Victorian plant hunters, in particular Philip von Siebold, were responsible for bringing many plants back to Britain from all over the world in the 1800s. Several of them have since had an uneasy relationship with gardens and gardeners and more so with conservationists trying to protect the natural world but Japanese Knotweed must top the… Continue reading Japanese knotweed
Category: news
Article for WildEast Newsletter
The prospect of losing a 50-acre field in the middle of Bury St Edmunds to a hotel and leisure complex, led to the formation of the Bury Water Meadows Group in 2013. The so-called Leg of Mutton had enjoyed an uninterrupted view of the town for a thousand years. Those campaigning and founding members knew… Continue reading Article for WildEast Newsletter
Second year of multi-year habitat management in Ram Meadow
In the autumn of 2020 BWMG volunteers began the first year of our multi-year habitat management for the open water scrape in Ram Meadow. The objective is to open up a new part of this water habitat each year to light and air and to reduce the impact of trees and reeds drying-out the water.… Continue reading Second year of multi-year habitat management in Ram Meadow
Stag beetle habitat: BWMG’s first construction job in the water meadows
2020 has been anything but normal. Despite that, Bury Water Meadow Group’s (BMWG) last work party of the season went off extremely well. The entrance to Ram Meadow at Barwell Road is now looking like a proper entrance to a Local Nature Reserve, complete with log-lined paths with chippings laid, they had become very muddy… Continue reading Stag beetle habitat: BWMG’s first construction job in the water meadows
BWMG awarded Town Council funding
Bury Water Meadows Group has received a significant boost with the Town Council approving funding of £9277 at its November meeting. The funding application was proposed by Cllr Tony Whittingham and councillors were unanimous in supporting the group’s efforts to raise the status of the rivers Lark and Linnet and their adjacent areas in the… Continue reading BWMG awarded Town Council funding
Himalayan Balsam
Working in co-ordination with our sister organisation the River Lark Catchment Partnership, BWMG volunteers are making a major contribution to controlling Himalayan Balsam. Building on its previous years efforts BWMG has this year surveyed 7km of the Lark & Linnet rivers in Bury St Edmunds and has so far clocked up some 75 volunteer hours… Continue reading Himalayan Balsam
Glenn Smithson crowned River Champion
Congratulations to Glenn Smithson for winning recognition as a River Restoration Centre (RRC) Champion for 2018. Glenn has led all our in-channel work over the last year in Abbey Gardens (pictured here in action, orange jacket) and co-led the work at Bell meadow. Glenn also led the recent major clearing exercise in the Linnet and our Himalayan… Continue reading Glenn Smithson crowned River Champion
Restoration on the Lark at Bell Meadow
Our in-river trained team of volunteers and Bell Meadows residents went to work on their stretch of the river in December (pictured) and residents in Fornham worked on the river opposite the golf club in February. Rob Mungoven from the Wild Trout Trust, Rob Clapham of the Environment Agency and RLCP’s volunteer restoration co-ordinator Glenn… Continue reading Restoration on the Lark at Bell Meadow
Planting wildflowers
Research has found that the number of insects in the UK has decreased by 70% over the last 20 years and indeed another more recent report has found that this is also a trend in some other Western European countries. The causes are complex, but one thing that is clear is that the diversity of… Continue reading Planting wildflowers