The sun shone warmly on the day a group of nearly 30 people gathered to enjoy the route and learn from local ecologist Simon Attwood. Simon arrived with a telescope and a mobile telephone which proved to be very useful.  The walk took us down past Forncett school through a lovely piece of land, luxuriant in flora, past the 'Site of Special Scientific Interest' where hazels are beautifully coppiced to offer rich sources of cover and food to birds and pollinators. From thence we went over a well maintained wooden pathway, set among, what is in summer, a profusion of reeds, (happy with the wet habitat), and wildflowers which in July and August are a magnet for darters, butterflies, dragonflies and countless pollinators.  Reaching the top of this path we turned left and shortly, through a gate, entered the Tas Valley Way:  here we walked along a wide ridgeway between a hedge on the right and a steep bank to the left dropping down to a water meadow.  In high summer the bank is studded with wild flowers.  Plants, happy in damp conditions, thrive here. This landscape is startlingly beautiful, a mosaic of habitat and flora, giving a richly changing colour scheme as the eye wanders across to the River Tas.

Simon Attwood, our local ecologist, helping everyone learn a bit more about a rich environment. Photo: Claire Jordan

 Simon gave helpful explanations and answered questions.  Every so often he would say "ah, that's a greenfinch", or a jackdaw, or yellowhammer. He told us about the various apps. we can install to help us identify sights and sounds of interest.  To demonstrate, he merely held his telephone aloft, and his app. called Merlin Bird ID, at once distinguished between the sounds of birdsong to tell us which birds were in our vicinity.  Identifying birdsong is a tricky business, and this piece of technology, certainly simplifies it. He also mentioned eBird, both are by Cornell Lab. He explained that 7 to 7.30 am is a more rewarding time to listen to and identify birdsong as at that time birds are far more active and noisy. After choosing suitable places, he set up his telescope and invited walkers to use it.  It took a tiny adjustment to make it suitable for individuals and the magnification was extraordinary. I was lucky enough to see a slender pale linnet, a musician of the birdworld, showing a pinkness around his breast, sitting among the boughs of a tree, probably resting while his mate sat on their eggs.

After crossing the farmyard, we traced the long line of the young hedge, planted by a group of willing Forncett volunteers during Covid. Our tree warden had secured the whips and trees and the farmer had made his land available and been very helpful.  The hedge was healthy and well grown and it was satisfying to reflect that every one of the hundreds of plants would be a food and shelter source for insects, birds and small mammals, so necessary amidst farmland.

Finally we turned opposite the village hall to cross open fields and the Tas.  At the hall, refreshments were waiting and Simon generously gave a talk, supported by clear slides about surveys and data collection, their importance and use in developing our understanding and knowledge and  how they need to be carefully planned with clear objectives.  I reflected that Simon would have been pleased by the clear and enthusiastic commitment of so many in Forncett, to do what we can, to support nature.  FNM hopes to encourage people to work collectively to this end.

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Written by: Claire Jordan

Published: 05 May 2023

Representatives of Forncett Nature Matters steering group and several of our supporters went to Poringland on 18th February for the Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s (NWT) conference to hear about the results of their ‘Wilder Connections’ project which focused on three areas in the South Norfolk Claylands (funded by the Green Recovery Challenge).  Ben Newton, Project Officer, outlined the scope of the project which included the restoration of ponds, hedges, copses, trees and associated margins and grasslands, the improvement of habitat connection for wildlife, and connecting people to nature through engaging communities and landowners.  These aims coincide with our own, and though Forncett was not in one of the three discrete areas, we have received lots of support from NWT, who also keep in touch with what we’re doing.
The morning was devoted mainly to contributions from farmers and landowners, and the afternoon to feedback from community groups.  There were so many brilliant and inspirational speakers that it’s difficult to cover the whole conference adequately. Hilary Hosea has written the report which follows, and I’ll add a bit more after that.

