Nature Matters in Forncett

In 2019 a small group of friends, concerned about the challenges faced by the natural world, began writing about biodiversity for our village magazine, The Forncett Flyer.  Feedback was positive so two years later we decided the time was right to form an active environmental group.

We consulted Norfolk Wildlife Trust (NWT) and the Chet Valley B-Line, had very helpful support and training from them and Forncett Nature Matters (FNM) was duly launched.  Around fifty people attended our first meeting where NWT’s Helen Baczkowska talked about the South Norfolk Claylands, and FNM’s steering group outlined our vision.

We want to protect and improve biodiversity in our gardens, fields, verges and waterways, aiming to connect habitats by establishing ‘green corridors’ and ‘stepping stones’ of planting wherever possible, so that pollinating insects and other wildlife can move around safely and freely. We also aim to establish a collaborative network of nature loving people who will work together in practical ways and share their knowledge and experience.

We provided a large-scale map where supporters marked their own plot with a green sticker, helping us decide how best to connect these areas. Size of garden doesn’t matter; a small, well planted, pesticide free garden with a mosaic of habitats can promote more biodiversity than many a large plot. (See the article by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust for lots of ideas!) Farmland is also coloured on the map, according to the level of government Stewardship Scheme signed up for.

Since that first meeting, over sixty local households have pledged to manage their plots in a wildlife friendly way. We have also connected with many more individuals and organisations, many based in and around the Tas Valley, where the River Tas  runs from Carleton Fen just north of New Buckenham to where it joins the River Yare in Trowse.

Our most recent ‘River Wildlife Corridors’ meeting attracted a large audience and resulted in the Norfolk Rivers Trust arranging to visit people who own or manage riverside land to answer questions about flooding and advise about nature friendly management. One of our speaker-supporters also shared his delightful YouTube video of river wildlife which you can view here

We hold seasonal nature walks, organise surveys, and encourage wildlife friendly planting schemes around the village. We attend events held by a wide variety of environmental groups too. We keep our supporters informed in a monthly newsletter and also have a flourishing website with latest news and a wide variety of popular and well researched articles.

Please find us at:    https://forncett.info/activities/forncett-nature-matters.html

 

June 2023

Published in 'Gissing's Sunday Best', June 2023.