Rupert, our Planning and Advocacy Manager, is leading Suffolk Wildlife Trust's e-action campaign for the West Suffolk Plan to have better policy in place for increasing biodiversity in their developments; for nature and for people.
Read more about the e-action and help us convince the Council to adjust their plan to benefit nature.
At Trimley Marshes our warden Joe has been working on large landscaping projects to develop the habitats at the nature reserve.
We've restored and created footdrains in the top, mid and lower Marshes and have built two new islands for nesting birds on the Winter flood. Lapwing, Redshank and Avocet are the species we are hoping to benefit the most during breeding season and snipe are loving the fresh mud already.
A new a new in-dyke anti predator fence has also been installed to provide additional protection for species, especially during breeding season with offspring.
Mobility scooters are now available to hire at Carlton Marshes. With thanks to the Broads Authority and our Trustee Calum Thompson for their support purchasing this equipment.
The mobility scooters are available to hire for morning or afternoon sessions for £5. Whilst not all of Carlton Marshes is explorable by mobility scooter there are dedicated paths users can follow to experience the reserve.
Mobility scooters can be booked in advance by emailing the centre to enquire or hired on the day from the visitor centre.
Our Farm Wildlife Advice team have had a busy start to the year attending talks, on-farm advice visits and delivering off-reserve habitat connectivity and enhancement projects.
The team attended the EA Sustain Festival, where Jenny delivered a talk about landscape recovery alongside John Pawsey (Wool Towns Cluster) and Emma and Joe Gray (North Essex Cluster).
Seasonal pond work, including restoration and creation, is coming to an end for this season. Funded by a District Level Licencing Grant the Farmland Advice team have created/restored 25 farmland ponds for this scheme. Ponds provide a key habitat for wildlife including aquatic plants and invertebrates, even small ponds can support a wealth of species.
The Farmland Advice team has also welcomed a new member of staff, Sally, who will be focused on farmland advice in the Waveney catchment.
Ecology Masters student Helen Bynum is working with our teams at Martlesham Wilds nature reserve. Delving into ecoacoustics, the use of highly sensitive recording equipment, the science aims to measure activity levels within the soil. Monitoring the change in soil parameters as the site undergoes reversion from arable to scrub, grassland and woodland we hope will provide us with data showing how the process is unfolding below ground, over time we will see changes in soil health and, relatedly, biodiversity and abundance of soil organisms.
This will help develop a greater understanding the biodiversity within soil and the variance in species present between different locations. The mosaic of habitats at Martlesham Wilds provides a varied landscape for this research.
Volunteer Glyn Burchell has been completing some hedge laying at our Hutchinson's Meadow nature reserve this month.
The specialist method of hedge laying provides a living fence that acts as a corridor for wildlife, prevents soil erosion, and combats flooding. This craft has been present for thousands of years in the UK with different regions adopting different styles and methods to form hedges.
A short-eared owl (Asio flammeus) caught on a trail camera in Worlingham Marshes has a brash visitor attempt to steal their catch.
Kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) are known to sometimes swoop in and attempt to steal voles from owls using their speed to pull off the heist. This short-eared owl manages to get away with their meal still in their possession!
Short-eared Owl and Kestrel (https://youtu.be/mqtdXNPpa6w)
Video - Gavin Durrant
Our love letter to Suffolk to help establish a much needed nature corridor in the Waveney Valley.
Help us raise £775k to transform Worlingham Marshes into a haven for wildlife. With your help we can buy Worlingham Marshes, and transform it into an exceptional place for wildlife on par with with the very best of the Broads National Park.
Buying Worlingham will 381 acres of space for nature within this nationally important landscape.
Image credit: Steve Alyward