“One of the farmers who spoke to us was Nick Meade of the Earsham Estate, part of the Waveney Farming Cluster; the 39 farms in this group are involved in various types of regenerative farming and are trying to improve their land to benefit the biodiversity of plants and animals alongside their agricultural enterprises.  The Estate worked with the Norfolk Wildlife Trust as part of the Claylands initiative for 18 months to improve connectivity and habitat in the landscape.  There were new plantings of trees and hedges and the restoration of ponds. Nick said that across the whole estate there were 95 ponds some of which had been filled in. During the project six were recreated, some in the corners of fields, which made them easier to maintain and to fit in with farming activities.  Surveys of the pond wildlife were carried out by NWT volunteers, and the zones where Great Crested Newts survive were mapped so attempts to link their habitats could be made.  Some ponds were dredged, surrounding scrub taken out and trees pollarded to open up the watery space.  Some were modified by making shallow edges to benefit breeding frogs and newts. About eight ponds were made deeper to help maintain water and some had weed taken out such as Bog Bean which can become dominant.  The new Zealand Stonecrop that forms dense mats and excludes other species was removed by hand and will be monitored.  Buffer areas of rough grass were made around some ponds to enhance their potential as connected habitats for wildlife.” [Hilary Hosea]

The Earsham Hall Estate that Hilary mentions is also one of four farms which are working with volunteers to create links and corridors between them, with Earsham to the south and Old Hall Farm at Woodton to the north . This dairy farm (www.oldhallfarm.co.uk) is run by Stuart and Rebecca Mayhew and features in Sarah Langford’s wonderful book, ‘Rooted’ (1). The couple, who also farm regeneratively, have replanted many hedges and mob graze their animals, keeping calves at foot for much longer than most herds nowadays. They sell unpasteurised milk and have a farm shop and cafe which are well worth visiting. They also provided the conference attendees with a magnificent lunch which catered for all dietary needs.

Vic Long of Fir Grove Farm, Wreningham, told us about a wildflower meadow which became Norfolk’s Coronation Meadow. Find the story of its development here

Community members scything Photo: Thanks to NWT

‘Wild Norfolk for All’ is a new initiative by NWT which hopes to increase space for nature by 30% by 2030.  As Argus Hardy, a WildEast founder told us, this can be done without significantly affecting crop yields by planting hedges, creating habitat around footpaths, around field margins (Wild Stories - Wild Edges ) and restoring waterways and ponds.

Helen Baczkowska, Acting Head of Nature Recovery at NWT, told us what kinds of habitat would benefit a variety of creatures: sheltered dark woodland and crevices in tree bark for the rare Barbastelle Bat (of which we have a small number in Forncett) with nearby hedges along which to forage for the moths that feed on hedgerow wildflowers; one of the best habitats for Barn Owls is tussocky grassland where voles a-plenty make for easy snacking; and of course Norfolk’s Great Crested Newts need ponds linked by easily traversed habitat - they need to move from one to another.  Helen also recommended MAGIC maps

Patrick Barkham, natural history writer, President of NWT and Guardian journalist, opened his talk with the well known quote from E M Forster’s novel, Howard’s End: “Only connect.... live no more in fragments”. From NWT’s countywide reach of ‘Wilder Connections’ to Forncett Nature Matters’ more modest scope ‘connecting people : connecting nature,’ connectivity was at the heart of everyone’s message.  An interesting aspect of Patrick’s talk was that he felt our communities of South Norfolk (and of North Suffolk too) were enriched in the 1960s and 70s by the the influx of artists, writers, naturalists, self sufficiency seekers and a smattering of hippies. (He’s writing a biography of Roger Deakin, one of the best known settlers.) The Tree Fairs of Suffolk and Norfolk will be remembered by many, and I’m guessing that Patrick visited with his nature loving parents.  Many of these folk, now in their 70s and 80s, stayed on and are now well integrated, serving their communities, still passionate about environmental matters and active in campaigning for restoring wildlife balance. There were quite a few of us in the audience!

