Category: Campaigns

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Sowers and the Reapers

The Yare Valley Meadow Makers has recently been busy preparing the ground for next year’s crop of wildflowers. A lot has been done, and a large area of UEA meadows is now ready for seeding.

Preparing the ground
Taking a break

In the upper picture, look beyond the workers and to the right and you will see lurking in the background “The Reapers” Three in all, they are an addition to the Sainsbury Centre Sculpture Park.

A Reaper up close

The Artist Ivan Morison says “In gaming circles Reapers are a synthetic-organic alien race, connecting us to the fear we share of the mutant monsters sure to come from human techno meddling in plant biology. …” The works are an outcome of the artist’s research residency Towards the Weird Heart of Things at The Sainsbury Centre.

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Conservation Volunteers November Programme

All are welcome to give the support they can. There are big opportunities this month to get your hands dirty and join the volunteers to contribute directly to the wellbeing of Yare Valley wildlife:

Cringleford Bridge Meadow on Monday 4th and Friday 15th

Eaton Burial Ground on Church Lane on the Wednesday 6th, Thursday 7th, and Tuesday 12th

Bluebell Woods at Eaton Park on Friday 22nd.

The programme is here. It gives full details including the occasions when lunch will be available.

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Conservation Volunteers October Programme

Mark Webster writes:

We are looking to thank volunteers old and new by providing lunch for all attendees wherever convenient outlets exist near to where we are working this month, as indicated by L [in the programme] … Could be sandwiches, could be chips, but we will see that people get a decent feed to help keep out the autumn chill. …

Full details of the programme are here.

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Conservation Volunteers August Programme

The Conservation Volunteers will be out in force in August doing work in various locations, including Bowthorpe Southern Park on two occasions. Their task here will be to remove ragwort from a specific area to make it safe for cattle grazing. Grazing creates vegetation at different heights, and small areas of bare ground. This encourages a wide range of wildlife in different habitats. It also helps wildflowers to grow, flower, and set seed each year.

Everyone is welcome. Details of the Programme are here.

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Yellow Rattle Seed Collection 10th July

Yare Valley Meadow Makers would welcome your help to harvest Yellow Rattle Seed. Now the summer has finally come, the yellow rattle seed is ripening and they need lots for Strawberry field and UEA meadows in the Autumn.

The harvest will be on Wednesday 10th July 6-8pm, with a pint in the Cellar House after for those who would like to.

Meeting location – Marston Marsh, at the entrance opposite the big golf club gates, what3words: brush.handy.admit.

Yellow rattle growing in Strawberry Field, possibly from seed sown in earlier years:

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Norwich Western Link: A threat to our neighbouring green corridor?

The Yare River Valley and the Wensum River Valley are the two strategic green infrastructure corridors of Norwich. Proposed developments continue to threaten their effectiveness in providing habitat and free movement for wildlife. One threat is the building of roads across the valleys. An additional road across the Yare Valley has been mooted, but there is no definite plan as yet. A new road across the Wensum is now under consideration to carry the Norwich Western Link.  A planning application (FUL/2024/0022) for the Link has been submitted, and it is out for public consultation until 18th August 2024 (recently extended to this date).

Norfolk Wildlife Trust, CPRE, Friends of the Earth and Buglife are have joined with other environmental organisations to condemn the proposals because of the ecological destruction that can be expected to occur. Natural England has sought assurance from the developers Norfolk County Council that a nationally important habitat for a protected species of bat will not be damaged. Whether Norfolk County Council can give such an assurance seems in doubt, but the Council have, none the less, gone ahead with a planning application for the road.

Grounds for objection are detailed by the “Stop the Wensum Link” campaign.

Concern has also been expressed that the route is designed only for motorised vehicle use (or fearless cyclists) with little or no provision for more sustainable means of travel such as walking and cycling. There is no effective shadow route for non-motorised users.

The issues are complex, but if you wish to speak up for our green wildlife corridors and/or sustainable travel, go to the plans and consultation website.

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Disappearing Nature: March to “Restore Nature Now”

Numerous environmental organisations, including Wildlife Trusts, RSPB, Woodland Trust, National Trust, Extinction Rebellion and Rewilding Britain have come together intent upon moving Nature up the political agenda at election time. They want to see UK politicians “show strong domestic and global nature and climate leadership by:

1. Giving a pay-rise for nature

2. Making polluters pay

3. Delivering more space for nature

4. Putting a right to a healthy environment in law

5. Ensuring fair and effective climate action”

Read more about their specific demands here. You can give your support to their campaign by joining the march:

Restore Nature Now

Saturday June 22
12:00 noon – Park lane, London W1K
More details here.

If you cannot make it to London, be sure to raise Nature with those who come canvassing for your vote.

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Nature boost for Norwich: Sweet Briar Marshes Opening

In recent years, and particularly since Covid, there has been a marked increase in public use of our green spaces, as evidenced by the increase in wear on the paths of the Valley, and the increase in the number of new paths. YVS is getting reports of a decline in wildlife in the Valley (e.g. disappearance of water voles) and the suspicion is that the wildlife of Norwich is becoming degraded as a consequence of greater human intrusion.

Worn and widening path at UEA

The good news is that some relief is on its way. The green space of Norwich is being extended with the addition of marshes that will be managed for a balance between wildlife and people. After much preparation, the Norfolk Wildlife Trust (NWT), is opening its new 36 hectare (90 acre) Norwich nature reserve, Sweet Briar Marshes.

The marshes will become open free to the public, and the NWT invites you to free opening activities on Sunday 12th May. You are invited also to lunchtime and evening drop-in walks each day from Monday 13th to Friday 17th May.

An added attraction is that NWT have partnered with Norfolk and Norwich Festival, to create “On Our Doorsteps”, part of a nationwide project exploring the relationship between urban communities and the green spaces around us. You can view the newly commissioned temporary artworks from Friday 10 May-Sunday 9 June.

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Eaton Parish Eco Fair Saturday 11th May

Following the success of previous Eco Fairs, St Andrew’s Eaton hosts again an Eco Fair:

The day will begin with an early morning birdwatching walk with Phil Atkinson along the River Yare – meet in Waitrose Car Park at 7am. The fair itself will be opened at 10 am by Rachel Sowerby, the Bishop of Norwich’s Environmental Research Officer and will be open until 2.00 pm. The day will end with an evening talk hosted by the Eaton Village Residents’ Association. Helen Baczkowska, Senior Manager Nature Recovery at Norfolk Wildlife Trust, will be speaking on ‘Bringing back Norfolk’s wildlife – what is happening and how you can help?’ Doors open at 6.30pm for a 7pm start.

More details are here.

Part of the Yare Valley Society display at the Fair explains why Eaton is well placed to be in the vanguard of the fightback to halt, and eventually reverse, biodiversity loss:

A panel from the YVS Eco Fair Display

Come along and support us and other environmentally friendly organisations at the Fair.