Wild Suffolk Magazine - Spring/Summer 2023

WILDER SUFFOLK

Planning for a Wilder Suffolk

How good planning can help wildlife and people to thrive together.

Meet the family who have dedicated their lives to nature.

Welcome

More please!

In the novel by Charles Dickens, the starving orphan Oliver Twist famously asks for more gruel. It was deemed a preposterous request and the Board of the Victorian workhouse were aghast. Culturally asking for more still feels uncomfortable, or at best a little awkward, and if we are to live sustainably on our finite Earth, moderation and restraint are the future-looking choices. Yet, when it comes to nature, the time has come to find the courage of Oliver to ask for more – indeed demand more.

It is now over a decade since the independent review by Professor Sir John Lawton to consider how England’s wildlife sites and the connections between them could be improved to enable nature to thrive. The Lawton review established the principles of ‘more, bigger, better and joined-up’ habitat – and the most important of these was ‘more’.

These principles underpin government commitment to nature-recovery networks in the 2021 Environment Act, and which Suffolk Wildlife Trust is committed to see fully enacted across our county. More land managed for nature, with bigger and better wildlife hotspots, and landscape connections for wildlife to move through. More land for nature to achieve the dynamic, biodiverse landscape which society depends upon for clean air, pollination, healthy soils, flood prevention and shade in the heat of summer. More of the everyday nature encounters which boost our very health and wellbeing.

So yes please, we do want more!

Christine Luxton Chief Executive

Suffolk Wildlife Trust Get in touch

Wild Suffolk is the membership magazine for Suffolk Wildlife Trust teamwilder@suffolkwildlifetrust.org

Telephone 01473 890089

Address Suffolk Wildlife Trust, Brooke House, Ashbocking IP6 9JY

Registered charity number 262777

Website suffolkwildlifetrust.org

Facebook @suffolkwildlife

Twitter @suffolkwildlife

Instagram @suffolkwildlifetrust

Our Membership Manager, Nicola Martin, is happy to help with any questions about your membership on 01473 890089 or membership@suffolkwildlifetrust.org.

Wild Suffolk Magazine Team

Editor Lucy McRobert

Designer Clare Sheehan

Content editor UK Tom Hibbert

Cover: Common frogs

Alamy

Suffolk Wildlife Trust is one of a national network of Wildlife Trusts dedicated to safeguarding the future of wildlife for the benefit of all.

WILDER TOWNS: DAN HILLIARD

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Contents

4 Your wild summer

Share in the best of the season’s wildlife and where to enjoy it nearby.

10 Our nature reserves

Special wild places to discover this summer.

13 Wild thoughts

Simon Barnes on the plants that shaped our lives.

14 Hidden nature: garden moths

Discover the species flitting around your garden at night.

16 Wild news

Read what’s happening for Suffolk’s wildlife and across the UK.

21 County Wildlife Sites in focus

The secret spaces that are creating networks for nature.

22 Planning for a Wilder Suffolk

How good planning can help wildlife and people to thrive together.

28 The art of noticing nature

Let creativity and wildlife benefit your wellbeing this June.

32 Wild at heart

Meet the Applebys, a family who have dedicated their lives to nature in Suffolk and beyond.

36 Bloomin’ marvellous

Explore the rare and beautiful wildflowers of our coppiced woodlands.

6 ways to get involved with Suffolk Wildlife Trust

Volunteer Donating your skills, time and knowledge to wildlife can leave you feeling happier, healthier and more connected to local nature.

suffolkwildlifetrust.org/volunteer

Wild your school Work with us to embed nature in the curriculum and ‘wild’ your school grounds or visit one of our nature reserves. suffolkwildlifetrust.org/wilder-schools

Team Wilder Spread the wildlife message through your community by setting up a local wildlife project. suffolkwildlifetrust.org /team-wilder

Wild your land Be inspired by our Farmland Wildlife Advisers who can give expert advice on making your land great for nature. suffolkwildlife trust. org/wilder-landscapes

Business for wildlife

Bring wildlife into your business and place of work with volunteering, away days and investment in wildlife. suffolk wildlifetrust.org/business-wildlife

Events Discover courses, activities, badger watches, birthday parties, walks and talks, all designed to bring you and your family closer to nature. suffolkwildlifetrust.org/events

RED CAMPION: STEVE AYLWARD; HERON: JAMEY DOUGLAS; MAGPIE MOTH: ALAMY

Your wild summer

The best of the season’s wildlife and where to enjoy it in Suffolk.

Norfolk hawkers are only found in unpolluted fens, marshes and ditches and are on the wing for a short time, during June and into early July.

Be dazzled by dragonflies

On balmy summer days, as the ground warms up and a soft breeze tickles the tops of the reeds, explore a wetland for the chance to see some outstanding aerial predators. More fascinating than their mythical namesakes, dragonflies are found in virtually every freshwater habitat, as well as woods, heaths and gardens. They typically emerge in early spring, with numbers peaking during the warmest summer months. Over 30 different species are recorded in Suffolk most years. One local star species is the Norfolk (or green-eyed) hawker. Historically, they were restricted to the Norfolk Broads and north east Suffolk, but over recent decades have spread to neighbouring counties. It is large and a pale, reddishbrown, with green eyes and a distinctive yellow triangle on its body, separating it from the similar brown hawker. Take time to spot this local speciality this June.

SEE THEM THIS SUMMER

† Carlton Marshes claims the record for the highest number of species recorded on a British nature reserve (currently 28).

† Lackford Lakes is a top spot for dragonflies and damselflies as they flit around the edge of the lakes and perch on vegetation.

† Redgrave & Lopham Fen has the perfect mixture of fenland, woodland and grassland habitats for dragonfly hunting.

Reserve info & maps suffolkwildlifetrust.org/nature-reserves

SUMMER SPECTACLE

Many saltmarshes and coastal sites are highly sensitive including Simpson’s Saltings, so we only allow viewing from the sea wall.

FIELDCRAFT

Sea kale

Sea kale is a plant that deserves our utmost respect and notice, and summer is the perfect time to spot it. It has adapted to thrive in conditions that seem completely inhospitable: salty shingle, battered by the sea. The tough leaves feel leathery to touch and, in the summer, the dainty white flowers give off a delicate fragrance. This plant is edible and was once called ‘scurvy grass’, being popular with sailors as a source of vitamins. It was once so popular, especially with coastal dwellers, that over-harvesting led to its increasing rarity. It is now protected and populations are recovering, and you’re likely to see this species along beaches like Dunwich. It also appears to be indigenous to the UK.

SEE THEM THIS SUMMER

† Dingle Marshes, and particularly the mile-long shingle ridge, is a top place to spot and smell sea kale.

† Simpson’s Saltings is one of the country's most important coastal sites for its wealth of uncommon shingle and saltmarsh plants.

Communities can work together to help a range of species, including the more misunderstood ones like grass snakes.

Spot a basking grass snake

Find out more suffolkwildlifetrust.org/ wildlife-explorer/reptiles/grass-snake

Grass snakes are the longest snake you’re likely to see in the UK. They favour wetlands, but you might also see one in local grasslands and gardens, especially if there are ponds nearby. They are completely harmless to humans (despite their size), and a closer inspection can show an underappreciated beauty, generally olive-green-to-brown, with black barring and a yellow and black collar. They hunt amphibians, fish, small mammals and birds, and you might even spot them swimming in water. They will often select compost heaps or piles of grass to lay their eggs.

How to SEE A GRASS SNAKE

† Tread quietly for the best chance of spotting a grass snake. They are highly sensitive to sound and vibrations and will hide rather than risk a confrontation.

† Warm days in late spring and early summer are ideal, particularly in the morning. Grass snakes will bask on warm, flat rocks or patches of grass in the sun.

† Take action for grass snakes by creating homes in your garden. Undisturbed compost or grass heaps, wood piles and ponds create the perfect conditions.

GRASS SNAKE: CHRISTOPHER CASSIDY ALAMY

SEE THIS

There are around 280 species of hoverfly in the UK. These insects are top pollinators; watch for them hovering over grassland and ponds.

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT

Redshank

Admire breeding waders on Suffolk's wetlands.

Understated beauty

HEAR THIS

Listen out for the whirring of a grasshopper warbler at one of our wetland sites. They sound like a grasshopper – or a fishing reel being let out.

