Welcome to the BFER newsletter
For those of us lucky enough to live in rural areas, the arrival of spring is heralded in a large part by an amazing sound; the Dawn Chorus. Every year at this time I am woken up at first light by a cacophony of riotous, joyous noise from our feathered friends, and it lifts my heart. Yes, it’s too early, and yes I need that extra hour or two of sleep, but despite that, every year, that joy of spring is infectious and seems to lift the cloak of winter, making me fall in love with this amazing landscape all over again.
My challenge to you this month is to set your alarm early, grab some warm clothes and a cup of tea, then find a nice spot with trees and shrubs nearby where birds will congregate, and where the rising sun will find you, and just enjoy…
Reconnecting with nature is a real theme for us in this scheme, as we work with our partners to provide new opportunities for people to benefit from nature, and the Brecks must be one of the best places in the country to do that.
In this month’s newsletter we’re celebrating just a few of the innovative opportunities for promoting health and wellbeing in Nature, including the Nature Therapy for Menopause programme, a number of amazing running events delivered by our partners Run Breckland, as well as fun events, activities and learning opportunities for all ages.
We’re also delighted to be supporting the Suffolk Walking Festival this month, with a number of walks taking place in the Brecks as part of the County wide festival. Read our volunteer blog below to find out more about a great walk in Brandon, or see our events listing for more details, and click here for a link to the Suffolk Walking Festival info: Suffolk Walking Festival – Over 70 walks. 13th-28th May 2023
Lastly, I’d like to encourage you to take part in No Mow May. This is Plantlife’s annual campaign calling all 23+million garden owners in the UK not to mow during May – liberating your lawns and providing a space for nature. It’s a great way to benefit wildlife in your garden, and all you have to do is not cut the grass! For more info visit: https://www.plantlife.org.uk/campaigns/nomowmay/
As ever, I hope you enjoy this month’s offerings, and that you do choose to take part in the wide variety of events and activities coming up.
BFER Scheme Manager
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Guest Blog
Noticing Nature on the Nine Stiles Walk
by Jude Clay
It can be easy to ignore the nature around us every day. It can be easy to sit at home and wish we could see orangutans in the jungles of Borneo, or dolphins swimming through a turquoise ocean, or even jewel-coloured hummingbirds flitting around voluptuous, tropical flowers. The reality for most of us though, is that we live in a slightly damp and chilly England and don’t have whole days or weeks to dedicate to going out to have animal adventures. Does that mean we should give up on wildlife-encounters altogether? Absolutely not. Sometimes, we just need to remember to practice noticing what is around us. Discover Suffolk have devised a walking loop just outside Brandon, that is the perfect, simple way for you to connect with nature again.
I walked this walk slowly, stopping constantly to take photographs and watch birds and stroke ponies (there were many!) and it took me exactly 2 hours. If you want a leisurely route for a weekend or have young children who are full of energy and curiosity, this is a great option.
And this is what I noticed:
To read more click here: https://brecks.org/volunteer-blog/guest-blog-noticing-nature-on-the-nine-stiles-walk/
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2.2 – Tales from the River
Have you seen our latest exhibition on tour across the Brecks?
photo credit: Imogen Radford
The Tales from the Riverbank exhibition is on tour across the Brecks, currently at Watton Library till 5th May. This exhibition displays memories of swimming and other water based activities in the Brecks, curated by young historians from Ancient House Museum.
Check out the dates below to see if this exhibition is coming to a place near you!
Brandon Library – 9th to 22nd May
Lakenheath Library – 23rd May to 7th June
Brandon Heritage Centre – 9th June to July
If you would like more information, please get in touch: BFER.admin@suffolk.gov.uk
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3.1 – Citizen Science: Testing the Water
Our Citizen Science project has been very busy the last couple of months and you may have seen our special newsletter which advertised some of these activities. One activity took place at Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s Thompson Common where we engaged with 16 volunteers and NWT staff to test 60 waterbodies on the reserve (including ponds, ditches and streams) for nutrient pollution.
The other activity last month included training local teachers on how to deliver their own water testing lesson to schools across the Brecks. The training took place at Admirals Academy in Thetford.