I had to leave the conference at this point, and the community group report that follows was written by Emily Syme, one of FNM’s supporters:

“A project that may interest FNM members is underway in Stoke Holy Cross.  The conference heard from a group of volunteers about Jubilee Meadow, a piece of land which had been given to the Parish Council by developers building housing nearby.  After consultation with villagers it was decided that the land would be used as a wildflower meadow, providing a refuge for wildlife and for the villagers themselves!  With the support of the NWT as part of the Claylands Project the volunteers have begun transforming the previously arable land. There is a mature hedge along one boundary, and more trees and hedging are being planted. Owl and other bird boxes have been donated and put up, and wildflower seeds sown. There are ‘untidy’ areas with log, stone, and grass piles to encourage and support insects, amphibians and small mammals.
The project is already connecting the village and will be a wonderful community resource. It is well worth looking at the beautifully drawn plan on their website which also has a wealth of useful information.” [Emily Syme].

In conclusion, the NWT team has been delighted with all the great initiatives that are taking place around the Claylands and, although the project finishes at the end of March, they will be continuing to work with landowners and communities in South Norfolk, which is good news for all of us nature lovers and brilliant for the wildlife. Thank you NWT for your sterling work and inspiration.

 February 2023

1  Rooted. Sarah Langford. 2022, Penguin Viking ISBN 978-0-241-50374-4

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Written by: Christina Wakeford

Published: 07 March 2023

February 21st Forncett Nature Matters members were able to join Alan Dawson’s lovely Zoom talk on how we can stop the terrible decline of the UK butterfly population.  Alan is a recorder of butterflies in Norfolk for Butterfly Conservation, a national organisation that is embarking on a campaign to halt the desperate loss of our butterflies and moths. They ask people to register their wild spaces where these beautiful insects can feed, breed and shelter, free from pesticides. A few choice plants in a pot can really help. School grounds, community woodland and village verges where butterfly food plants can grow are all vital areas of support and our gardens in countryside and town can provide vital nectar and caterpillar food plants.

 We also have in Norfolk, on heath-land such as Kelling, Buxton Heath and East Ruston Common, the Silver Studded Blue that has an extraordinary life-cycle. The male has bright blue wings, rimmed in black with white edges and silver spots on the hind wings, while the females have brown upper wings with orange spots on the hind wing. The female lays eggs only once a year between June and August in the vicinity of ants nests because her species has a mutual symbiotic relationship with two kinds of black ants. When the caterpillars hatch the ants transport them to their nests and farm them for the sugars they excrete. The ants keep the larvae clean and at a constant temperature and carry them out to feed on the leaves of Ling and Bell Heather, Gorse and Bird’s Foot Trefoil. This is done at dusk and the ants guard them against predators including other ants. The ants allow the caterpillars to pupate in their nest and take them out to the heath-land when they emerge.

The Painted Lady is a beautiful migrant from North Africa. When they arrive in the UK they choose thistles and Hemp Agrimony as food plants. They can be seen in August at Warham Camp, a Neolithic dwelling site in North Norfolk.  In high summer, if we are lucky, the immigrants from Europe, Peacocks and Red Admirals, arrive feeding on nettles and brambles. So if you want beautiful butterflies in your garden keep a patch of nettles.

Peacock Butterfly Photo: Carol Sharp

Our gardens can be havens and places of survival for butterflies. Planting Marjoram, Verbena bonariensis, perennial wallflowers, like Bowles Mauve, Buddlejas, of which there are a profusion of beautiful varieties, and Lavenders can help their survival by providing the nectar they need. The handsome ‘weeds’ including nettles, grasses and brambles, that Alan mentioned are vital food plants for the caterpillars. Sallows, Buckthorns, Holly and Ivy are important food plants too.

 Alan recommended a very user-friendly app - iRecord Butterflies  which is a really good way of improving your ID skills. You can send your sightings to Butterfly Conservation at any time, which is a helpful way of saying thank you to them for the valuable conservation work they’re doing. Your data will be added to their Norfolk map.