Top tips THREE SPECIES TO SPOT

REDSHANK: ALAMY

Long-legged, elegant and striking, the bright red legs of the redshank make this large shorebird easy to identify. Summer redshanks are more understated, being brownish all over with a pale belly, and their straight red bill is tipped in black. In flight, they show a white wedge up the back and a wide, white triangle on the rump. They are noisy, too, particularly in flight, emitting a high-pitched, squeaky, repetitive whistle. Only one other wader in the UK has legs this shade of fiery orange, the spotted redshank, but it would be unusual to see this passage migrant in the summer. More so, their breeding plumage is almost black with silvery freckles, and they are larger and longerbeaked than their more common cousins.

RED legs and red bill with a black tip.

Clockwork chicks

REDSHANK are one of three priority wader species

National declines

Suffolk is home to important populations of both breeding and wintering redshanks. In the summer, the UK population is approximately 22,000 pairs, but this is bolstered to over 100,000 individual birds in the winter, with thousands arriving from countries like Iceland to seek warmth and sanctuary on our coastal wetlands. Facing stark declines since the mid-twentieth century, the redshank is now an amber-listed species, and one of three important wader populations in Suffolk. Alongside the lapwing and avocet, redshanks are a priority for the Suffolk Wader Group, a county-wide partnership committed to supporting our breeding waders at a landscape scale.

Redshanks can be seen at several coastal, intertidal and wetland sites across Suffolk. In the spring, males will initiate a courtship where they raise their wings high in the air to display to females. Their undeniably cute chicks are born around May or June time, looking like small and fluffy clockwork toys. They scurry around hind their parents, learning how to use their long bills to probe for invertebrates. Adult redshank are easily disturbed and will take to the sky at the threat of predators, calling loudly to warn their chicks to hide.

LOOK FOR THEM THIS SUMMER

† Castle Marshes has grazing marsh, fen and freshwater dykes, with open areas home to breeding lapwing and redshank.

† Dingle Marshes has brackish pools that attract waders including redshank, with numbers increasing in the winter.

† Carlton Marshes is a top spot to see displaying redshank in the spring.

Reserve info & maps suffolkwildlifetrust.org/nature-reserves

Lapwing

Dark iridescent backs, a black collar, a long crest and round wingtips. Call 'pee-wit!' in flight.

Black-tailed godwit

Large waders. In summer, they have bright orangey chests. Dagger-like bills are tipped in black.

Avocet

Tall, elegant, black and white birds, with an upturned bill and loud call, 'kluet-kluet'.

PLUMAGE brownishgrey, with a pale belly.

WINGSPAN around 60cm across.

PROBING in the mud for food.

SPOT THIS

As night falls, look for bats flitting around lampposts in the gloaming. They emerge just as the sun sets to feast on winged insects – as many as 3,000 a night.

NOT JUST FOR KIDS

SMELL THIS

Summer is a great time to inhale the heady, sweet fragrance of honeysuckle. This smell is particularly attractive to moths, like elephant hawk-moths.

Seven ways to enjoy nature this summer

Big kids and little adventurers can unleash their wild side this spring and summer.

1 LITTLE-BIT-OFBREAD-AND-NOCHEESE

The call of a spring yellowhammer is almost as distinctive as its lemon yellow and chocolate brown appearance, singing ‘little-bit-ofbread-and-no-cheese’ from atop a lush farmland hedgerow.

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FIND A CLOUD OF EGGS ON A BEACH

Common whelk eggs are also known as fisherman’s soap or sea wash balls. These papery balls of empty egg capsules from large slow-moving sea snails, float up from the seabed, washing up on beaches.

3GO

WILD FOR BIRTHDAYS

Give your child and their friends a wild time with a Suffolk Wildlife Trust birthday party at one of our centres across the county.

Book or find out more suffolkwildlifetrust.org/ wild-birthday-parties

5 ART INSPIRED BY NATURE

Be inspired by nature with artist-in-residence at Foxburrow, Nicola Coe. Visit our website for details of creative courses, including leaves, nests and sculpture, sun printing and string making. Visit our ‘Inspired by Nature’ art exhibition 26-28 Aug at Redgrave & Lopham Fen featuring artwork for sale by local artists.

Book or find out more suffolkwildlifetrust.org/events

2 LEARN A WILD WORD: WHIRLIGIG

Named for the spinning child’s toy (like a spinning top), the whirligig is a predatory beetle that swirls rapidly on the surface of still ponds and slow flowing sections of river. Look for them in summer.

ADOBE STOCK

6 HOLIDAY CLUBS

Book a place for your child at a holiday club at one of our centres across the county. Funded places are available for children in receipt of free school meals.

Find out more suffolkwildifetrust.org

10 wild events

Check out some of our top events happening this summer. More details and more events online.

1 Nature and natter

First Saturday/month

10am-12noon

Ipswich

Monthly group for adults aged 60+. Enjoy activities and meet new friends.

2 Eco Actionists

Last Saturday/month

11am-1pm

Ipswich

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WATCH MOTHS IN YOUR GARDEN

Use a light trap to see which moths are patrolling your garden at night.

YOU WILL NEED

l White sheet

l Washing line

l Pegs

l Bright light or a torch

1 After dark, peg your sheet on a washing line or over a branch.

3 Shine your torch/ light onto the sheet.

Nature activity

2 Turn off any nearby lights.

4 Wait patiently for moths to arrive. ID them using a book or suffolkmoths.co.uk

Monthly group for 18-25-year-olds. Get creative while meeting new friends.

3 Wild walks: Bees and other insects

20 May 10am-12noon

Lackford Lakes

Join Hawk Honey for an un-beelievable walk.

4 Wild foods at Forest School

23 May 10am-3pm

Foxburrow

Learn how to cook simple recipes over a fire.

5 Big Wild Weekend: Wild at The Woolpack

16 June 6pm-9pm

The Woolpack, Ipswich Join us and make wildlife homes. Adults 18+.

Browse

6 Big Wild Weekend: Walk with the warden

17 June 11am-1pm

Redgrave & Lopham Fen

Explore the fen on a guided walk with the warden.

7 Father’s Day moth trapping and breakfast

18 June 11am

Carlton Marshes

Discover the moths on the reserve and treat your dad to breakfast in the café.

8 Save our Suffolk Swifts activity day

1 July 10am-2pm

Carlton Marshes

Drop-in activities highlighting the importance of saving our swifts.

9 Strange Fascination Theatre Company

19 Aug 1pm-3.15pm

Carlton Marshes (outdoors)

A fully immersive experience of Alice Through the Looking Glass. 90-mins plus interval.

10 Ponies on the heath guided walk

25 Aug 10am-12noon

Knettishall Heath

Find out how the ponies help us manage the heath.

Find out more wildlifewatch.org.uk/ activity-sheets

JOHN FERGUSON

CORINNE WELCH

ISTOCK THE WILDLIFE TRUSTS

Discover Newbourne Springs

For the perfect summertime nature reserve, look no further than Newbourne Springs. At just 21ha (51 acres), the site punches well above its weight for beauty and biodiversity, enveloping your senses from the moment you arrive.

The best way to experience Newbourne Springs is to visit early in the morning or later in the evening. As you arrive, even from the car park, the first thing you'll notice is the sound of birdsong filling the air, serenading in the day or sending it off to sleep. A visit in early summer will reward you with a tuneful melody filled with chiffchaffs and willow warblers, the scratchy song of the whitethroat, song thrushes, blackbirds and more. Take a moment to listen carefully. Both blackcaps and garden warblers might be heard, their songs almost indistinct but to the trained ear.

If you’re really lucky, you might notice a gentle purring, whirring sound; that’s the soothing song of the now rare turtle dove, cooing from the scrub. Many people visit Newbourne for the famous nightingale chorus. Around seven breeding males have territories here, and

on a still morning their song is phenomenally loud.

For such a small reserve, Newbourne Springs hosts a mosaic of habitats that give it a really wild feel. A proper babbling brook cuts the reserve in half, rushing water down into the Deben estuary, and lots of underground springs push up to the surface here, making areas of soil wet all year-round. Follow the winding paths and wooden boardwalk across the fen and into the wet woodland. At this time of year, the margins will be in full bloom with ragged robin, yellow flag iris, cuckooflower, marsh marigold and water mint. You might spot dragonflies and damselflies perching on the vegetation or patrolling the area.

