Nature enhancement is a key part of our ongoing work to conserve and enhance the Dedham Vale National Landscape & Stour Valley. 

Here is a round-up from all of our nature enhancement projects and volunteer work parties for October 2024.

For more information about any of our nature enhancement work, you can email alex.mooredaluz@suffolkandessex-NL.org.uk.

1 Tiger Hill – Assington

Our volunteers did a fantastic job up at Tiger Hill LNR on some grassland management work. They helped out a contractor who had been called in to strim some areas of long grass that were not grazed by cattle this year.

The wet spring caused excessive vegetation growth early on in the year which triggered the growth of dominant species such as cocksfoot. The downside to this was the grass grew taller and denser than usual and flopped down later on in the season creating impenetrable mats of grass.

Without the late season strimming and raking the sloped meadow would have been much less favourable for an array of wildflowers next year.

2 Essex Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS)

Both our National Landscapes lie partly within Essex so we were very pleased to submit our responses to the Essex LNRS public consultation.

Our responses were largely positive with some constructive feedback too. Our full responses will be published on the Essex LNRS website once all of the responses have been analysed

3 Norfolk and Suffolk Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS)

We have been busy mapping the areas that we would like to see prioritised in the Suffolk and Norfolk LNRS. We are particularly keen to see new habitats created and restored on land that is currently alongside our  Nature Recovery Core Zones to make them bigger and more resilient.

4 Project Scoping: East Bergholt

I met with landowners in East Bergholt to discuss a potential habitat creation project on their meadow. I will return to do more detailed project scoping but there is potential to create a mosaic of habitats including the reinstatement of a ghost pond, woodland creation, hedge planting and wildflower meadow restoration.

5 Connecting Constable & Gainsborough Country Launch Event

Emma Black and I attended the Connecting Constable & Gainsborough Country Launch Event which was a thoroughly interesting and inspiring day.

In collaboration with two Farmer Groups (The Stour Valley Farmer Cluster and the Wool Towns Farmer Cluster) the SWT secured £750,000 from Defra to help fund a 2-year Landscape Recovery project (the joint largest project of its kind in the UK) to restore woodlands and connect habitats in Constable and Gainsborough Country.

Habitat creation projects could include a 40m wide buffer strip full of different habitats including ponds, scrub and grassland connecting two fragmented blocks of woodland.

6 Sighting of the Month – Upright Coral Fungus (Ramaria stricta)

Probably the most impressive stand of Upright Coral Fungus I have ever seen. This was at a site in Mistley. ID hasn’t been verified by a fungi expert so I’m not 100% on the species.

7 Upcoming tasks

08.11.24	East Bergholt Lodge	Rhododendron control
15.11.24	Trimley Marshes	Plantation Thinning
22.11.24	Arger Fen	Hazel layering and coppicing
29.11.24	Trimley Marshes	Plantation Thinning
06.12.24	Tiger Hill	TBC
13.12.24	Sizewell	Heathland Management
20.12.24	Tiger Hill	Tree Planting