yellow rattle the only hemiparasitic member of the family Orobanchaceae that weakens dominant plants in Norfolk meadows, thereby enhancing floristic diversity. Its relative red bartsia is also common in the county, often where water sits through winter, and several eyebright species (mind-bendingly difficult to identify from one another) are also frequently
found, especially on old commons and in grassland where nitrate fertiliser has never been used. Yellow bartsia, by contrast, is a scarce species of dry meadows in Norfolk, while the exquisite crested cow-wheat (look it up and thank me later) is very rare. This dazzling rhubarb-and-custard plant is now nationally restricted to a handful of sites in East Anglia.
In the same family, the broomrapes are wholly parasitic. These extraordinary plants appear above ground only to flower. Because they altogether lack chlorophyll for photosynthesis, they look much like dried out orchid blooms. As its name implies, common broomrape is quite widespread and can sometimes be found in old churchyards and gardens. Knapweed broomrape, which typically parasitises chalk-loving greater knapweed, is an inhabitant of high-quality chalk grassland, typically in the west of the county. As for the lustrous purple yarrow broomrape, its national distribution is largely restricted to the Ice Age cliffs of East Norfolk, between Weybourne and Happisburgh.
Contact our dedicated Client Relations Team today on: 01603 693510
enquiries@clapham-collinge.co.uk
Offices across Norfolk Home visits available
Contact our dedicated Client Relations Team today on:
01603 693510
enquiries@clapham-collinge.co.uk Offices across Norfolk | Home visits available
Officers across Norfolk and home visits available
WILDLIFE TRAVEL
supporting nature conservation since 1988
all our profits are donated to the Wildlife Trusts
natural history holidays
small friendly groups
relaxed pace
expert leaders
2025 holidays
Cyprus: spring orchids & photography
France: Cevennes & Vercors by train
Romania: Danube Delta cruise
Lesvos: spring wildlife (from Stansted)
Bavarian Alps: wildlife by train
Chile: Patagonia & Tierra del Fuego
Mongolia: Snow Leopards & more
Kalahari: rare mammals safari
UK breaks: Devon, Derbyshire, Norfolk 01954 713575 www.wildlife-travel.co.uk
GET INVOLVED
Working to help wildlife
Poppy Dyson, Sustainability Engagement Consultant at Aviva, tells us why volunteering is so important to the company and about the difference it makes to their people, as well as wildlife.
Aviva has held a strong presence in Norwich for over 227 years, tracing its roots back to the founding of Norwich Union Fire Society. Today, Aviva stands as one of the largest employers in the region, with over 5,000 dedicated colleagues working from our Norfolk-based offices. With this comes a sense of responsibility to support the communities and natural environment in which we live and work.
At Aviva, we believe in giving back. All colleagues are encouraged to take up to 21 hours of paid volunteering leave each year to support organisations that make a positive impact on the community. This commitment is exemplified by our longstanding relationship with Norfolk Wildlife Trust (NWT).
Our partnership with NWT spans over 12 years, and in the last year alone 392 Aviva colleagues have given over 2,700 hours to volunteer on NWT reserves across the county. Volunteering days at nature reserves provide essential support for habitat restoration and maintenance. These efforts not only supply the Trust with much-needed extra hands but also significantly reduce their labour costs, enabling them to focus funds on their vital conservation.
Colleagues have already volunteered over 60,000 hours so far this year to support charities and good causes across the UK, moving us closer to our ambition of delivering 300,000 hours of volunteering by 2025. Volunteering is a great way for our people to make a genuine contribution to our sustainability strategy, whilst having an impact as
an individual. At the end of the day, they can see what they’ve achieved and the difference they’ve made, and NWT staff are great at explaining the purpose and impact of a task. We also know when people experience nature first hand, they feel more connected and passionate about taking action to help protect it for the long term.
Although my role involves organising volunteering work for our employees, I also volunteer myself and have done so many times with NWT. A particular favourite nature reserve of mine is NWT Sweet Briar Marshes in Norwich. I recently arranged four sessions for Aviva colleagues to visit the reserve and take guided walks with NWT’s nature specialists. Although the reserve is in the heart of a city, it’s a bit of a hidden gem
and many people didn’t even know it was there! It felt really special to connect people with the space and make that connection to nature more accessible.
Workplace volunteering has many benefits — both for the business and for individuals. Volunteering allows employees to learn new skills, connect with colleagues from different departments and build relationships with people outside their usual professional circles. We also know volunteering helps with increased job satisfaction and it helps our colleagues feel more connected to Aviva’s values and desire to restore and protect our natural environment. And importantly, it really benefits the wellbeing of our people — something we’re passionate about at Aviva!
To discuss how your company can get involved with employee volunteering, please contact Norfolk Wildlife Trust's Corporate Partnerships team on 01603 625540 or email wilderbusiness@norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk.
Poppy Dyson
This festive season, shop the gifts that keep on giving (to Norfolk’s wildlife!)
