Ponds, rivers, floodplains, dykes, all bodies of water, are of vital significance to a range of wildlife in Suffolk. Ensuring that rivers in Suffolk are healthy and ideal habitats for key species is a large part of our Wilder Rivers Adviser, Alice’s, day to day.

Water pollution is a common topic often spoken about in the press, which can have multiple causes. From agricultural run off increasing nutrient levels in the water, affecting vegetation growth, to sewage spills and industrial output. Rivers in the UK have some of the highest pollution levels, making them unsafe for people and wildlife, but there are also many other threats to our rivers, including habitat degradation and invasive species.

Alice joined Suffolk Wildlife Trust six years ago following a role at London Wildlife Trust, working on urban river and wetland projects. With an Msc in Wetland Science and Conservation, her knowledge of river habitats and restoration has been an invaluable asset on many restoration projects.

Recently Alice has advised and overseen floodplain enhancements on the River Glem - this revitalisation of the floodplain will mean that the surrounding area can hold more water when river levels swell, reducing flooding downstream and providing valuable wildlife habitat, especially for wading birds.

Alice is working with more landowners in the area to develop further restoration projects and we aim to deliver more of this work at scale across Suffolk by working in partnership with farmer cluster groups and other organisations.

Tackling the issue of water quality, Alice is also supporting farmer cluster groups to undertake water quality monitoring.

Currently Alice is working with Norfolk Wildlife Trust and Essex Wildlife Trust to deliver training on water vole monitoring and recording to help understand the current state of East Anglia’s water vole population. A project Suffolk Wildlife Trust has been consulting on since 1997.

Read more about our water vole project with Norfolk and Essex Wildlife Trust here. 

Inspired by Alice's work for a wilder Suffolk? Find out how you can make a difference in your local area with our current campaigns here. 

Explore the Wilder Landscapes team's work here.