As you explore the path, you’ll head up through carpets of

Flag iris

For its size, this small reserve will surpass all expectations for its beauty and biodiversity.

woodland bluebells and on to higher ground, with the wetlands transforming into dry heathland, where sheep's sorrel and gorse dominate. This area is covered with hawthorn scrub, perfect for many breeding birds. In May and early June, the pale blossoms will look beautiful and attract bees and a range of butterflies.

As you dip down the escarpment again, you’ll see a lot of standing deadwood. These trees are covered with woodpecker holes and many of the taller stumps are

DID YOU KNOW Newbourne

Springs is owned by Anglian Water. The pit in the nature reserve was once used to excavate coprolite for fertiliser. The previous water company used to abstract water from the stream; we now work with Anglian Water to help this rich wildlife site thrive.

Partnerships

PLAN YOUR VISIT

Newbourne Springs

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Location: Woodbridge Lane, Newbourne, Ipswich IP12 4NY.

what3words location: paler.takeover. energetic

How to get there: From the A12 roundabout, head east on Newbourne Road, then bear right on to Ipswich Road. In the centre of Newbourne, turn left towards the Fox Inn. Turn left on to Woodbridge Road and there is a free car park at reserve entrance with space for up to six cars.

Opening times: Open all year, at all times.

home to stag beetle larvae. This is a top site for these formidable insects, and you may be lucky enough to spot one hurrying along the path. Treecreepers and marsh tits love the woodland areas, too, whilst skylarks and green woodpeckers favour the grasslands. This gem of a nature reserve can be explored in just 40 minutes or so, or take longer to soak up the atmosphere. The

Access: Not suitable for wheelchairs. Dogs on leads. The path can be muddy and steep in places. Kissing gates, narrow boardwalk, steep slopes, steps and damp path sections year-round.

Phone for information: 01473 890089.

Email: teamwilder@suffolkwildlifetrust.org

Website: suffolkwildlifetrust.org/ newbournesprings

TOP WILDLIFE TO SPOT

Nightingale:

Newbourne Springs is famed for the melody of the nightingale. Visit early morning or late evening for the best performances.

Yellow flag iris: These bright yellow flowers bloom on tall stalks along the margins of the stream, providing the perfect perch for damselflies.

Common frog:

winding paths make it feel much bigger than it is, giving you a sense of intimacy. Stop to admire the array of different plants that bloom in the various habitats. Common twayblade grows in limited places and the more open areas are covered in southern marsh orchid. Three species of reptile breed here and you might spot a grass snake or common lizard basking in the sun. There are even signs that otters visit, but they’re highly elusive and rarely seen.

With so many ponds, Newbourne Springs is excellent for amphibians. Keep an eye out for tiny froglets hopping in the grass.

THINGS TO DO NEARBY

† Enjoy a morning stroll around the reserve and then relax at the awardwinning Fox Inn, right by the entrance.

† Levington Lagoon is just a ten-minute drive away. On the banks of the Orwell estuary, enjoy a short walk to see yellowhammer, linnet and waders. Extend your day by taking a trip to Trimley Marshes, Felixstowe.

You’ll need several hours to explore this stunning area, famed for birdlife.

We work with partners like Anglian Water to manage special sites for nature, Newbourneincluding Springs.

STEVE AYLWARD

ADOBE STOCK

The first thing you’ll notice is the sound of birdsong filling the air

Common frog

Nightingale

Stag beetle

More Suffolk Wildlife Trust nature reserves for a great summer day out 3

Martins' Meadows

Why now?

A tiny reserve of just 4ha (10 acres), the best time of year to visit this hidden gem is before the hay is cut in July, when you can enjoy an outstanding display of wildflowers. Return in late summer for the second bloom, when meadow saffron appears.

Know before you go

Location: Framlingham IP13 7DF.

what3words location: tasks.backward. deputy

Open: Open all year, dawn to dusk.

Wildlife to spot: Early purple orchid, green-winged orchid, pyramidal orchid, field maple, hazel, hawthorn, walnut. Find out more: suffolkwildlifetrust.org/ martins-meadows

Common

Why now?

Summer is the perfect time of year to admire the unforgettable, timeless prettiness of Mellis Common. In summer, rare plants such as green-winged orchid, sulphur clover and adder’s tongue fern flourish.

Know before you go

Location: Diss IP23 8DW.

what3words location: users.stage.factor

Open: Open all year, dawn to dusk.

Wildlife to spot: Tawny owl, little owl, green-winged orchid, oxeye daisy, quaking grass, peacock butterfly and common blue. Find out more: suffolkwildlifetrust.org/ melliscommon

The lowdown

Mellis Common is a place unchanged over hundreds of years, right down to the farm houses and cottages. When many commons were enclosed and lost to history, Mellis survived. It is still managed the way it has been for hundreds of years, with traditional hay cutting and grazing. As such, the site is still blossoming with flowers and abundant wildlife. The grasslands are home to many small mammals, which are in turn attractive to barn owls. Several ponds and wet depressions were created when the clay soils were extracted for the building industry, adding to the variety of plant and animal life, and we now regularly record great crested newts.

The lowdown

Traditional, dense hedgerows that have grown for over 100 years enclose this precious nature reserve, with field maple, hazel, hawthorn and spindle all present. The three flower-rich meadows have never been fertilised, sprayed or drained, and so the site supports a wide range of wildflowers. The two orchards are rich with local varieties of fruit and nut trees, including pear, plum, quince, medlar and walnut. The cowslips create a carpet of yellow in spring, with their egg-yolk-yellow, nodding blooms.

Info & maps for all reserves suffolkwildlifetrust.org/naturereserves

STEVE AYLWARD

STEVE AYLWARD

Nature reserves Larger reserves Larger reserves with refreshments & toilets

The plants that shaped us

Perhaps the most exciting thing in life is ignorance. That’s because ignorance is an open door: walk through it and learn. And the more you learn the more doors you find, waiting for you to walk through. Until very recently I was shockingly – stupidly –ignorant about plants, considering them just the soft furnishings of the wild world.

But then I realised that, roughly speaking, everything that lives on earth is either a plant or depends on plants. What have plants ever done for us? Well, there’s oxygen, water, food...

We humans are as dependent on plants as the cow in the field or the butterfly flying past her nose. Plants are the only living things that can use the energy of the sun to make food. Plants have shaped human history. So I made a list of the significant plants of human history: wheat, rose, potato, tobacco, cannabis, grass, oak... and soon I realised that there was no escape. I would have to write The History of the World in 100 Plants. So let’s look at two UK plants that made the book.

Edward Stone, an 18th century clergyman, was walking along the river while suffering from ague: probably a rotten, feverish cold. Perhaps his condition had rendered him slightly daft, for he nibbled on a piece of willow bark. He reckoned that, since both willows and fevers are associated with wet places, the one must have been put there to cure the other. And it worked: he got better and wrote a paper to the Royal Society in London.

It worked because willow bark contains salicin. In the 19th century synthetic salicin

was developed, and this was adjusted, so that it caused fewer digestive problems. The medicine firm Bayer marketed it – and called it aspirin.

Our second plant is a familiar one. These days the beauty of wild places is obvious to us all, but that wasn’t always the case. In the 18th century, a well-tended garden was regarded as the ultimate form of living beauty: cultivated, civilised and tamed. Outside was just wilderness.

That changed at the beginning of the 19th century, when, and not by coincidence, the Industrial Revolution and the Romantic Movement both began. People began to appreciate the glories of untouched, unspoiled nature. The great emblem of that change was the daffodil, as celebrated in the poem by William Wordsworth:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance, Tossing their heads in sprightly dance

The modern understanding of nature as something wonderful and fragile dates back to that time. Wordsworth’s daffodils made this understanding vivid for all time.

But there are things to learn about almost every species of plant: the poppies that grow on ground disturbed by ploughs or by bombs, orchids that excite human passions, grape and barley that get us drunk... and on and on and on, because without plants we are nothing. We wouldn’t even exist.

Discover some of our best nature reserves for spotting wild daffodils them: wildlifetrusts.org/wild-daffodils

THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD IN 100 PLANTS

Simon explores the stories of more of the plants that shaped us in his latest book, The History of the World in 100 Plants. As humans, we hold the planet in the palms of our hands. But we couldn’t live for a day without plants. Our past is all about plants, our present is all tied up with plants; and without plants there is no future. From the mighty oak to algae, from cotton to coca, discover a hundred reasons why.

