Our guide was Peter Aspinall, six generations of whose family have been custodians of this rare and wonderful habitat. No herbicides or other chemical sprays, and no heavy machinery have ever been used on these richly biodiverse acres which nestle in a floodplain between areas of higher ground. It is carefully managed by Peter with the help of some dedicated volunteers and advice from Natural England.
Gathering on Flordon Common, Photo: C WakefordWe saw several species of wild orchid, from the Common Spotted and Marsh Orchids to the unusual Twayblade and Marsh Helleborine - as well as a few hybrids that made identification sometimes tricky. There were many familiar plants that love damp conditions, such as Ragged Robin, Meadow Buttercup and Hemp Agrimony, along with the more unusual Fairy Flax, Bog Pimpernel and Black Bog Rush.
Peter carefully lifted corrugated sheets and pieces of deadwood to reveal to us the grass snakes and lizard sheltering beneath. He pointed out and named the grasshoppers, colourful beetles and hoverflies that were everywhere among the grasses.
Grass snake. Photo A Syme He was a most knowledgeable host who likes nothing better than sharing his love of this very special haven and we were all extremely grateful for his generosity and engaging warmth.
Christina
It was lovely to see so many orchids dotting the fen. The southern purple was prominent because of size and intense colour. Every square foot yielded something of Interest and sometimes rarity, but Peter Aspinall was never daunted; he seemed to have an encyclopaedic knowledge of the insects, plants and birds of Flordon Common.
Claire
Fairy Flax. Photo A SymeI very much enjoyed the wonderful guided walk with the Forncett nature matters group. It was an amazing opportunity to take some photographs of some plants I hadn’t seen before - the fairyflax flower was particularly beautiful! I was also lucky enough to see a grass snake - this was the first time I had seen one before! I look forward to any future events.
Annie
Thick Thigh Beetle. Photo E SymeThe common is truly a magnificent example of an area that thrived because of its long management under low-intensity agriculture on land that, even in the heyday of subsidies, would have been too expensive to crop for very long (and thank goodness that Peter's grandmother stopped people from attempts). Landowners have always been encouraged by authorities or agricultural service-providers to 'improve' grassland but in a shared resource, like a common, agreement about exactly what to do, who pays and who benefits would likely have made habitat destruction difficult to organise. My thoughts on the visit were busily occupied in drawing comparisons of the flora at my own patch and other areas of the Tas Valley and what has produced such abundance and variety. Key reasons would be plenty of sunshine over the meadows, free of shading trees, wet ground and a bit of churning from grazing animals as well as the particular microclimate produced by geography and surrounding landscape. Happily now, Peter is lucky to have this treasure on his doorstep and it is very lucky to have him!
Ross
Thank you very much to Peter and the Forncett Nature Matters team for a fascinating look at the nature on Flordon Common. I spent a happy couple of hours engrossed in all the beauty around us. A great way to switch off and relax.
Emily
June 2024
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- Written by: Christina Wakeford
Every year we present a report to Forncett Parish Council outlining our activities and achievements. You can read them here:
April 2023 - April 2024
Children's Art Worshop, 2023. Photo: Carol SharpForncett Nature Matters (FNM), a nature group with 85 supporters committed to increasing biodiversity in the Forncetts, had a varied programme of activity last year. 'The Art of Mini-beasts' was a very successful children’s event with artist Andy Jarrett (August). 'Trees – Rooted in Community' showcased the importance of trees to the environment (November). 'A Drama of Insect Loss' was a wonderful one-woman show by Helen Wells on the fate of the rare Grizzled Skipper butterfly (February 2024). We’ve also been out and about with a Spring Walk in April and a May visit to supporter Ros Joliffe’s Tas-side garden, where a colony of rare native crayfish has been spotted.
Spreading the word about reversing the decline in nature is crucial and we continue to have regular features in the Forncett Flyer and an article published in Village People last year. The village website is vital to share information and we update our pages regularly, whilst emailing a monthly newsletter to supporters. We had stalls at South Yare Wildlife Group’s event in Loddon in July and at the Forncett / South Norfolk Anti-Pylons walk in September. We have also been learning from others - visiting Wild Patch Open Gardens, co-ordinating with landowners for the recent meeting on the Tas River Catchment organized by the Norfolk Rivers Trust and NWT and attending Conservation Task Leaders Training.
We are partners with the Friends of St Peter’s in planning aspects of their National Lottery Heritage Fund grant application, including ‘Four Seasons in a Country Churchyard’. Recently the Parish Council has invited us to help with the Clean Up and Bloom Grant they received by identifying and planting up suitable sites.
It’s been a busy and successful year!
Ally Rae, FNM Steering Group
April 2022- April 2023
A well attended evening on River Wildlife Corridors. Photo: Ally RaeBy sharing knowledge and ideas through talks, walks, articles and surveys Forncett Nature Matters (FNM) aims to enrich local biodiversity and link habitats. We currently have 60 supporters.
Our events in April ’22 began with a Hedge Walk, led by one of our members, looking at a successful mixed native species hedge planted by a FNM member with village volunteers and supported by the Tree Warden; a flourishing five year old hedge planted by a local farmer and an ancient hedgerow in water meadows above the Tas.These hedges all provide vital wildlife corridors.
In May, with insects in mind, we held a pollinator plant swap in the Village Hall and in July we carried out a Churchyard Plant Survey at St Peter’s with vital help from our members.
