Once again, Poringland Community Centre was a hub of conversation and celebration for the south Norfolk Claylands community at our second Wilder Connections conference. This year, we invited landowners and community groups to the stage alongside our keynote speakers, bringing everyone back together at the end of this 18-month pilot project and giving them the chance to share results, achievements, and ways in which their living landscape has grown and thrived.

The event opened with an inspiring talk by our guest keynote speakers Argus Hardy and Patrick Barkham, who came to celebrate the achievements of the Claylands landowners and communities. Beddingham Hall Farm, John Cole Farm, Old Hall Farm, Stoke Holy Cross, Burston and Shimpling, Roydon and Diss were just a few hub landowners and communities discussed, with some going on to share first hand experiences of how their lives and lands have changed over the course of the project. 

One of the first local stars of the project who came to the stage was Earsham Estate who have made incredible leaps and bounds in pond restoration on their land. Prior to the Claylands project, 98% of their ponds were overgrown, had low levels of oxygen, and lacked biodiversity, but now scrub clearance, dredging, modifying and even digging invasive plants out by hand has greatly improved the ponds across the estate. 40+ ponds have also undergone surveying, with a plan to continue this programme of restoration and management to ensure these vital habitats remain in good nick!

Next, Fir Grove shared their work on improving grasslands through the use of green hay, and by utilising roadside nature reserves to introduce rare species like sulphur clover. Excitingly, Fir Grove have noticed a significant increase in wildlife on their land throughout the project, such as great crested newts, deer, barn owls, foxes and even turtle doves (attracted to the newly managed hedgerows).

Stuart Mayhew of Old Hall Farm ended our landowner segment of the day, giving a short history of their transformation from a traditional arable farm to a nature-friendly haven and sharing some of the ways the Claylands project has helped them on this journey. As part of this project, we provided saplings and lots of lovely volunteers to reinstate 1.8 km of once removed hedgerows and restore two of their struggling ponds.

In the afternoon, NWT Officer Sue Grime kicked off the community presentations and spoke on behalf of communities in Roydon and Diss, praising their incredible hedgehog surveying work. It was discovered that a majority of surveyed gardens had hedgehog visitors and that it was likely the hedgehogs were also roaming the wider countryside. Lots of invaluable data was collected as part of this work, and awareness of hedgehog conservation was shared throughout local villages, estates, and schools.

Stoke Holy Cross spoke about how the Claylands project helped them transform 1.6 acres of former arable land into a flower-rich meadow for the community. Following lots of plant and wildlife surveying, 100m of new hedges were planted, the new wildflower meadow was sown and wild verges, forage areas, log piles, and bird boxes were added to create more homes and habitats for wildlife on the site. It took the collaboration of lots of hard working and dedicated community members to make this happen, with word of the project spreading through local events, newsletters, parish notice boards and even a dedicated website.

Finally, Burston and Shimpling shared with the conference how they transformed a disused football pitch into a smaller pitch with an adult exercise area surrounded by woodland meadow. Following NWT plant surveys, it was discovered that the over-managed field hosted 19 plant species, and after several rounds of wildflower and green hay spreading sourced from verges and NWT roadside nature reserves, the site now has its very own fully-fledged meadow. This was also a wonderful opportunity for the community to learn skills such as scything and grass collecting, so they can go on to manage the meadow for themselves.

Whilst the project now comes to a close, this is just the beginning for south Norfolk Claylands communities and landowners. Armed with new skills and connections, who knows what they will achieve for themselves and for the wildlife and wild places in their care?

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Thank you to our guest speakers - Argus Hardy a founder and trustee of WildEast, Patrick Barkham author and Norfolk Wildlife Trust president, Eliot Lyne Norfolk Wildlife Trust Chief Executive Officer, as well as Norfolk Wildlife Trust officers Gemma Walker, Helen Baczkowska, Ben Newton, Sue Grime, and Matt Jones.