Simon Barnes is the author of many wild books, including the bestselling Bad Birdwatcher trilogy, Rewild Yourself, On The Marsh, and The History of the World in 100 Animals. He is a council member of World Land Trust, trustee of Conservation South Luangwa and patron of Save the Rhino. In 2014, he was awarded the Rothschild Medal for services to conservation. He lives in Norfolk, where he manages several acres for wildlife.

Simon Barnes

@simonbarneswild

Hidden nature garden moths

Summer is a time where nature feels obvious, surrounding us from the early dawn through to a balmy sunset. But what about when the sun goes down? That’s when hidden nature might appear, and secret species emerge. Some of the most underrated are our garden moths.

After a busy summer’s day of insect activity in our gardens, it is not unreasonable to assume that it all becomes rather quiet as the night draws in. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Instead, our garden butterflies, bees and hoverflies are replaced by an even greater variety of moths that use the cover of darkness to go about their business of feeding, finding a mate and egg laying.

For the past four years, I have been monitoring the moths in my garden in a typical rural Suffolk village near Wickham Market and have discovered a whole new world of quite amazing insect life. To date, I have recorded over 250 different species. This is way more than I expected and not just common species, but a handful of rarities and continental travellers as well. I use a simple light trap

BY STEVE AYLWARD

that attracts moths into a box, put out as daylight is fading (they are later released unharmed). Despite a fresh and early start, there is real excitement to be had opening the trap the next morning and

not knowing what might be inside. It can sometimes be quite disappointing, but when the conditions are perfect (mild, cloudy and still), it can be thrilling, not just the numbers but the sheer variety.

Anyone who drives will be familiar with the bright silhouettes of moths in their headlights but seeing those same moths up close in daylight reveals just how colourful and diverse they are. The largest and most spectacular are of course the hawk-moths, hefty moths in shades of pink, green and many other colours, often with beautiful wing patterns. But for me, the most

CAN YOU SEE ME?

How do these moths avoid predators in the day? They mimic bark, leaves, twigs and other creatures.

BUFF TIP

A clever disguise to look like a broken dead twig from a silver birch tree. Favours deciduous trees.

Hummingbird hawk-moth.

Emperor

The larvae of the oak eggar moth doesn’t in fact feed on oak and is named after its acorn-like cocoon.

fascinating are the moths that mimic leaves, twigs or lichens, like angle shades, buff-tip or the extraordinarily patterned merveille du jour (meaning ‘marvel of the day’). To avoid predators in daylight, moths have evolved to become the masters of disguise with wing patterns that mimic everything from dead leaves and tree bark to bird droppings, hence

The poplar hawk-moth can flash its red underwings to ward off predators.

SIX OF THE BEST

You don't only see moths at night. Many species have adapted to survive in the daytime. Look out for the day-flying mint moth (1), broad-bordered bee hawkmoth (2), scarlet tiger (3), silver Y (4), cinnabar (5) and Mother Shipton (6).

their incredible diversity.

Learning to identify moths can be challenging, not simply the number of species but the fact that many are similar in appearance, or the same species can have multiple colour-forms or wing patterns. The good news is, there are great online resources to help. The Suffolk Moths website is brilliant, even listing the species that are most likely to be found on that day of the year, while on social media platforms, there are always experts willing to help ID a tricky moth. Making our gardens a little wilder is great for moths. Encouraging plants

such as evening primrose, red campion or honeysuckle will ensure there are suitable night-time nectar sources for them. Patches of wildflowers and long grass along with native hedges are even better, and we can all do our bit. If you’d like to learn more, Suffolk Wildlife Trust runs mothing events throughout the summer at our centres.

The Suffolk Moths website is an ideal starting place for ID suffolkmoths.co.uk

Summer mothing events

suffolkwildlifetrust.org/events

MERVEILLE DU JOUR

Possibly the most attractive of the many moths that mimic the lichens that grow on trees.

ANGLE SHADES

This moth aims to mimic a dead curled-up leaf that’s fallen from a tree, with crumpled edges to the wings.

BARRED SALLOW

An autumn flying moth that perfectly blends in with the colour of autumn leaves. Feeds on ivy flowers.

GREEN-BRINDLED CRESCENT

Another brilliant mimic that can blend in with lichen covered tree bark.

Making our gardens a little wilder is great for moths

WILD NEWS

Martlesham Wilds update

We are delighted that our new reserve, Martlesham Wilds, has struck a chord with so many people. To date, over two thousand people have donated to the appeal. Thank you to all of you.

The campaign will help us protect part of the internationally important River Deben. We are looking at opportunities to create new wetland areas for waders such as lapwing and redshank across 26ha (64 acres) of grassland behind the estuary walls. We also hope to create a new area of saltmarsh to offset the loss of this rare and precious habitat, providing vital feeding areas for many

bird species and an excellent, natural way to absorb considerable amounts of carbon. On the higher ground, we will let nature take the lead, allowing the development of scrub and grassland, with thickets of hawthorn, gorse and wild rose, complementing existing trees. Over time, this will become a haven for barn owls, small mammals and reptiles.

We are holding walks and talks at Martlesham for people to find out more.

We are also being joined by a new warden, who will help develop plans for the site and get to know our local community and visitors.

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You have helped raise £500k towards our £1m land appeal for Martlesham Wilds. Thank you! You can donate at suffolkwildlifetrust.org/ martlesham-wilds

Agricultural land alongside the River Deben will be wilded to create a haven for wildlife at Martlesham Wilds.

Events at Martlesham Wilds

Join walks at Martlesham Wilds on Wed 7 June 10am-12pm and Mon 3 July 6pm-8pm.

More information and booking online suffolkwildlifetrust.org/events

Highlights from Suffolk and national news from The Wildlife Trusts

RIVERS

Landscape Recovery

We are delighted to announce that Suffolk Wildlife Trust was successful in our bid to host one of the first Defra Landscape Recovery (LR) pilots, as part of the government’s commitment to reinvent the way the UK approaches environmental funding.

The Waveney and Little Ouse Recovery Project (WaLOR) brings together 20 landowners with an ambitious vision for a bigger, better and more connected river valley, which is farmed sustainably and is full of wildlife. Through our involvement, we can help to inform government of the opportunities and challenges ahead and

THANK YOU

be at the leading edge of wildlife recovery. With a focus on water quality, we hope that improvements in the local habitats, funded in a variety of ways including private investment, will allow existing species and habitats within protected reserves to expand into the wider and wilder landscape.

Our ambition is to see biodiversity flourish and for the project to act as an example of success and profitability in investment for nature.

Hintlesham Woods saved

National Grid have dropped a proposal to take new overhead powerlines for their Bramford-Twinstead network reinforcement project through Hintlesham Woods, a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The route will now pass around the woodland to the north and west. Together with the RSPB and Woodland Trust, we asked members and supporters to write to National Grid to ask them to protect the woods. The feedback they received was one of the reasons for their decision to drop the route. Thank you!

22 marsh harrier

and a hen harrier roosting at Carlton Marshes last winter.

7 electric charging points One

15,000+

hours volunteered to help Suffolk's wildlife.

11 local groups championing wildlife

hectares

Waveney and the Little Ouse will make up one of the first Landscape Recovery pilots.

of the largest fragments of ancient woodland in Suffolk will now be safe for generations to come.

Ayear of exciting marine sightings included a species completely new to science. Pseudumbellula scotiae is a deep-sea coral that was discovered 240 miles off Scotland’s west coast, at depths of up to 2,000m in the Rockall Trough. There were also several species spotted in UK waters for the first time, with Cornwall Wildlife Trust volunteers discovering the first official record of a sea slug named Babakina anadoni Another sea slug found in Cornwall, Corambe testudinaria, was also new for the country, whilst Manx Wildlife Trust recorded the first ever swordfish off the Isle of Man.

Whales and dolphins delighted people from Scotland to Scilly, with sightings of pilot, fin, minke, and humpback whales showing how populations are recovering following bans on commercial whaling. Two new orca calves were spotted off Shetland in January, whilst volunteers recorded over 80 sightings of minke whales off the Yorkshire coast in a single morning in August. Monitoring by Yorkshire Wildlife Trust also suggests that bottlenose dolphins are now present off Yorkshire year-round.

In more distressing news, seabird colonies around the UK were devastated by our worst ever outbreak of avian flu, caused by intensive poultry farming. Tens

From flukes to flu: our 2022 marine review

of thousands of seabirds were killed by the disease, including terns, gulls, gannets, and skuas. Research shows that as much as 13% of the UK population of great skuas – 8% of the global population – have died.

