Farming in Protected Landscapes Case Study:
Shingle Marshes Wilding Project
For Year 4 of the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme, £9,217 was awarded to the Shingle Street Settlement Company to create a wetland with a scrape and some small lagoons.
The purpose of the project is to retain water all year round on a 10-hectare site of marshland which is relatively poor farming land. The aim is to support a substantial increase in biodiversity in the sea-side hamlet.
Overview
The photo above is before the project began, showing the piece of land to the right of the sea-front road. It's owned by the Shingle Street Settlement Company which is a group of local residents who want to ensure this special area’s natural beauty is preserved and enhanced.
Through the project, they will repair & replace fencing to secure the boundaries, dig two lagoons on the site of older silted up ponds and foot drains, purchase and install a solar irrigation pump to ensure water circulates as needed, and undertake small scale planting of hedging, scrubs and sow wildflower seed.
Part of the land has a shingle base and part is old saltmarsh and there is an older lagoon /pond on the site which has silted up over time and older creek beds running through it. Wildlife in the area is varied and includes rare species.
The landowners will conduct a water vole survey to ascertain the presence and possible location of these endangered mammals & local experts will also undertake surveys on nesting birds and reptiles. By restoring and protecting natural habitats the project will address environmental degradation and biodiversity loss.
The rich new habitat will attract a wide range of birds, possibly breeding avocets, mammals including otter and water vole, aquatic invertebrates, insect life, dragonflies and marshland flora.
What has been done so far?
The old fence has been removed as the loose wire was dangerous. The new fencing is tidy and will prevent dogs and other animals running onto the land and disturbing ground-nesting birds.
What impact is this project having?
By increasing the land area given over to nature in the immediate Shingle Street environment people will have greater scope for benefiting from the natural authenticity and the consequent revitalising effects.
Many people come to walk, swim, fish, wind and kite surf, bird watch, and the Suffolk Coast Path passes close by the marsh giving excellent visual access to visitors and local people.
The Shingle Street Community hosts a website which records nature notes, biodiversity surveys, maps, and visitor information. The aim is to provide a learning and interactive tool for visitors, local people and residents helping to get the most out of the environment.
A new section on the website to include the Marsh is being created, tracking its development with nature notes and information and photographs.