Freshwater Habitats Trust are also still looking for volunteers to take part in the Brecks Spawn Survey, please see below flyer for more information and how to take part.
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| Watch our last Citizen Science video about the Damara School taking part in a water testing event at BTO Nunnery Lakes in Thetford. |
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4.4 – Healing Waters: Breathe in the Brecks
Beginning on International Women’s Day in March, and concluding six weeks later on Earth Day, BFER hosted a wellbeing program, Nature Therapy for Menopause. The programme, designed and delivered by Gina Geremia from Adaptable by Design, offered a series of guided wellbeing walks for those experiencing the symptoms of menopause. Each walk explored a different Brecks location, highlighting the diverse range of landscapes across the Brecks region, including its iconic ancient heathlands, and peaceful river corridors. Over the course of the series, the group explored Barnhamcross Common, Lakenheath Fen Nature Reserve, Nunnery Lakes Nature Reserve, West Stow Country Park, and the riversides of Brandon and Mildenhall. The programme focused upon nature therapy intervention, using forest bathing and other mindfulness activities to reconnect with nature, relieve menopausal symptoms, and restore a general sense of wellbeing. In addition to weekly group Saturday morning walks, each participant received a wellbeing guide and workbook, offering daily interventions to promote engagement with the natural world and enhance overall wellbeing.
The final session, taking place on April 22nd to mark Earth Day, included an opportunity for the group to give back to the landscape, taking part in a litter picking activity and collecting 3.6kg of litter. The session finished with a celebratory tea ceremony, and a delicious picnic of lemon drizzle cake in the spring sunshine.
From beginning to end this was magical experience. The bonds that were formed are unique and special and I truly believe that is down to all of us and the special space of the Brecks. It is this special natural space that opened up a new world for so many of us, embraced us and supported our journey toward building a deep relationship with ourselves, one another, and our natural home.
Gina Geremia, programme leader
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4.5 – Volunteer & Engagement Programme
Wild about Thetford
On a wet, cold morning on the 6 April 2023, the ‘Wild About Thetford’ event with Thetford Town Council, still went ahead but was relocated from Thetford marketplace to the indoors of the Guildhall. The rain did not stop play or attendance, and over 60 adults and children came along to the drop-in session to enjoy and participate in the free family activities which included wild-crafts, egg decorating, making bird boxes and bird feeders. The session allowed participants to discover more, celebrate the nature and wildlife around them in the heart of the town whilst showing their creative and art and crafty skills off with the aid of Thetford Conservation Group, Wild for Woods, Norfolk Wildlife Trust, The Men in Sheds, Thetford Town Council, and BFER team. A terrific time was had by all.
All the activities were free of charge, with thanks to the support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
- Are you interested in supporting your local wildlife?
- Want to know about future events?
- Want to discover more about volunteering opportunities with The Brecks Fen Edge and Rivers Landscape Partnership Scheme, and the Thetford Town Council Conservation Volunteers?
Keep an eye on the websites!
Wildlife workshops for home education
In April, BFER offered wildlife workshops for home educating families.
Families joined foraging and wild-craft enthusiast, Jon Tyler, at Two Mile Bottom Campsite to discover the history and properties of birch trees. The site, located adjacent to the Little Ouse River and surrounded by forest, was a perfect spot to explore. The group learnt about the uses of birch trees, tried their hand at birch crafts, made birch torches, sampled birch sap tea, as well as enjoying some bonus sightings of seasonal fungi.
Later in the month, families explored the beautiful site of Nunnery Lakes Reserve, with bird experts Nick Moran and Kate Fox, from the British Trust for Ornithology. The group spent a morning birdwatching, learning about local birdlife while meeting other likeminded young people. A key highlight was a prolonged sighting of a kingfisher, who paused long enough for the whole group to have a close look at its beautiful blue plumage through a telescope.
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4.6 – 3rd Party Grant Fund
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In Other News
After a recent meeting at Lakenheath Fen to review the new access improvements, and site for the new digital interpretation station, we thought we should visit some of the other key sites for nature in the scheme area to see how spring is taking hold in the Brecks.