In October we had an Autumn walk and seed swap.
We had a successful series of talks: in September, ‘Ponds for Wildlife’ by one of our members; in January 2023 ‘River Wildlife Corridors’, where we caught a glimpse of many Tas river creatures including the rare white-clawed crayfish, and ‘How to Help Butterflies’ on zoom in February. River Wildlife Corridors proved particularly popular attracting over 50 people.
We supply advice to our members when it is asked for, for example on pond conservation work where trees need to be cleared to let in light and restore oxygen levels for the benefit of newts, toads, frogs and insects.
We are still adding wildlife friendly areas to our giant analogue village map, including verges and gardens. Our plans for the coming year are a rich mix to encourage more peopleto help nature flourish locally.
Hilary Hosea, FNM Steering Group.
April 2021- April 2022
Learning about hedges. Photo: Carol SharpThis group came into being in October 2021, when a group of people, intensely interested in the natural world decided to pool their energies and knowledge into improving bio-diversity in the Forncetts. One aim is to make green corridors, a bit like the National movement for a 'B-Line' which actually stands, not for bees, but bio-diversity. We hope, like so many others, to help protect and support our rich but endangered wildlife, far too varied and numerous to list. In order to do this we also need to consider the health of the soil, appropriate trees and plants and the river. To help us, we acquired a very large scale map of the Forncetts. At our first meeting, we invited all those who were in accord with the general aims of the group and were willing to garden as organically as possible, to mark their garden on the map. We hope to see where gardens and land can be joined by any extra planting or judicious cutting to improve the lot of wildflowers. The map will give us an idea of progress made.
Our web-site can be found on the village web-site and we plan regular meetings so that all can discover more about wildlife and how to support it. Also, we know there are people in the village who have expertise and we hope very much they will join us so that we learn in greater depth about the life-cycles and needs of wildlife. So far we have had a 'dead-hedge' event, a meeting to examine and identify plants with berries which provide winter nourishment and a 'living-hedge' walk. The next event is to be a 'Pollinator Plant Swap', to be held at the village hall on the 20th May.
We do not make any charges at present, but hope to cover the cost of hall-hire by asking for modest donations. We hope lots of people will join and consider how they can make their own garden into a 'nature reserve'.
Claire Jordan, FNM Steering Group
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- Written by: FNM Steering Group
Robin Holmes sent in some fascinating photos of a bush opposite his house in Forncett St Mary, festooned, almost entirely, in a greyish, silken web. Inside is a mass of caterpillars munching up the leaves. It is a spindle tree. In Autumn it has lovely pink and orange berries – the four golden orange seeds lapped in the four pink lobes that form the fruit.
Ermine spindle caterpillars in their webbing protection. Photo: Robin HolmesThe caterpillars are the larvae of the spindle ermine moth that are dependent on this plant. Some of the caterpillars will pupate into a silken cocoon and then emerge as a handsome white moth spotted with black. They are small with a wingspan of 19 – 26 millimetres.
The adult moth thanks to David Short, Creative Commons, https://www.flickr.com/photos/14583963@N00/23685906363In Norfolk we also have the Orchard Ermine and the Apple Ermine.
Do not worry about any of these moths. Do not kill them. They will go and the spindle and other trees will survive. They will probably choose a different bush next time. They function as pollinators and provide food for birds.
April 2024
Reference
Geoffrey Grigson, A Herbal of all Sorts, 1959, Phoenix House, London,
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- Written by: Hillary Hosea
If you were lucky enough to have been at Pam Merrick's talk on summer pollinators you will have gathered lots of information about how to make our gardens as pollinator-friendly as possible. Planting in drifts helps insects; less travel - less energy used.
Discussions after a fascinating evening. Photo Carol SharpPam also gave us valuable lists of plants, plus startling facts about the numbers of different pollinators; 1500 is a conservative estimate. There are around 240 species of solitary bees, 27 bumblebees and just 1 species of honeybee, plus 59 species of butterflies. Then of course there are hoverflies, moths, beetles and many others. It was a fascinating and engaging talk with lots of ideas to make our gardens beautiful to ourselves and valuable to pollinators of all sorts. Thanks to Pam for such a great evening, and to all those who helped with our excellent refreshments.
Pam's lists, which include plants favoured by the different pollinators, are available here:
Plants for Pollinators information sheet
Pollinator Information - Mick Finnemore
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- Written by: Claire Jordan
Our February event was a beautifully creative and thought provoking drama about the plight of the increasingly rare Grizzled Skipper butterfly, which is a 'Sensitive Indicator' of the effects of climate change. It was performed by Norwich artist Helen Wells, a moving celebration of this delicate creature which led to a thoughtful and interesting discussion.
As indicators of a healthy environment and ecosystem butterflies are highly sensitive to changes in climate, pollution levels and harmful chemicals in the air, they are also important parts of the food chain, being food for birds, bats and other animals that eat insects. They are excellent pollinators after bees and wasps.
Helen Wells brings the Grizzled Skipper to life. Photo: Ally Rae
The audience entranced. Photo: Ally Rae
The Grizzled Skipper Butterfly. Photo: Thanks to Alastair Rae, Creative CommonsForncett Nature Matters present a beautifully creative and thought provoking 50 minute drama, with Q and As and refreshments to follow. devised and performed by Helen Wells.
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- Written by: Steering Group