A 30th birthday present for Lackford

We said back in January that 2017 is shaping up to be a special year for Lackford Lakes and we were right! Not only are we celebrating its 30^th birthday, we now have a chance to extend the reserve by 77 acres.

Thirty years ago, Bernard Tickner bought the part of the reserve known as The Slough and gifted it to Suffolk Wildlife Trust. Thanks to his commitment and vision, the reserve has been transformed from a series of gravel pits …

… to a spectacular and diverse nature reserve, teeming with wildlife.

We now have an amazing opportunity to add something a little bit different – big skies and wide open landscape.

The land we now have the chance to buy is adjacent to Lackford village and adjoins similar fields that the Trust purchased back in 2005:

It is a wide, open space which has not been cultivated for over 20 years and is gradually reverting back to grass heath, typical of the Brecks. The grass has been kept short by the constant nibbling of rabbits, exposing the dry, flinty soil and this helps create the perfect conditions for a whole host of specialist plants and animals.

 

View across the new land

Linking the new and existing land together will create a much larger area for Breckland species like the enigmatic Stone Curlew which has been recorded as nesting on the new land in recent years.

A rare habitat

Breck grass heath has been hugely impacted by competing land uses during the last century. Modern farming techniques, house building and large-scale forestry has reduced it by 85% in just 50 years. We now have a rare to chance to protect a slice of this unique land.

We have just launched a fundraising appeal to raise £200,000 towards the land purchase. The response has been amazing and we've already received nearly £20,000 of donations. To donate, you can visit our Just Giving site or call us direct on 01473 890089.

30^th Birthday celebrations

To mark the reserve's 30th birthday, we have a weekend of activities, including bug hunts, moth traps, pond dipping, trails & crafts, taking place on Saturday 23rd & Sunday 24th September from 11am. We look forward to seeing you there!