More than 1,000 hectares of land across Suffolk are now being managed specifically for wildlife through Suffolk Wildlife Trust’s growing Private Nature Reserve network.

The milestone has been reached thanks to the efforts of more than 200 private landowners who are working with the Trust to protect and restore habitats for nature outside of its publicly accessible nature reserves.

Suffolk Wildlife Trust, the county’s largest nature charity, manages 2,900 hectares of land across 50 nature reserves. The additional 1,000 hectares now included within the Private Nature Reserve (PNR) network represents a significant boost to efforts to reverse wildlife decline and improve ecological connectivity across the county.

Private Nature Reserves include a wide range of habitats such as grasslands, ponds, rivers, woodlands, wetlands and areas left to regenerate naturally. The network does not include land that is farmed commercially, and registration does not grant public access, with landowner privacy fully respected.

The network is led by Graham Hart, Conservation Advisor at Suffolk Wildlife Trust, who has also established a successful PNR owners’ network, bringing landowners together to share experiences and learn from one another.

Graham said: “The passion and commitment shown by Private Nature Reserve owners is incredibly inspiring. Together, these sites are making a real difference to biodiversity and creating vital stepping stones for wildlife across Suffolk. The sense of shared purpose within the network has been one of its greatest successes.”

Membership of the Private Nature Reserve network is free. Landowners receive expert advice and support from Suffolk Wildlife Trust, including free advisory visits with written reports, help with habitat creation and restoration, access to networking events and guidance on potential funding opportunities.

The work is supported by a team of Volunteer Conservation Advisers, many with extensive ecological and conservation experience. Volunteer adviser Dorothy Casey,

formerly Head of Conservation at Suffolk Wildlife Trust, has seen first-hand how effective small-scale conservation can be.

She said: “These fragments of countryside, managed specifically for wildlife, can make a significant difference. Many species in Suffolk are declining, but when suitable habitats are created or restored, wildlife can return remarkably quickly.”

Private Nature Reserves act as important refuges and stepping stones for species such as song thrush, skylark, yellowhammer, turtle dove, bats, butterflies, reptiles and great crested newts, helping them to move through the wider landscape.

Suffolk Wildlife Trust is encouraging landowners who want to support wildlife on their land to join the Private Nature Reserve network and receive a free initial advisory visit. For more information, visit www.suffolkwildlifetrust.org/private-nature-reserves