Latest news with #SuffolkWildlifeTrust
BBC News
3 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Five years left to halt nature loss, Suffolk charity warns
A wildlife charity has warned there are only five years left to halt biodiversity Wildlife Trust is dedicated to protecting wildlife in the county and restoring its natural Tuesday it launched the Mission 2030 campaign to tackle climate change and restore habitats, aiming to raise £1m over three executive Christine Luxton said the charity could not protect the county's nature without the help of the public, and that simple steps like changing how often lawns are mowed could help. At COP15, the United Nations Biodiversity Conference in 2022, nations agreed to protect a third of the planet for nature by 2030 in a landmark scientists last year warned not enough had been done towards this goal."We are now recognising we are halfway to 2030 and what we want to do is really try to ramp up our efforts as a county to try and get there," Ms Luxton said."It's something that's about everyone playing their part and that for me is the joy of being a local wildlife charity."Wildlife didn't disappear overnight all in one go, we lost it little by little, and actually, that's how we can bring it back by everyone playing their part and that is what Mission 2030 is about." Ms Luxton said the £1m fundraising goal would enable Suffolk Wildlife Trust to place nature advisors within communities as well as working with schools and added "every little helps" and urged individuals to look at things they "have control over" such as holding back on cutting the grass."We can't turn around the fortunes of nature by ourselves. What our role can be is to amplify nature's voice and help everyone play their part," Ms Luxton added."It's like ripples in a pond, if we throw the stone, we want those ripples to spread out across the county and everybody to do their bit."Then collectively we get the shift we need for nature." Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
12-03-2025
- General
- BBC News
How creating a new Waveney-Ouse fen could reduce river flooding
The creation of a fen to act as a "giant sponge" could help restore a flood-prone area to its natural landscape, campaigners experts are now examining the Waveney and Little Ouse Landscape Recovery (WALOR) scheme closely after the completion of a two-year development proposals would see a new fenland created at the head of the River Waveney and Little Ouse to hold water that would normally flow downstream. Parts of the River Waveney would also be allowed to follow the original channel of the watercourse - a process known as "rewiggling". If agreed, the project would cost millions, but supporters said it had the potential to reduce the risk of flooding in the area for the next 20 years. Seventeen landowners in the Waveney Valley area have engaged with the project, which is being managed by Suffolk Wildlife Trust. The "scale" of the plan - about 1,650 hectares, equivalent to almost 2,300 football pitches - made it different to past schemes, said Dr Daniel Wade, WALOR project Anna Magee is one of the landowners involved and runs her farm, Heron Meadows, on 11 acres (4.45 ha). On one side of Dr Magee's land, near Diss, the river Waveney was artificially straightened after World War Two, following the county boundary. When the water table was high, the land flooded on the opposite side to the river, where it had previously meandered. It follows its former channel and under the scheme the river would be engineered with bunds to encourage a permanent rewiggle. Dr Magee says the river "speaks for itself" and "this is where it wants to go"."Every winter it does this, it creeps along through the wood and floods and then along to the road and on the fen and to Roydon," she says."I love to see the water coming and I trust it. It is a fantastic wildlife corridor."She said that if the river followed its natural path, the wiggle and kinks would slow the flow downstream, reducing the likelihood of flooding."Letting the land hold the water up here makes a lot of sense," she added."We are going to get more flooding and we are going to need this capacity - the meadow knows how to do that - if we give it the conditions to hold the water back here." The towns of Diss, Bungay, Thetford and Beccles - and the villages of Needham Mill, Brockdish and Homersfield - have all experienced varying degrees of flooding because of the River Waveney and Little Ouse. Both the resilience forums for Suffolk and Norfolk say around 55,000 homes are at risk of flooding, though many will be from the sea, flooding from rivers remains a threat to thousand of properties, roads and businesses. They also state that "as result of climate change, both the chances and consequences of flooding are likely to increase". This is something Christine Mackenzie, chair of Brockdish Parish Council, recognises. In 2020, more than 20 houses were flooded by the River Waveney in the village, Mrs MacKenzie said."I have been living here for 30 years and we've never seen flooding like we have seen over the last five or six years," she added."People have moved into the village, not thinking they are going to be flooded, then suddenly they find out it is a possibility." Retired town planner Derek Clarke moved to Brockdish 11 years ago and was "surprised" when his house flooded in 2020. It happened at night - and Mr Clarke said they were "not prepared", with the event causing "a lot of panic". The Green Party MP for Waveney Valley, Adrian Ramsay, is backing the WALOR project and has written to Daniel Zeichner, minister at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) asking him to provide "adequate funding" to take the project into "the delivery phase". "This is a really innovative project because it's using natural methods to reduce flood risks," Mr Ramsay said."It'll have a very real impact of reducing flood risks on a number of villages and