Unfortunately, avian flu was just one of the issues putting pressure on our sensitive sea life. There were multiple reports of people disturbing marine animals, from jet skiers ploughing through colonies of seabirds to beachgoers distressing seals by getting too close. Pollution continued to be a major problem, with several oil spills including 500 barrels leaked from a cracked pipe off North Wales. A study of dead Manx shearwaters on Skomer island found the majority had eaten plastic, with adults feeding pieces to chicks. Scientists fear that 99% of seabirds may have plastics in their stomachs by 2050.

However, it wasn’t all doom and gloom for our seas, as Wildlife Trusts embarked on many projects to restore coastal habitats. These wild places often have a vital role to play in sequestering and storing carbon, as well as sheltering wildlife. Several Wildlife Trusts started projects to plant seagrass meadows, which can absorb and store carbon up to 35 times faster than tropical rainforests. Essex Wildlife Trust created a toolkit for restoring saltmarsh, another key habitat,

to inspire and guide similar projects around the UK.

The UK will become the first nation to produce a complete map of its blue carbon stores. The Blue Carbon Mapping project – led by the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) in collaboration with The Wildlife Trusts, WWF and RSPB – has begun the task and will publish results this summer.

Wildlife Trusts also helped empower young people and local communities to save our seas. Projects ranged from art students cleaning beaches with Durham Wildlife Trust, to Cheshire Wildlife Trust training teachers to deliver lessons on wildlife in the Dee Estuary.

The colourful Babakina anadoni.

BREACHING DOLPHIN © JOHN MACPHERSON; BABAKINA ANADONI SEA SLUG © ALLEN MURRAY

Bottlenose dolphins are a regular sight in UK seas.

Great Big Nature survey

To help us understand how much nature matters to you, The Wildlife Trusts are launching The Great Big Nature Survey this spring. We want to hear your views on some of the most important issues affecting nature and wildlife, and your relationship with the natural world. How often do you get out into nature? Should people try to control nature to better protect it? How important are green spaces to you? What roles should people, business, and government have in looking after nature? Should local communities be at the centre of nature conservation on their doorstep?

Whatever your views on nature, however important (or not) it is to you, make your voice

heard by taking The Great Big Nature survey today. With respondents from a variety of backgrounds and with many different experiences in and views of nature and wild places, The Great Big Nature Survey will reveal what people in the UK and islands really think about nature and how we, as a society, should protect it. Results will also help The Wildlife Trusts to hold governments to account over environmental policies and priorities.

After you’ve completed the survey, why not share it with your friends and family?

Take

nature-survey or scan the QR code

UK HIGHLIGHTS

Discover how

The Wildlife Trusts are helping wildlife across the UK

Hen party

The Northumberland Hen Harrier Protection Partnership, of which Northumberland Wildlife Trust is a member, announced a bumper breeding year for hen harriers in the county. Last year the partnership monitored nine nests, seven of which were successful – fledging a total of 26 chicks. This is eight more than in 2021 and brings the total since 2015 to 106 fledged birds.

wtru.st/26-harriers

Give peat a chance

Derbyshire Wildlife Trust has been awarded a £100,000 Discovery Grant by Natural England to protect and restore the county’s peatlands. Peatland is a vital habitat, not just for wildlife but also for storing carbon. The grant will allow the Wildlife Trust to identify mechanisms to restore the region’s peatlands, so they can absorb and lock away carbon.

wtru.st/Derby-peat-grant

Charging up

Suffolk Wildlife Trust has installed two new electric vehicle charging ports at Lackford Lakes and Redgrave & Lopham Fen for visitors. These have been fully funded by Suffolk County Council’s Greener Suffolk project and installed with expert advice from Greener Suffolk’s Peter Frost and help from volunteers.

Plotted plants

The Wildlife Trusts are co-sponsoring production of the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI) Plant Atlas 2020, which is published this March. The Atlas is based on more than 30 million records collected by thousands of botanists between 2000 and 2019, providing an

unrivalled picture of the changing distribution and fortunes of plants in Britain and Ireland. This knowledge is likely to provide evidence to help us protect nature across the UK.

Find out more bsbi.org/atlas-2020

We bet you didn’t know...

Studies of kittiwake colonies have shown that birds at the centre of the colony are established pairs and tend to be more successful at raising their chicks than new pairings.

Photography competition WINNERS

Suffolk Wildlife Trust has revealed the winners and runners-up for our 2022 photography competition, with the judging announced at Lackford Lakes in March. Over 1,300 photos were entered – a record number – making the shortlisting and judging a challenge due to the quality and array of wildlife photos. The overall winner and recipient of the £200 prize was Tim Cooper, who photographed an image he named ‘Dinner Time’, featuring a bird of prey in his garden. Tim said, “I managed to

capture this male sparrowhawk in my front garden with this starling – it didn’t have much chance!”

Our young photographer category winner was 10-year-old Daniel Hale with his ‘Reed Warbler at Carlton Marshes’. His patience on a rainy day was rewarded with an iconic pose.

Winning images from the competition are on our website suffolkwildlifetrust.org/photographycompetition-2023

Our Chair receives New Year Honour MBE

We extend our congratulations to James Alexander, Chair of Suffolk Wildlife Trust, who received an MBE in the New Year’s Honours List from King Charles III. This is in recognition of James’ outstanding volunteer services to the natural environment. James has volunteered for Suffolk Wildlife Trust as a Trustee for seven years and has Chaired our Board of Trustees for the past two. James brings his energy, dynamism and intelligence to Suffolk Wildlife Trust, all underpinned by his love and respect for the natural world and his personal mission to make a positive difference to people and the planet.

SWT AGM & Conservation Day

Our 62nd AGM will be on Saturday 16 October 2023. After a morning of topical talks and discussion at Stokeby-Nayland Village Hall we will spend the afternoon at nearby Arger Fen & Spouse’s Vale nature reserve. The AGM will be at 10am and will include a vote to appoint new Trustees as part of our annual recruitment cycle.

Full details and booking information will be included in your September magazine.

Join our Board

With strategic leadership from our Board of Trustees, we are committed to scaling up our activities. To support good governance, the Board is reaching out to people with skills in three key areas: digital & data management, conservation and ecological delivery or measuring and evaluating conservation impact. We value lived experiences. It is not essential to have previous Board experience. Full details and how to apply by 4 June suffolkwildlifetrust.org/ how-we-are-governed

Thank you LEGACIES

We are grateful to the families of the following friends of the Trust who have recently remembered us in their Will or through an In memoriam donation.

David Albon

George Baillie

John Chaplin

Robert 'Mel'

Charlesworth

Martin Churchill

Sandra Holmes

Shirley Key Stone

Wendy Kinch

Overall winner: Sparrowhawk and starling by Tim Cooper.

FOCUS ON

Nature Recovery Network

County Wildlife Sites play a vital role in our nature recovery network in Suffolk. They provide a significant refuge and stepping stones of connectivity throughout the county’s landscape.

County Wildlife Sites are areas of privately or publicly owned land in Suffolk which are of county or regional importance for wildlife. They play a key role in the conservation of Suffolk’s biodiversity. There are over 950 County Wildlife Sites amounting to over 11,000ha (27,000 acres) and covering almost 5% of the county.

The designation is non-statutory but is a recognition of a site’s high value for nature. It is also completely voluntary, made with the full consent of the landowner. Many support characteristic or threatened species, or habitats that are local and national priorities for conservation. They range from small meadows, green lanes, road verges, dykes and hedges to much larger areas of ancient

woodlands, heathland, greens, commons and marsh.

We work closely with Suffolk Biodiversity Information Services in maintaining the register of these sites by assessing their condition, updating citations, and submitting new sites for inclusion. County Wildlife Sites are designated according to guidelines and criteria set by Natural England and the standard is high, ensuring that only the best examples of Suffolk’s natural habitats are included.

As well as ourselves, our local selection panel includes experts from Suffolk County Council, Suffolk Biodiversity

England. We meet regularly to assess and designate land submitted for County Wildlife Site status. Boundaries of existing sites are also reviewed and amended in the light of new information. A map of County Wildlife Sites is maintained and updated by

Suffolk Biodiversity Information Service. Importantly, we inform and work with landowners on appropriate management of their County Wildlife Sites and help them understand the requirements of the species and habitats on their land.

We work closely with volunteer groups managing some of these sites and assist with surveys where possible. This year there will be a free Suffolk Wildlife Trust webinar for County Wildlife Site owners that will cover designation, condition assessments and examples of good site management.