As a team we went out in early April to look at some of our partner’s flagship sites to look at the benefits of previous projects, and discuss future opportunities, as well as introduce newer members of the team to some of those iconic species that make the area so special.
At our first stop at Weeting Heath where we were lucky enough to bump into the Warden, James Symonds, who very kindly gave us a guided tour, pointing out a couple of iconic Brecks Stone Curlew,
and showing the team the impact of recent ground disturbance projects, as well as the amazing Arable Weeds Plot, that contains a variety of super-rare types of speedwell including Veronica triphyllos (Fingered Speedwell), for more info visit: https://naturebftb.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Fingered-speedwell_FINAL_lowres-23.03.21.pdf . Also growing there successfully were Veronica praecox (Breckland Speedwell), and Veronica Verna (Spring Speedwell).
The second stop was at Lackford Lakes, to look at new access proposals, and discuss opportunities for supporting engagement activities for Health and Wellbeing, where we had the pleasure of seeing Marsh Harriers, and (we think) a pair of Goshawk tumbling through the air.
Both of these locations, and Lakenheath Fen, are well worth a visit at the moment, where you are very likely to be able to see something very special, and are guaranteed to have a memorable visit.
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Brecks Farmers Wildlife Network
The launch of the Breckland Farmers Landscape Recovery Project (BFLR) on 3rd April marked the start of the next chapter for the BFWN, with Pip Goodwin and Lucy Hatcher joining Richard Evans to take the helm on the Landscape Recovery project alongside carrying forward the work that Cathy has done to get everyone so enthused and engaged. This is no small task, but with the network now 58 members strong and covering over 45,000 hectares, the opportunity to demonstrate how productive agriculture and nature recovery can go hand in hand has never been greater. To make the most of this exciting opportunity they will need support and input from the network of organisations and experts across the Brecks, so please keep an eye out for further emails and meeting invites over the coming months.
You can find out more here: brecklandfarmerswildlifenetwork.org, and contact the BFWN team here: team@bfwn.org.uk
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Events & Activities Helper: Join BFER this spring and summer and assist at an exciting range of events and activities! From guided wildlife walks observing bats, birds, butterflies, and plant life, to a range of expert led talks, wild-craft workshops, community runs, wellbeing walks, and much more. Learn new skills, explore the landscapes of the Brecks, meet wildlife and heritage experts, and be part of a friendly and welcoming team.
Volunteers assist BFER by helping to greet and talk to members of the public, welcoming attendees, sharing information about BFER projects, and helping to collect participant feedback. Volunteers can also choose to get involved with hands on activities, such as craft workshops, and tail walking guided walks. All volunteers receive training and support as required, and volunteering can be carried out on a flexible basis.
See our list of upcoming events on brecks.org/events to get a feel for the types of events that you may be able to help with.
If you would like to join BFER to support our events and activities, we’d love to hear from you: bfer.admin@suffolk.gov.uk
 Volunteer with us!
We are looking for volunteers to join us, see a list of our current opportunities:
BFER Blogger Volunteer – BFER is launching a new blog as part of its website and is seeking Blogging Volunteers to assist in writing engaging articles and content. BFER will use blog posts to reach both new and existing audiences. The BFER Blog will report on the diverse range of exciting heritage, wildlife, wellbeing, and art projects and events taking place across the BFER scheme.
BFER PR & Social Media Volunteer – We are looking for a driven PR & Social Media Volunteer to attract and interact with new and existing audiences. Volunteers should have a solid understanding of how each social media channel works and how to optimize content so that it is engaging on those channels.
BFER Video Editor Volunteer – Can you create and edit videos suitable for websites and social media? We are looking for a video editors to help create, edit and deliver content for our social media platforms, YouTube and Website.
BFER Events & Activities Helper – Events and Activities Helpers assist with one-off BFER events and activity opportunities throughout the year. Participants of these events hugely benefit from and value their interactions with volunteers. Volunteers serve as a ‘friendly face’ representing BFER: engaging visitors and participants, and generally being warm and helpful.