 Alan’s talk was recorded and you can enjoy it here

Alan says “My role on the committee of the Norfolk Branch of Butterfly Conservation is Transect Coordinator.  Transects are set routes, mainly on managed land, that are walked weekly from April to September, with the butterflies encountered being counted.  We have about 60 of these in Norfolk and they feed in to a national scheme that helps keep track of British butterfly numbers as well as what is happening in Norfolk.  One of the things I do is to analyse the results from the 50,000 or so butterflies that are counted in Norfolk in a year.”

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Written by: Hilary Hosea

Published: 12 February 2023

We were delighted with the turnout for our meeting on Friday 20 January 2023, 7pm, at Forncett Village Hall, in spite of the very cold, wet evening. Over fifty people from up and down the river and beyond, as well as a good number of Forncett folk, attended and enjoyed the inspiring presentations by our three speakers.

Tim Fisher of the Norfolk Rivers Trust gave the introductory talk, outlining the scope of the Trust’s work and his own role as Volunteer and Engagement Officer. As a result of the interest shown during the evening and the questions asked, Tim is going to work on a plan to visit the catchment and meet some of the people who have land bordering the river. He invited people to contact him to register their interest, ideas and observations, or to inquire about volunteering for the trust This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Tim Fisher explains the work of the Norfolk Rivers Trust. Photo: C Sharp

Rodney Aldis, one of the campaigners for the Chet Valley B-Line, then told us about the concept of B-Lines, which were originally devised by Buglife to conserve and increase the dramatically declining numbers of our native pollinators. The aim was to create countrywide networks of wildflower-rich habitats as a food source for all insects. (This in turn supports insect-eating birds, bats, amphibians etc, and so on up the food chain.) Funded by a Water, Mills and Marshes grant, the Chet project took off. The Rivers Trust supplied funding for an area near the headwaters of the River Chet to be seeded with green hay. This is a method of transferring seed from an established native meadow to a newly prepared site in a nearby location, thus preserving local flora. For optimal effect a B-Line should contain ‘stepping stones’ of flower-rich habitat no more than 500m apart along the 3km wide pathways, which enables the insects to fly from one to another. The B-Lines are often situated in river valleys which form a continuous linear structure providing the essential migration, dispersal and genetic exchange of wild species. 

The Chet B-Line was the inspiration for Forncett Nature Matters’ interest in creating something similar along the River Tas catchment, in addition to our initial aim of encouraging wildlife corridors throughout our own village. We now have contacts and supporters along the twenty mile length of our river, one of whom, was our next speaker.

The health and biodiversity of our river was addressed by Ross Jolliffe, in his wonderfully illustrated talk about the Tas which borders his property. Wildlife of the water and riverbank were shown in Ross’s fine photos and video. A precious, rare, small colony of native White-clawed Crayfish has been discovered!  Countrywide, the survival of this species has been threatened by the invasive American Signal Crayfish; work at Banham and Bristol Zoos is being undertaken to breed our native crayfish for release into suitable areas.

There were brown trout, pike and chubb in an underwater film of the river, and Ross also showed us otters and water voles, as well as a variety of raptors, deer, and much bird life adjacent to the river. The four and a half acres were initially overgrown with willow and choked with a tangled, impenetrable under storey of nettles and brambles which needed cutting back to readmit light and encourage a wider range of flora. Nowadays the area is lightly and sympathetically managed, and winding paths are cut through the vegetation. The results of Ross’s strategy are brilliant for wildlife. You can watch Ross’s short video here

There was much animated discussion following the talks while people enjoyed homemade cake and a cuppa. New contacts were forged and plans for future activities made.

A very big thank you to all our participants. The speakers gave generously of their time and expertise and we are very grateful for their input and willingness to share their knowledge. Thank you to Norman Stevens for organising the tech side of things. It was also good to have on hand Helen Baczkowska of Norfolk Wildlife Trust who has supported us since FNM’s beginnings.

The Tas at Forncett. Photo: Penny Deegan

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Written by: Christina Wakeford

Published: 04 February 2023