The Suffolk Broads National Nature Reserve.................................Matt Gaw

Matt Gaw

The Suffolk Broads National Nature Reserve

Sir David Attenborough, President Emeritus of the Wildlife Trusts, has launched an appeal to raise £1m to enable SWT to purchase 1,000 acres of land flanking the existing SWT Carlton and Oulton Marsh reserves. The land purchase – the biggest in the Suffolk Wildlife Trust’s history – will create wildness as far as the eye can see. It will lead to the creation of a mix of wet habitats that so many nationally rare plants and animals depend on. The new reedbed will be the largest in the Broads, supporting breeding Marsh Harriers, Bitterns and Grasshopper Warblers as well as lesser known species such as the white mantled wainscot moth, which is found only in Suffolk. A 10km network of restored freshwater ditches will allow broadland species including plants, water voles and the rare fen raft spider to spread across the landscape. One hundred and fifty acres of marsh, fen meadow and shallow pools, along with areas of muddy edges will provide feeding grounds for both over-wintering wildfowl and nationally declining waders such as Lapwing and Redshank. It is hoped the site will eventually become known as The Suffolk Broads National Nature Reserve. Proceeds from the inaugural Derek Moore memorial lecture on 15th November 2017 will go towards this appeal. It would be great to see you there.