Category: Projects

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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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Help the Meadow Makers boost our meadows

The Yare Valley Meadow Makers invite you to join them in improving the Yare Valley wildflower meadows. In November (weather permitting) there will be work parties on Saturday the 9th 10 – 12 am and Sunday the 17th 2– 4 pm. Join them on the UEA broad hay meadow at the picnic area by the lake W3W ///ripe.keys.vocab.

They will be doing some raking and creating bare earth patches with mattocks to prepare the meadow for the sowing of more wildflower seed shortly after.

Profusion of ox-eyed daisies in the Strawberry Field Meadow

All help will be much appreciated.  They will have plenty of seed thanks to their own collections and some kind donations from High Ash farm and Norwich City Council earlier this year.

The Yare Valley Meadow Makers direct most of their efforts at improving the Strawberry Field meadow and the UEA hay meadow and the hedgerows that link them.

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The Big Autumn Leaf Sweep

Good work has been done at St Andrews Church in Eaton, beside the River Yare, in promoting biodiversity in its churchyard and in hosting Eco-Fairs.

John Thurman (a past chair of YVS) writes:

The churchyard makes a beautiful setting for St Andrew’s Church in Eaton. It’s a place of tranquillity, rich in history and a haven for wildlife. The entrance, through the lychgate and avenue of lime trees, which has welcomed many a wedding party, is open 24 hours every day to all members of the community. Keeping the churchyard in good condition is a year round but very rewarding task – undertaken mainly by volunteers. In autumn, the lime trees shed mountains of leaves which makes it a very busy time for our team of gardeners.



This year we want to invite anybody with an hour or so to spare to join us in the BIG AUTUMN LEAF SWEEP on Saturday November 2nd from 10AM. All are welcome, families with children included. We will provide wheelbarrows and some tools – but if you own a favourite rake, please bring that too! Teas and coffees will be available in the Church Hall, where an Autumn Fair will be taking place that morning.

So please come to help out, to have fun and meet new friends! You don’t have to be a church member – it’s sufficient just to appreciate the surroundings of St Andrew’s as the community asset it has been for many centuries.

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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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Volunteers wanted for Marston Lane Hedge Project

Eaton Village Residents Association (EVRA) are hoping to launch a new project to manage a section of the hedgerows along Marston Lane on the Yare Valley Walk, from its junction with Lindford Drive to the Golf Course crossing. The Project would manage the excess growth of some species, including ivy, and plant suitable species to fill gaps. The project was suggested by Keri Williams.

EVRA have agreement in principle from Norfolk Highways and hope to have support of Eaton Golf Club for any work on their side of the lane. EVRA are planning to start work in the autumn. Keri will lead the project, but will need some volunteers to do the work. If you would like to help with the project, please email evra.vc@live.co.uk

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Conservation Volunteers September Programme

Mark Webster of Conservation Volunteers has, as usual. a varied plan for conservation volunteering opportunities across the County. None is specific to the Yare Valley this month, but all contribute to improving our green environment. New volunteers are always welcome. Full details are available 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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Talk and AGM: Managing the Yare Valley for People and Wildlife

All who value the green space of the Yare Valley are welcome to come along to the Yare Valley Society AGM and Talk:

The AGM will be held first, and take about 30 minutes. Papers for the AGM will be in the next YVS Newsletter, due out early June. The AGM will be followed by a talk by Matthew Davies, the Norwich Fringe Project Officer.

One recent initiative of the Fringe Project has been its introduction of mini forests into Bowthorpe Southern Park (see picture in poster). Many will have seen the fenced plantations created using the Miyawaki method. The method involves echoing naturally occurring forests by planting four layers of plants: trees, sub-trees, shrubs and ground cover. The layers are densely planted in previously enriched soil. This results in a mini forest that matures much more rapidly than normal and has all the advantages, including carbon capture, of existing forest trees.

It is just one of the many ways in which the Fringe Project has sought to improve the Valley for People and Wildlife.

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Ecology of the River Yare is “moderate”

The latest report of the Rivers Trust classifies the ecology of the Yare as “moderate”. This is on a scale of High, Good, Moderate, Poor or Bad. A map shows the Yare to share this category with most of England’s rivers. Only 15% of rivers are rated as being in “good” ecological health.

River health is moderate. How healthy are these?

Ecological health is assessed by looking at the state of what is living in the river environment. “The presence, absence and abundance of species is a good indication of the general health of a river.” 

There is no river in England rated as “good” for chemical health or for overall health.

The detailed State of Our Rivers Report for 2024 is an in-depth study of the condition of our rivers and suggestions solutions and actions for improving the health of our rivers.

YVS has already reported on the Norfolk Rivers Trust’s work at various points on the river in the valley to improve water quality by modifying river flow and to improve resilience of wetlands to drought by interconnected scrapes.