Buying your Christmas cards and gifts from Norfolk Wildlife Trust helps to protect our wonderful wildlife and the wild places they call home.
Christmas cards
This year, we are once again incredibly lucky to be supported by a group of talented artists who have generously given us permission to use their images to create our 2024 charity Christmas cards. Each design comes in a pack of five, printed on FSC-certified card.
An ‘otterly’ adorable present! Give wildlife a helping hand! For only £25 you can treat a loved one to the perfect gift and protect wildlife across Norfolk. Each wildlife gift box includes a certificate, a factsheet, a beautiful Norfolk Wildlife Trust tote bag, and a matching fridge magnet. Choose from otter or swallowtail butterfly.
Festive gifts
Treat the nature lover in your life to one of our beautiful tote bags,
Become a Wildlife Guardian and get closer to our work
Your support makes a real difference to Norfolk Wildlife Trust, whether through membership, donations, or volunteering. We are deeply grateful to have you by our side in any way you choose to be involved.
For those seeking to further their support of our work and gain an even more immersive connection with our conservation efforts, we invite you to become a Wildlife Guardian. As a Guardian, you'll
‘Tern’ binoculars
The perfect gift for wildlife watchers! Our 'Tern' range of binoculars offers great performance at an affordable price and come with a five-year warranty. Choose from a range of specifications, starting at just £35.
You can purchase cards and gifts by calling us on 01603 625540 or by visiting norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk/ Christmas. From this webpage, you’ll be able to download an order form to fill in and pop in the post. You can also browse many of our gifts and cards in person at our Cley and Salthouse Marshes, Hickling Broad and Marshes, and Holme Dunes visitor centres.
receive exclusive insights into our projects and plans through special events and regular updates throughout your guardianship year.
If you have questions about becoming a Wildlife Guardian, please contact Rachel Gostling, rachelg@norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk or 01603 598375. You can also find more information on our website: norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk/ WildlifeGuardians
Order by Monday 16 December to receive your order in time for Christmas!
Our 250 Club’s two prize draws for 2025 are scheduled for Wednesday 26 February and Wednesday 23 July. These dates are subject to change, so please check our website nearer the time.
We wish good luck to all ticket holders, and we thank you for your support in 2024, which has seen £14,000 donated to Norfolk Wildlife Trust projects.
To join the 250 Club please visit norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk/ 250Club. At £12 per ticket, and with odds of 1:15, you can secure your place in the 2025 prize draws. The top prize is £250 and over 100 further prizes are available in each draw.
250 Club: 2025 Draws
From our President
Patrick Barkham Natural history writer and NWT President
The other week I was feeling particularly frazzled but, fortunately, had 10 minutes to spare before collecting my son from school. So I dashed down to Horstead staithe and flung myself in the chilly River Bure.
This brief cold-water dip — in peaceful wild water, surrounded by green willows and an affronted swan, transformed my day for the better. One wild swimmer described her cold-water dips as “ironing for the mind”. Exactly!
There’s an ever-growing library of scientific research confirming what we instinctively know: that time in the natural world boosts our mental and physical health. Studies also show time considering the nature to which we belong fosters empathy for others and positive action for the planet.
For children, so sensitive and so quick to learn, the benefits of green space are even greater. I spent a year volunteering weekly in a forest school; conflict and tears were vanishingly rare, and I saw how our woodland space was particularly beneficial for children with autism who are overwhelmed by the stimulus of a crowded classroom. Research shows that conventional academic attainment is boosted if children learn outdoors as well.
What’s stopping us all accessing the natural health service? I’m lucky: my swim was possible because I had a car, a flexible working day and high-quality local green space that is accessible, safe and appealing to visit. Many adults lack these blessings. Others lack the experience or confidence to enjoy the natural world.
For children, almost everything is preventing them spending time in nature, from a generational loss of freedom playing with other children in local neighbourhoods to the prevalence of screens. In schools, it’s a lack of funding, health and safety bureaucracy and the continued absence of nature from the core national curriculum. Our dependence upon our planet must be at the heart of everything we learn.
These are daunting challenges. We can only overcome them with small steps. Here, Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s acquisition of Sweet Briar Marshes has been a great stride for Norwich: providing a marvellous nature-rich wild space that is free to enjoy in the heart of the fine city. But we need to redouble our efforts to help people do so. Crucially, NWT is working in the local community and in local schools to open up Sweet Briar for them. Even modest experiences in nature create a basic familiarity — a natural literacy, if you like — that can be a health-giving gift for a lifetime.
‘There’s an ever-growing library of scientific research confirming what we instinctively know: that time in the natural world boosts our mental and physical health’
We need many similar small steps to reconnect the majority of people in Britain with the joy, wonder and improved health that nature-rich green spaces (and swimmable rivers) provide. Access to such places within a mile of home should be a birthright for everyone. Let’s do it — one Sweet Briar at a time.