Find out more about Suffolk's County Wildlife Sites suffolkwildlife trust.org/countywildlifesites

STEVE AYWLARD

The designation is a recognition of a site’s high value for nature

SOUTHERN MARSH-ORCHID: ALAMY

How we’re working with landowners to help

Planning for a WILDER SUFFOLK

WILDER SUFFOLK

Planning helps shape the places that people live and work in and has a huge influence over how and where wildlife can thrive. Our vision is for a Wilder Suffolk, where good planning protects our most precious wildlife and wild places while creating new nature-rich areas in our towns and countryside.

BY RUPERT MASEFIELD

Rupert Masefield is Planning and Advocacy Manager for Suffolk Wildlife Trust. WILDFLOWERS: ALAMY

Afuture with more wildlife and more places where people can enjoy nature is possible. Good planning can help protect wildlife and restore the nature we have lost from our landscape and lives, but we must start now.

Planning – the kind that decides what, where and how something gets built –can be a difficult and often emotive subject, especially in a rural county like Suffolk. Few people relish the prospect of a large new housing development on their doorstep and the transition to green energy is putting communities and wildlife on the Suffolk Coast under pressure from a

flurry of major new energy infrastructure projects.

Suffolk Wildlife Trust is not against all development, but we are for nature. We urgently need to stop burning fossil fuels to heat our homes and generate our electricity, and we recognise that at present, new houses do need to be built somewhere. However, we must ensure

POLLUTION

We must stop burning fossil fuels to heat our homes and produce electricity.

how we restore the habitats and biodiversity that have disappeared in the past 50 years. We need to plan for a Wilder Suffolk.

Creating a Nature Recovery Network

that we plan and build our new houses, hospitals, wind turbines and solar farms in the best places and the best way possible for wildlife and people. We need to go even further though, and start planning for nature itself and

The idea of a Nature Recovery Network was borne out of the need for more, bigger and better places for nature to reverse wildlife declines. This network for nature would create and restore habitats across the landscape, connecting nature reserves and other wildlife sites to each other and giving

ABOVE: Wildliferich verges can be corridors connecting nature reserves to each other.

Planning can be a difficult and often emotive subject

Housing developments need to work harder to incorporate nature from the outset. ISTOCK

HABITAT LOSS

wildlife more places to thrive.

Now, thanks to the Environment Act 2021, Suffolk, along with the rest of England, is going to be creating its own Local Nature Recovery Strategy, which will provide the blueprint for restoring wildlife habitats in Suffolk. This will make up part of a national Nature Recovery Network.

To turn this blueprint into a reality, habitat will need to be both created and restored. One way this can happen is for developers to be required to create new habitat themselves – or fund habitat creation by others.

Biodiversity Net Gain

Nature conservation organisations have led the way in showing that you can increase biodiversity and save threatened wildlife by creating and managing habitats for nature. This approach has helped save species like the bittern and

UK ENVIRONMENT ACT 2021 AND BIODIVERSITY NET GAIN

The Environment Act 2021 means that Suffolk, along with the rest of England, is going to be creating its own Local Nature Recovery Strategy, which will provide the blueprint for restoring wildlife habitats across the county. This will make up part of a national Nature Recovery Network. The Act requires Government to set targets for improving air and water quality, tackling waste, increasing recycling, halting the decline of species, and improving our natural environment.

Biodiversity Net Gain is an approach to development, and/or land management, that aims to leave nature in a measurably better state than it was beforehand.

marsh harrier from the brink of extinction and is something Suffolk Wildlife Trust has been doing on its nature reserves for decades – from engineering wetland habitats at Carlton Marshes and natural regeneration at Arger Fen to the wilding journey we are about to embark on at Martlesham Wilds.

It is also how people all over Suffolk help wildlife in their gardens, schools, and local communities by creating more areas that have the things wildlife needs. The same thing is possible on a larger scale and entire neighborhoods can be made more wildlife-friendly by doing things like putting up swift and bat boxes, planting native trees, and letting lawns and verges go wild.

Applied to a new housing (or any other kind of) development, this approach has become known as Biodiversity Net Gain. Simply put, by creating habitats that support more species, you can increase the overall amount and variety of wildlife even when some less wildliferich land is used for housing and other development.

Once we have made sure that development protects existing wildlife, Biodiversity Net Gain could help to

2020 VISION; WILDFLOWER VERGE: STEVE AYLWARD; BITTERN: MARK WILSON

CENTRE: Bitterns rely on healthy wetlands to thrive. These habitats also provide clean water and flood defences.

Development should be made to protect existing wildlife.

Switching to renewable energy provides a solution to using fossil fuels.

ALAMY

create the Nature Recovery Network if developers restore and manage wildlife habitats in the right places. Suffolk County Council has committed to achieving double the proposed national minimum Biodiversity Net Gain for its housing programme – from 10% to 20% – delivering added benefit for species and improving ecological connectivity. This will make a significant contribution to creating a Nature Recovery Network in Suffolk.

Environmental limits

While this sounds exciting, we must not get carried away by the idea that we can restore nature by building houses – we can’t. Only so much development can take place before it starts to harm the environment, whether that is a result of air or water pollution, habitat loss, disturbance to sensitive wildlife, or myriad other effects that put pressure on natural resources and ecosystems. We need to know the limits of the natural environment to accommodate new development. If that limit is exceeded, development will harm the natural environment and us, the people who depend on it.

RIGHT: Natural regeneration at Arger Fen is providing a mix of habitats for wildlife.

One of Suffolk’s most stressed environmental assets is water. Development that increases the demand for freshwater leaves less of this precious natural resource for wildlife in our rivers and wetlands. It also puts people, businesses and agriculture at greater risk from droughts. This is creating an increasing threat to some of our fenland nature reserves and rare species like fen raft spiders and marsh orchids. Development that has been designed to reduce water use, or even be water-

neutral, can help to make sure environmental limits are not exceeded. One development we were strongly opposed to was Sizewell C. However, our years of advocacy and working with partners enabled us to reduce the area of SSSI lost, as well as creating more compensation habitat. With the RSPB, we proved the impacts on marsh harrier, resulting in a much larger area of mitigation for hunting. We pushed for better, more sensitive mitigation for the nationally important barbastelle bat, leading to bigger, wider and darker

FLOOD

Larger developments create surface water runoff which can cause flooding.

SARAH RATTENBURY

Local campaigning changed the route of power lines, to protect Hintlesham Woods.

DROUGHT

We have a vision of a Wilder Suffolk, where built-up areas are places where wildlife can thrive.

buffer zones, and helped prove that the natterjack toad population needed better protection, with more ponds and habitat.

In addition, last autumn, we teamed up with RSPB and The Woodland Trust to urge National Grid to abandon the option of taking new high voltage power lines through Hintlesham Wood, one of Suffolk’s largest remaining ancient woodlands. Following our campaign, National Grid announced they would instead go around the outside of the woodland, citing the feedback they received in response to their consultation on route options as one of the reasons for their decision.

Allied with nature

Nature itself can even help protect the wider environment from the impacts of development. As we confront the growing threat of the climate crisis, we are faced with extreme weather events that can cause flooding, droughts and air pollution.

On large developments, more impermeable surfaces, like roofs and

roads, create surface water runoff, which in turn can cause serious flooding. Floodplain wetlands can help reduce this risk, storing water and providing a place for it to collect away from properties and businesses. Capturing runoff from roads and carparks and using it to create wet habitats like pools and swales can slow the flow of water and help to clean it before it gets back into rivers and streams, too.

Air pollution is associated with serious health problems like asthma, and air

quality is often much worse in highly developed areas. Planting native trees and hedgerows can improve air quality by removing harmful pollution from the air, whilst also cooling the air temperature in times of extreme heat. Development that favours walking and cycling over car usage also helps improve air quality. And of course, wetlands, trees and hedgerows are also great habitats for wildlife, t00. For development to be genuinely good for nature, it must be ambitious. It must protect the nature we have now, respect the limits of the natural environment and increase nature by creating and restoring habitats for wildlife. If planning in Suffolk can deliver the kind of development that achieves these three things, it will be a big step towards a future with more wildlife.

Find out more about the Planning and Advocacy Team suffolkwildlifetrust.org/wilder-planning

PLANTING: ADOBE STOCK; FLOOD: ALAMY; WOODS: SHIRLEY SAMPSON

Nature itself can help protect the wider environment from the impacts of development

DROUGHT: ALAMY; WILDER TOWNS: DAN HILLIARD

The demand for freshwater leaves rivers and wetlands lacking.

