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Happy New Year from Felbeck Trust


Waxwing in the snow - Norfolk 2013

I've just given an 'end of year report' on Felbeck Trust to Radio Norfolk - here's the gist of my interview:

  • Felbeck Trust was launched just under a year ago - a new wildlife charity for Norfolk, created to help fight the dramatic declines in the county's flora & fauna (State of Nature report)

  • Since the launch we’ve been busy restoring the habitat and improving public access at our show-case site at Sustead Common

  • Work has involved laying hedges, clearing scrub, improving a wild flower meadow, creating access paths, building bridges & a viewing screen and digging a winter flooding scrape - helping reduce the harmful effects of agri-chemicals entering the River Bure

  • This work has been made possible through a generous grant from Big Society and the dedication of a core of volunteers who, between them, have already contributed over 600 hours of their time to the project

  • We’re also undertaking a full monitoring programme, recording the wildlife seen at Sustead Common - so far finding over 110 plants, 50 bird species, seven different bats, and a whole host of other species. Sustead Common is home to some of the fastest declining bird species according to the most recent BTO report, like Song Thrush, Yellowhammer, Whitethroat & Woodcock

  • Working in partnership with Norfolk Wildlife Trust and Norfolk County Council we’ve extended the Roadside Nature Reserve through the Common - helping protect a community of rare orchids

  • In the New Year we commence a new project at Melton Constable - restoring habitat on redundant allotments and creating a beck-side walk, and we’re currently in discussions with other organisations about more wildlife projects in the county

  • Most exciting of all, back at Sustead, we’ve been given the opportunity to purchase five acres of mixed woodland - part of the former Common, bringing the whole site under our management, re-connecting the Common, which was broken up in the ’70’s, and protecting the wildlife for generations to come. If you want to help by giving time or money, please visit our website at felbecktrust.org.uk

Happy New Year!

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