4 ACT FOR NATURE


Famous five lead fight for life


Norfolk Coast species chosen to lead the way for nature recovery at this critical point


A


s a protected area, the Norfolk Coast is rich in valuable species and habitats. Across the country


areas of outstanding natural beauty are working together to focus on nature pro- tection in the face of species collapse. The 2019 Colchester Declaration, signed by all such areas, commits that by each immediately adopting a species on the threatened list and by preparing and delivering an action plan, at least thirty species will be made safe by 2030. The Norfolk Coast Partnership has


chosen not one but five of its natural wonders to headline this work around species recovery following this national commitment.


“The point is that species are all linked by habitat – and so by looking after one, we help others,” said Estelle Hook, manager of the Norfolk Coast Partnership: “We are excited about the work ahead on this cohesive approach to landscape scale conservation and what we can do to progress this with our col- leagues in other protected areas and the conservation sector – as well as with the public. We are all part of nature and eve- ryone can do something to help.” The top five list was not easy to make


– and may change in the future, she said. “To choose the Norfolk Coast five we looked, with our partners, at a range of species types, conservation status, sea- sonality, and geography, to factor in as


many of the area’s landscapes as pos- sible. We also looked at how much the focus on one species will benefit others, and how they linked to conserving and enhancing the area.” “It was a tough choice and there were many that we would have liked to include, for example plants, inverte- brates and amphibians – but the idea is that they will reap the benefit through work with the Norfolk Coast top five. This is not an exclusive list – all species and habitats interconnect and our focus is on helping species recovery across the board, as well as getting key species off the threatened list.”


Conservation bodies including the


RSPB, Norfolk Rivers Trust, National Trust and Norfolk Wildlife Trust have ensured that the coast has provided a haven for these species. But in the face of species collapse, we need to increase our efforts and understanding to work together at a landscape scale – and change our behaviour.


Over these pages we look in more detail at the chosen five species, with condition updates from the Norfolk Wild- life Trust on each species – and a poem for each, commissioned to express the wonder of the species and the serious- ness of their plight.


Thanks to Norfolk Coast Part- nership representative for the arts


NORFOLK COAST GUARDIAN 2021


Veronica Sekules, and artist and writer Karen Frances Eng, the GroundWork Gallery, King’s Lynn, held a weekend online poetry retreat in March. Eight poets, from as close as Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, and as far as Scot- land and Sri Lanka, met and between them wrote over 21 poems after much research, testing and discussion. Here we publish a selection for the first time. The full series will be available soon online. Veronica Sekules said: “As we were preparing the GroundWork poetry week- end retreat programme, and learning about our five indicative species, it was shocking to read how many of them are suffering as a result of public attention. Of course, as tourists we are curious about the environments we visit.” “But to hear time and again that ‘pub- lic disturbance’ and ‘dog nuisance’ are threatening the viability of breeding spe- cies, shows how intrusive and destruc- tive this can be. More serious still, there are problems caused by pollution, devel- opment and the myriad excesses of human intervention - from cars, roads, noise, street lights, to agro-chemicals.” “The work that the Norfolk Coast


Partnership is doing to bring to public attention the fragile state of the nature under their care is admirable, the more so, as they are adopting such positive attitudes. The Dark Skies Festival is an


LITTLE TERN A bird of the coastal


strip, in spring and summer; helping it will also benefit ringed plover and other beach nesting birds. Issues: visitor engagement and disturbance.


WHITE-CLAWED CRAYFISH


Lives in inland rivers, so will help habitat conservation in inland and agricultural areas; conservation effort for this species will benefit a wide


range of habitats and species in rivers. Issues: severe threat from pollution, non-native species, and disease.


PINK FOOTED GOOSE


A wonderful winter migration spectacle coming to roost, showing the links between coastal and inland habitats.


Issues: disturbance and lack of feeding grounds.


White-clawed crayfish: Alexander Mustard 2020 Vision.


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