If you are interested in any of the above volunteer roles, please get in touch: BFER.admin@suffolk.gov.uk
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Spotlight on Volunteering
Thetford’s Conservation Volunteer Group have been engaging the local community in Thetford’s wildlife this month, with a series of activities, events and training workshops. In addition to the family friendly event day, Wild About Thetford (mentioned above) at which they helped local families to build and decorate bird boxes, the group have taken part in guided walks and training which they have opened for all to take part.
The group, as well as members of local communities, attended a day workshop with Sharon Hearle from the organisation, Butterfly Conservation. Over the day, the group learnt tips and methods for identifying and surveying butterflies and day-moths. Based at the Guildhall in Thetford, the workshop included group guided walks to Thetford riverside, and King’s House Gardens, for the group to try out their new skills identifying species.
Over the summer, the volunteers will be carrying out butterfly and day-moth surveys around Thetford.
The Conservation Volunteers also led a guided riverside walk, exploring seasonal wildflowers. The group and participants enjoyed a peaceful spring amble along Thetford’s scenic Spring Walk riverside path.
To find out more about Thetford Conservation Volunteer Group, and how to get involved, visit: https://brecks.org/bfer/resources/volunteer-hub/
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West Stow Country Park at looking for volunteers!
Our Partners below are recruiting volunteers for a variety of exciting projects in the Brecks:
Bush Adventures UK – Events Volunteers and Garden Volunteers
Charles Burrell Museum – Front of House Volunteer, Main Display Area Guide, Café Staff and Engine Specific Volunteer
Tales from the River – Research Volunteer
Run Breckland – Volunteer Marshals
Little Ouse Headwaters Project (LOHP) – Practical Conservation Volunteer
The Icknield Way Association – Officers and Wardens
The River Lark Catchment Partnership – Volunteer Opportunities
Thetford Town Council – Conservation Volunteers
For more information on the opportunities visit: https://brecks.org/bfer/resources/volunteer-hub/
If you are recruiting volunteers in the Brecks area and would like to advertise your opportunities here, please email: bfer.admin@suffolk.gov.uk |
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Upcoming Events
We are really excited to share with you some of the wonderful outdoor events and activities that are in the pipeline.
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| BFER Events
Event in May:
12th May: Guided bird walk at Weeting Heath (Fully Booked)
Join bird experts Jenny and Nick from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) for a guided birdwatching walk through the distinctive habitats of Weeting and Hockwold Heaths. This walk is hosted in collaboration with Pathmakers)
13th May: Introduction to Watercolour workshop (Fully booked)
A beginners watercolour painting workshop at West Stow Country Park, exploring techniques for colour mixing, brush work, and composition.
13th May: Intermediate Watercolour workshop
Join artist Rosie Copeland for a watercolour workshop at West Stow Country Park. This is an improver workshop for those looking to develop their existing watercolour skills.
20th May: Spring Youth Photography Workshop (Fully Booked)
An opportunity for children aged 10-16 years to explore the beautiful landscapes of West Stow Country Park and develop their photography skills with local photographer; Phil Morley.
21st May : Spring Photography Workshop for Adults
Develop your photography skills and explore the beautiful landscape of West Stow Country Park in this seasonal photography workshop with local photographer, Phil Morley.
26th May: Breathe in the Brecks: Exploring Brandon (Fully Booked)
Discover what makes the Brecks such a unique and important landscape on a guided circular walk following Brandon’s Nine Stiles trail. This walk is part of Suffolk Walking Festival, a programme of walks across Suffolk.
Sunday 28th May: Explore the plants and wildlife found along the scenic waterways of Thetford, with guide Jon Tyler.
Join Jon, as he leads a relaxed guided walk along the riverbanks of Thetford. Discover local wildlife, enjoy peaceful mindfulness, and embrace the great outdoors. This activity will take place as part of a town wide Whitsun celebration in Thetford. Stay tuned to brecks.org/events to find out more.
For more information on the events & to book: Click here to view our events page |
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| Do you have an event you would like us to promote on our newsletter, on our website, or across our social media pages?
Please complete the form for us to share your event:
Event detail form |
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