Over three days, volunteers at Trimley Marshes collected 15kg of plastic from a small area the shoreline on the nature reserve. 

Businesses got involved in the clean up including AXA and Suffolk County Council, alongside the Great British Beach Clean event, hosted by our Trimley Marshes Warden Joe, the following weekend. 

The range of litter found was a true mix and demonstrated the extent of plastic pollution in our waters. This included plastic toys, tennis balls, a shoe, and takeaway coffee cups. The biggest surprise of the clean-up was a bottle containing ashes! 

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the beach clean. Plastic pollution can pose a real threat to our wildlife and your actions removing the litter can help make all the difference. 

University of Suffolk students joined our Wilder Ecology team, as part of their first-year study on the Wildlife Degree, for dormice surveying at our Bradfield Woods National Nature Reserve.

The students were able to shadow our Consultancy Manager Jo, and Senior Ecologist Alison, as they surveyed and monitored nest boxes throughout the woods for signs of dormouse activity. Hazel dormice are a rare species found mainly in woodlands, with the population estimated to have fallen by 52% in 9 years (2009-2028) and this is a priority species for conservation work. 

Students had the opportunity to view this rare species up-close and gain an understanding of the current surveying and research undertaken to promote species recovery. The smallest dormouse encountered during surveying was a juvenile weighing just 11 grams!

In mid-October, a juvenile white-tailed eagle was spotted at our Trimley Marshes Nature Reserve, remaining on the reserve for two nights. Birders enjoyed the sighting with many heading to the reserve to catch a glimpse, and at our Bird Ringing Demo event attendees got a special fly by from the eagle midway through the session. 

It is likely that this bird was from the continent and not one from the Isle of Wight introduction programme. With a wingspan of up to 2.5 meters white-tailed eagles are our largest bird of prey and a real treat to spot! 

Our Northeast Wardens, often spread around different reserves, joined up for a workday at our Gunton Meadow nature reserve in Lowestoft. 

The team spent the day clearing overshaded areas around the hibernaculum to allow for sunlight and warmth to break through the trees and create an enticing habitat for insects and amphibians. 

Following this the afternoon saw waders donned, for the clearing of Typha (reedmace), which had spread right across a pond on the site. 

Building and maintaining enticing habitats is key in attracting species and boosting biodiversity on our reserves, creating hotspots for wildlife from which species can disperse into suitable neighbouring habitats driving nature recovery in our county.

We have launched our first ever winter jumper design competition. As a thank you to our members for their continued support we’ve launched a member’s competition with the winning design becoming the star of our winter collection. 

The competition is open now open with the last day to enter designs being Sunday 16^th November. 

There are two categories, family, and adult. We cannot wait to see your designs! 

Find out more on how to enter here 

Considered a ‘rare visitor to the UK’ a glossy ibis has been spotted at our Carlton Marshes nature reserve. The iridescent dark plumage of the ibis makes it a truly captivating sighting. 

It is uncommon for glossy ibis to stay long in the UK, however there is the possibility with a milder winter that the bird might stay. Despite being a rare visitor to the UK sightings of this species are becoming more regular, likely a result of changing climate and milder winters. Whilst the glossy ibis can be spotted year-round, autumn marks an increased chance to encounter these beautiful visitors. 

Our Youth Board hosted the first Youth Action for Nature Day this month in Ipswich alongside other youth-led organisations, including BTO Youth Volunteers, Kids Against Plastics and Youth Action 4 Nature. 

The day was full of workshops and talks including how to get creative and be the voice for nature. Thank you to our Youth Board for heading up a brilliant day which brought community together for nature in Suffolk! 

If you missed this event but are interested in learning more about how young people can get involved as a voice for nature visit our webpage. 

With the turning of the season our Wildlife Groups (volunteer-run groups which raise money for the Trust through events) have ramped up their talks program. 

Highlights this month included our Woodbridge Wildlife Group who joined forces with the Suffolk Bird Group, to discover the incredible world of the osprey, once extinct in the UK and now beginning to thrive again in places like Scotland, Poole Harbour, Wales and Rutland Water, just east of Peterborough, and a talk at Southwold Arts Centre, organised by our Blyth Valley & Southwold Group, which focused on our newest reserve Worlingham Marshes with our Wilder Communities Officer, Vicky. 

If you are interested in joining a Wildlife Group, you can find out more here. 

Wildlife Group events are open to all, explore them on our What’s On page. 

The Wilder Landscapes team hosted a successful and well attended event at our Black Bourn Valley nature reserve this month focusing on natural regeneration (allowing natural processes to lead the development of an area of land) as a tool for nature restoration. They were joined by Will and Cormac from the Reserves team and Dorothy Casey, a Volunteer Conservation Advisers and one of Suffolk's leading experts on Natural Regeneration. Attendees were guided around the reserve and shown examples of natural regeneration in progress.