For the past two years, Norfolk Wildlife Trust has been working on a project to improve the Living Landscape in the
Bure Valley, and reconnect communities with their natural environment. The Wildlife Trusts have a vision known as
A Living Landscape, to bring nature back to the wider countryside by restoring, reconnecting and recreating habitats to benefit both people and wildlife.
As part of this project Norfolk Wildlife Trust has helped to set up an independent, fully constituted practical conservation team called the Bure Valley Conservation Group. They have worked on a variety of different sites throughout the Bure Valley including Damgate Wood, a County Wildlife Site in Acle; Woodbastwick Marshes, part of the Bure Marshes National Nature Reserve; Jubilee Wood in Ormesby St. Michael, Caen Meadow in Wroxham and Sutton Primary School’s wildlife garden. In fact over the last year, under the supervision of Mark Webster and Gemma Walker (Living Landscape Community Officers for Norfolk Wildlife Trust) the group have worked on approximately 18 sites, helping parish councils, private landowners, businesses and wildlife organisations to manage land for wildlife.
The project has enlisted the help of around 25 enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers from the local area. As the end to the project funding approached the volunteers unanimously agreed that they would like to continue helping to improve the environment for both wildlife and the community. Norfolk Wildlife Trust has guided the volunteers to form a group, in order to continue the valuable work. They have provided training, guidance and expertise for them to work in the Bure Valley Living Landscape.
David Savory, Chairman of Bure Valley Conservation Group said: “Norfolk Wildlife Trust planted the initial seed that a volunteering conservation group was needed in the Bure Valley Living Landscape to continue the work of the Delivering Living Landscape project. They drove us to where we are today, which is a fully functioning self-sustained group working in harmony with the living landscape vision.”
The group has now been constituted as Bure Valley Conservation Group. The handover took place on Wednesday 7 October at 1pm, following a practical task at Sutton Fen.
From 7 October 2015 the Bure Valley Conservation Group will meet each Wednesday at 9.30am outside Acle Library, Bridewell Lane, Acle , then they proceed to their task site, finishing at 1pm. All new volunteers will be welcome. For further information on this group email
[email protected] or phone 07539 391194.
Norfolk Wildlife Trust is being supported in its aims by the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund, Essex & Suffolk Water Branch Out Fund, Broads Authority Sustainable Development Fund, John Jarrold Trust and Pennycress Trust.