towns on and around the Waveney. "It's also good for nature and tackling climate change and importantly it's good for farmers. It'll be paying farmers for the impact of flooding on the land rather than them suffering the effect later." Some of the parcels of land being considered for the project have become floodplains but was made productive for farming with "historic networks of drainage ditches", said Dr it no longer makes money for the farmers. The scheme would look at how to compensate them to allow their land to be returned to fenland with some reed Wade explained that as fenland, it "can absorb more water into the ground, meaning less water moving downstream and at a slower pace, reducing the risks of flooding through the catchment." There are also other benefits of fenland habitats: the peaty soil captures carbon, the reed beds provide natural water cleaning - and they also increase the biodiversity and wildlife in the area. These benefits could bring in private investment too, such as firms paying the landowners to offset their carbon. All options - and the funding required to get the project started - are currently being reviewed by Defra and a outcome is expected within the next six months. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Yahoo
Five places to see spring blooms in Suffolk
Spring is full of colour, with leaves growing back on trees and flowers blooming. The vibrant season is just around the corner, with warmer and brighter days on the horizon. Here are just some of the places around Suffolk where you can expect to find some stunning spring blooms. Christchurch Park Where: Soane St, Ipswich IP4 2BE Amongst the busy surroundings of Ipswich is an oasis of green in Christchurch Park, with flowers growing throughout the 80 acres of lawns, trees and ponds. The flowers are carefully arranged so you can be sure to catch a variety of blooms at their best in any month. At the moment the snowdrops will be finishing with bluebells and daffodils coming into season soon. Bulls Wood where: Bulls wood Lane, Bury Saint Edmunds IP30 0JE This wood is one of the few places you can see the rare oxlips, which are Suffolk's county flower. If you are looking to visit then you will need to park in the nearby village of Cockfield. Once you make it to the wood you will see a carpet of the rare flowers sheltering under the cover of the trees. Captain's Wood Where: School Road, Sudbourne, Woodbridge IP12 2BE This wood is part of the Suffolk Wildlife Trust and is one of the best places to see bluebells in the county once they come into bloom. As well as layers of purple bluebells within the forest there are also grasslands and scrub to venture through. Nowton park Where: Bury Road, Bury Saint Edmunds The park is open during the day at varying times depending on seasons. The daffodils in Nowton park (Image: Charlotte Bond) The park is spread across 200 acres of space, with Lime Avenue being lined with rows of golden daffodils once they come into bloom, and primroses and other flowers spread throughout. Blakenham woodland gardens Where: Little Blakenham Ipswich IP8 4LZ Just a short drive from Ipswich, this six-acre woodland garden is home to a range of different flowers, from snowdrops to magnolias. The garden also has several rare trees as well as a Chinese rock garden. The garden normally opens for the year on March 1.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
This 300-acre former farm has undergone a transformation in response to 'catastrophic' fears: 'We need to take what action we can'
Former farmland on England's eastern coast is being rewilded to welcome a wide array of flora and fauna. The BBC reported that all 289 acres of Martlesham Wilds Nature Reserve were an organic farm a few years ago. Today, it's owned by Suffolk Wildlife Trust, a charity dedicated to helping nature flourish. The organization purchased the land in 2023, and rewilding efforts are fully underway. Martlesham Wilds sits beside the Deben Estuary in Suffolk. It's home to many habitats, such as grazing marshes, salt marshes, woodlands, and reedbeds. As the land returns to its natural state, several species have made homes there. Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty? Definitely Only in some areas No way I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. SWT introduced Herdwick sheep and Belted Galloway cattle to the grazing marsh. These animals will improve the plant diversity and invite more critters. Creatures like wading birds, wildfowl, and woodlarks can thrive surrounded by this diverse flora. Jessica Ratcliff, the reserve's warden, highlighted the beauty and importance of encouraging biodiversity. She told BBC, "It's such a lovely diversity of habitat, providing the connectivity that's so important when restoring habitats." Without biodiversity, humans and most other species would not survive. The human population relies heavily on pollinators, small creatures that are responsible for reproducing numerous food crops and flowering plants. Preserving natural wetlands and grasslands also reduces flooding, protecting homes from water damage. Pollution, deforestation, expanding agriculture, and other manmade problems threaten biodiversity. However, conservation and rewilding efforts can counteract species decline. Ratcliff told the BBC that there's a "decline across the board in terms of birds, insects, and mammals," adding that "we are seeing precipitous declines, an average of 70% across insect species." She explained the ramifications: "This could be catastrophic, so we need to take what action we can and bolster populations to give them safe havens and stop decline becoming extinction." Luckily, places like Martlesham Wilds only need a little nudge. Michael Strand from SWT explained that they want to intervene as little as possible. "We're allowing nature to show what it wants to be in whatever place," he said. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