We have worked in partnership to give natterjack toad better protection at the Sizewell C site.

SILVER-STUDDED BLUE: ISTOCK

Brambling Watercolour and ink.

Jamey Douglas is Digital Marketing Officer for Suffolk Wildlife Trust and is presently studying for an MA in illustration. Follow Jamey on Instagram.

Noticing

Wolf on the moon Watercolour and ink. Jamey volunteered at the UK Wolf Conservation Trust and developed a love for this animal.

Jamey in her studio in Suffolk.

Noticing nature

Iam passionately in love with two things – nature and art. If I am not outside exploring the wild spaces of Suffolk, I am at home painting and sketching. For a long time, I thought these two parts of my life were disconnected, separately jostling for my attention.

But now, I have come to see nature in a whole new light and have realised that my love for art and nature are heavily intertwined. When I look closely at the formation of tree bark or watch the way birds flutter around my bird feeders, I take these experiences back with me to my drawing desk. Then as I look at a blank piece of paper in front of me, images emerge. My focus is on the brush and paint, as I capture the essence of the natural world through my art. The next time I step outside, I notice the delicate lines of a cobweb, the streamlined silhouette of a swift or the many colours in a reflection on the water. Inspiration for my next piece is already forming in my mind.

Each interaction with nature informs my art, and my artistic eye gives me a whole new perspective on what it means to be connected to nature. I have learnt to appreciate the everyday, casual encounters with wildlife, as opposed to just the rare and exotic.

PHOTOS: NEIL RATTENBURY, SARAH'S MUM, SARAH GROVES

It is well known that exploring nature can be good for your wellbeing, but taking an extra step and proactively noticing wildlife or looking at nature through a creative lens can be even better.

BY JAMEY DOUGLAS

Natural connections

The term nature connection describes the small moments and actions we can take to appreciate the natural world around us. This doesn’t necessarily have to involve taking direct conservation action or being an expert naturalist. Rather, it is about being tuned in and building a closer relationship to the natural world. In my case, it is a sensory experience. I focus on sight, sound and touch, immersing myself in the outdoors and making the moment a more mindful interaction.

Even something as simple as listening to birdsong or spending time in a green space brings us a little bit closer to nature, and it is these moments that matter the most.

Of course, there are many ways to embrace more nature in our life, and you don’t need to be an artist to appreciate its beauty and wonder. The best part is that nature is all around us, from the wild countryside to the most urban spaces.

OUR WELLBEING

Studies by Professor Miles Richardson, who leads the Nature Connectedness Research Group at the University of Derby have shown that nature connection can significantly help our physical and mental wellbeing. And not only that, it also increases our likelihood to take action to help the environment. As we face the ever-present climate crisis, now more than ever, we need more people to notice and appreciate these small everyday encounters. That way we can take meaningful steps to protect our natural world.

Spending time in nature can improve our mental wellbeing.

Cormorant Watercolour, ink and gold leaf.

Otter Watercolour and ink.

MATTHEW ROBERTS

Jamey is often found exploring the Suffolk countryside and beyond.

Noticing the everyday

Nature is always there to inspire us, and across the county, Suffolk Wildlife Trust has over 50 stunning reserves that are free to visit and provide a great place to embrace your local wildlife. Whenever I am on a reserve, I keep a little sketchbook with me to capture these moments on paper and provide reflection for when I paint my next picture. The same principle could also apply to journaling and creative writing.

The Trust also offers experiences and events that allow you to harness your creativity and boost your nature connection, such as photography courses for all ages and levels of experience. Whether you want to learn a new hobby or specialise in urban wildlife photography, there are lots of ways to get involved, including some online photography courses that you can access at home.

If you want to explore painting and drawing, Carlton Marshes nature reserve hosts fascinating botanical art courses. Over several sessions, botanical illustrator Ruth Wharrier, will expertly lead you through drawing and watercolour techniques and take you out into the reserve to practise field sketching. You’ll blossom into a botanical artist in no time!

Connect with us

One of the best ways to enhance our nature connection journey is to take part in the national 30 Days Wild campaign, the annual nature challenge hosted by The Wildlife Trusts. Simply put, we are encouraging you to do one wild thing every day in June. This could start by having breakfast outside in the sunshine, or planting wildflower seed in your garden to help pollinators. To get the full benefits of time spent in nature, take that next step of proactively noticing and noting what wildlife you see, through art, writing, journaling or keeping a diary. Making a note of how your encounters made you feel is even more beneficial, especially when you reflect on them days or weeks later. 30 Days Wild is not only fun to take part in but demonstrates how easy it is to notice nature every day, not just in June but year round. Sign up and take part this year.

Take part in 30 Days Wild with Suffolk Wildlife Trust suffolkwildlifetrust. org/30DaysWild

KONRAD WOTHE NATUREPL.COM

Jamey always takes her sketchbook out with her.

Starling Watercolour, ink and gold leaf.

A family's

legacy nature for

Amy Rushton is Head of Business Development for Suffolk Wildlife Trust.

BY

The Applebys are an inspiring family. As well as being Life Members, they have each pledged to leave a gift in their Will to Suffolk Wildlife Trust, so that future generations can enjoy Suffolk’s wildlife and wild places like they have. We spoke to them recently about their lifelong passion for nature and their hopes for the future of wildlife in our county.

Nature: part of the family

Nature was always a part of life for Pam and David Appleby and their daughters Melinda and Claire. Now 94, Pam spent her 1930s childhood by the river Blackwater in Essex, wandering along the river, making dens, climbing trees, and watching wildlife. She remembers scanning the sea wall carefully for adders basking in the sun.

to appreciate the natural world too. Instead of toys, they bought them binoculars and a bird book. The girls became fascinated with wildlife, and soon all the family’s free time was spent

Then, in 1939, war was declared, and things changed. Bomb shelters were built in Pam’s schoolgrounds and movement around the country was restricted, but Pam recalls how “the birds and animals still had their freedom”. She took so much joy in this.

A few years later, Pam met and married David, an architect who believed passionately that building design could integrate nature. When they had children, the couple wanted their daughters

exploring the north Norfolk coast. The family would sit on the sea wall with naturalist and moth expert Peter Clarke (who founded the Holme Bird Observatory), counting flocks of migrant birds flying in from the sea to spend winter in East Anglia. The girls carried their interest into school, too, setting up a natural history society and entering the school in the ‘Better Britain’ competition.

Pam Appleby and Chico on a walk in Norfolk in 1961.

Instead of toys, Pam and David bought the girls binoculars and a bird book

Suffolk Wildlife Trust was born in 1961 from the campaign to save Redgrave & Lopham Fen. From those very first supporters to the inspirational people whose legacies have allowed nature reserves to grow, every supporter who leaves a gift in their Will is saving precious pieces of Suffolk.

AMY RUSHTON

BLACKCAP: ANDY ROUSE NATUREPL.COM

Melinda, Pam and Claire.

Wild memories

Pam clearly remembers how one year, not long after the terns had laid their eggs, the tide was exceptionally high at RSPB Titchwell. Their younger daughter, Claire, helped warden Norman Sills collect the eggs before the tide reached them and returned them to their correct scrapes as soon as danger had passed.

The whole family was passionate about local wildlife. “I can remember my father carefully putting back a nest of mice he’d inadvertently dug out of the compost,” recalls Melinda. “There were always sick and injured birds being nursed back to health by my mother. During the hard winter of 1962-63, my parents rescued an exhausted redwing and helped it regain strength. The frozen compost heap was dug up and thawed on the warm floor to feed the bird, along with grated apple. After six weeks, the redwing left in great condition. The RSPB wrote and congratulated my parents on this recovery.”

From these strong, nature-loving roots, Melinda and Claire built successful careers around the natural world, Claire in conservation, academia and wildlife illustration and Melinda in the field of conservation and farmland advice, and as a writer of landscape poetry and prose. Melinda spent ten years as conservation adviser to farmers in Suffolk before joining the National

Farmer’s Union as their first conservationist, going on to serve on the boards English Nature and Natural England. Claire set up the first county biological records centre driven by computerised mapping, and later worked for the World Conservation Monitoring Centre in Cambridge.

“I followed a career in conservation,” explained Melinda, “always trying to build bridges between nature and people to share my enthusiasm for the natural world and to bring about policy change. But as biodiversity continues to fall, I feel that the ownership of land, with sympathetic management, is the best way of guaranteeing some future for wildlife.”

Nature in common

Over the years, the family have owned many gardens, and all have been managed first and foremost for wildlife. Pam is still looking after hedgehogs and takes in

Nature should be everywhere, not just a visitor attraction that people drive to

STEVE AYLWARD

Melinda and Claire with their father at Titchwell in 1973.

Legacies like those from the Appleby family will guarantee protection of wild places, like Market Weston Fen.

Goldfinches can nest in wildlifefriendly gardens.

sick birds and hungry bees; she always keeps a shoebox in the airing cupboard ready for stunned or sick birds to have a warm, quiet place to recover. All three regularly monitor wildlife in their gardens and Claire is actively rewilding hers. For her, her career in wildlife has been supported by a deep spiritual connection to nature.

“I feel scientific facts on their own don’t motivate people to act,” explained Claire. “Indigenous cultures encode conservation practice into their creating an effective way to drive action. A community saying,

NATURE AND MYTHOLOGY MEET

Of all species, the lapwing holds a special place for the family. For them, it is a symbol of how the natural world has shifted in their lifetimes as well as tying all their interests together: Pam’s memories, Melinda’s writing, and Claire’s interest in nature and mythology.

As a child during World War II, Pam spent her time exploring the meadow next to her house. She remembers how she had to take care not to tread on lapwing's nests, which were abundant in the area. A generation on and for Melinda and Claire, lapwing are now mostly winter visitors.

Pam remembers scanning the sea wall carefully for adders basking in the sun.

All three worry that young people growing up today will only ever see lapwings on a nature reserve. The lapwing even holds a place in Melinda and Claire’s interests in mythology, through the myth of the ‘Quirin stone’. Sacred to witches, these stones were said to be found in lapwing nests, and if someone put one under your pillow you would supposedly speak your secrets in your sleep!

Lapwing, voice of the meadows, ghost of a landscape.

Dream of a time when your call rang out above silvered land. Thread of birds through fields, river of sound rising, coiling from marsh, melting into mist. Gone lapwing, flopwing, peewit, piewipe, hornpie.

‘you’re not allowed to fish here because it’s sacred’ is better at protecting a space than saying ‘you’re not allowed to fish here because it’s a spawning ground’. For me, nature is spiritual: in fact, in many indigenous languages there is no separate word for ‘nature’ as distinct from humans, as humans and nature are

Towards a Wilder Suffolk Pam, Melinda and Claire all a strong vision and hopes for a Wilder Suffolk. The whole family believes in the importance of creating more space for nature, whether through more sympathetic development or doing simple things at home, as well as setting land

aside at scale so that wildlife has a home. They believe that land should be able to support nature alongside other uses in an integrated way, a view that was shared by David, whose designs for houses always included space for nature to thrive.

The family feel confident that by leaving Suffolk Wildlife Trust a legacy, they can have their vision of a Wilder Suffolk realised by supporting future land purchases.

“It’s so that wildlife always has somewhere to go,” explained Pam. “Nature should be everywhere, not just a visitor attraction that people drive to. We want to see nature spread around the county, not just at a few sites.”

To find out how a gift in your Will could help Suffolk's wildlife, please contact Amy Rushton on 01473 890089. Thank you.

The Applebys' gardens have been managed first and foremost for wildlife.

Extract from For the Lapwing by Melinda Appleby

Bloomin’ marvellous

Coppice management at Reydon Wood produces a stunning display of woodland flora every spring.

Some of Suffolk’s most diverse woodlands have been shaped by human hands for centuries. Spring and summer are the perfect time to explore, admiring carpets of wildflowers that blossom beneath the canopy.

BY SARAH RATTENBURY

marvellous

Sarah Rattenbury is Head of Communications for Suffolk Wildlife Trust.

WOODLAND WILDFLOWERS

Deciduous woodlands are ever-changing. Step beneath the canopy and it feels like time is standing still, but a hive of unseen activity is always reaching forward to the season ahead, with subtle changes happening every day. In the winter, they are places of brittle stillness, a haze of muted greens, greys, silver and browns. Fungi and lichens provide the only colour, with the occasional vivid splash of orange, yellow, purple and red.

As the days lengthen and the sun’s warmth returns, the woodland begins to transform. First, the unfurling of hazel catkins, playfully catching the breeze, then the small, green spikes of awakening bulbs pierce the woodland floor. It’s not long before the spring flowers emerge with their intoxicating mix of colours and perfumes, and the quietness of winter becomes a memory.

Reawakening and regrowth

Most of our ancient woodland nature reserves have seen many hundreds of

WOODLAND WILDFLOWERS

Our woodland reserves are often best explored in the late spring. Suffolk’s woodland flora varies widely across the county according to soil type, groundwater, age of the woodland, diversity and ages of tree species and the previous and present woodland management. Each wood is unique and tells its own story through the species present. Here are some wonderful woodland nature reserves to visit this spring.

years of coppice management – that is, the rotational cutting of trees in blocks (called coupes) to regrow fresh, new shoots. Traditionally, coppicing was a sustainable way to produce woodland products for use in housing and construction, for stakes, for tool handles and all manner of household items, as well as a source of fuel and charcoal. Tall, ‘standard’ trees were left for later harvesting for large beams and posts and for timber for boats and ships.

It is this continual cycle of cutting and regrowth that has sustained the astoundingly beautiful displays of woodland flora, and the incredible diversity of life that accompanies them. Butterflies such as white admiral and silver-washed fritillaries are woodland specialists and rely on the cycle of coppicing for their food plants and larval stages.

You can buy sustainable coppicing products from Bradfield Woods nature reserve suffolkwildlifetrust.org/ coppicingproductslawns

BONNY WOOD

The diversity of flora found at Bonny Wood is sustained by its long history of coppicing. The shade-loving herb-paris flourishes in the northern part of the wood alongside the fragrant, delicate-flowered sweet woodruff. Violets cover the woodland rides, providing food for silver-washed fritillaries, and there are several orchid species, including early purple orchids that flower a touch earlier in the year. The wood anemone has star-shaped flowers.

BRADFIELD WOODS

Bradfield Woods is an historic ancient woodland that has been managed by coppicing for a thousand years. Its long history and variety of soil types makes this one of the most botanically diverse woods in the country. Oxlip thrives here and is a vital food source for early emerging bees and butterflies. Primroses, early purple orchid, wood anemone, bugle and stitchwort can all be found, as well as a profusion of bluebells and wild garlic.

Bugle

Butterflies like speckled wood benefit from woodland flowers, which in turn benefit from sensitive coppicing.

REYDON WOOD

Reydon Wood was clear-felled in the 1950s and replanted with conifers. Thankfully the coppice stools had been left in situ and had regrown by the time the Trust bought the wood. Now, the conifers have been removed and it is being managed again by coppicing on a 20-year cycle. Every spring, it’s bathed with bluebells, greater stitchwort and, less numerously, yellow archangel. You can also see common spotted-orchid and wood anemone.

UP CLOSE WITH OXLIP

Suffolk’s county flower, the oxlip Primula elatior can be found mainly to the west of the county where soils are heavier. It’s now nationally scarce; look for it at Bradfield Woods, Groton Wood and Bull's Wood. It flowers in April, has five petals per flower and is a paler yellow in colour than a cowslip, with multiple flower heads on each stalk.

CAPTAIN’S WOOD

The last remaining fragment of Sudbourne Great Wood, Captain’s Wood is one of the best places to see veteran oak trees. The atmosphere feels airy and open, giving rise to vast carpets of bluebells in the spring. There’s always a chance of spotting fallow deer if you tread very quietly, and barn owls patrol the clearings in the gloaming. Spot a variety of trees, including oak and birch, hazel, clumps of mature Scots pine and lines of planted sweet chestnut.

GROTON WOOD

Home to small-leaved lime, Groton Wood has an interesting array of woodland flowers. The rides are bursting with bluebell, pignut and early purple orchid with shadier areas being characterised by violet helleborine, sweet woodruff and herb-paris. Look for stinking iris as well as celandines and stitchwort. 15 species of butterfly have been recorded at Groton Wood including brimstone, speckled wood and purple hairstreak.

Bluebell

Herb-paris

SPECKELD WOOD: ALAMY; OXLIP: ADOBE STOCK

ALAMY; ADOBE STOCK; STEVE AYLWARD

Common spottedorchid