A wonderful chance to create asweeping landscape of grassyheath – an echo of the wild furzycommons south Suffolk has lost

Please help us buy 76 acres ofrolling countryside alongsideArger Fen & Spouse’s Valenature reserve

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Arger Fen & Spouse’s Vale is known as one of the best bluebell woods inSuffolk, but this beautiful part of the county has much more to offer naturelovers.The 1783 map of Suffolk shows a scattering of rough, furzy commonsacross the south of the county, from Sudbury to Nayland. Over the centuries,these have all but disappeared, marked only by village names and clumps ofbracken and gorse on roadside verges and field edges. One of the largest ofthese south Suffolk heaths was at Leavenheath.

Buying the 76 acres of farmland at Ford’s Heath is an opportunity for us tocreate something akin to this lost landscape. Most of the land is a large,sweeping arable field with poor, stoney soil. Our plan is to let nature take thelead, helped along by some light grazing, to enable a grassy commons

landscape to develop.

During theTrust’s first 50 years, our efforts have necessarily focusedon saving Suffolk’s pristine habitats as nature reserves. Looking tothe future, we will increasingly need to think more creatively toseek new opportunities for wildlife on marginal farmland like this.

The lost landscape of Leavenheath

We still need to raise £110,000 to buythis beautiful piece of countryside

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These 15 acres of dry grassland, woodlandand fen meadow along the valley sideare already valuable habitats.They offera taste of what we aim to achieve acrossthe sweep of arable land.

Red campion

Arger Fen & Spouse’s Vale194 acres

Ford’s Heath76 acres

Leavenheathvillage

Footpaths& trails

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Le�ing nature take the leadNaturalists have long recognised the value ofmosaics of habitat. As our countryside hasbecome tidier, the mixed-up edges wherehabitats meet and merge into one another havebeen lost.These places – where rough grasslandand bramble blend into scrub and woodland –are rich in insects, birds and reptiles. By lettingnature take the lead we will encourage thistransformation.

Walking around the reserve gives a wonderfulsense of being part of the landscape. It feels likea substantial piece of countryside – and indeed itis.With the addition of Ford’s Heath, the naturereserve will stretch across 270 acres of ancientwoodland, fen meadow, wet woodland and therich mix of new habitats developing throughnatural regeneration.We plan to create a newcircular walk to link Ford’s Heath with the rest ofthe reserve and Leavenheath village.

Large as it will be, the extended reserve is stillbut a piece in the jigsaw of the wider landscape.Our conservation advisers, are working withneighbouring landowners to ensure the reserveis part of a well connected landscape, linked tosurrounding ancient woods, hedges andgrassland used by dormice and reptiles.

Transforming isolated nature reserves intojoined-up Living Landscapes means future-looking land purchases like this will do evenmore for wildlife.

The rough commons osouth Suffolk have goforever, but at Ford’swe can let nature putmuch-needed untidinback into the countryJulian Roughton Chief Execut

Skylark

TonyFlashman

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The thick hedges here spill out into theneighbouring dormouse woodland.Wewill encourage bramble and scrub todevelop, to extend the networks of habitatfor dormice into Ford’s Heath.

Arger Fen & Spouse’sVale

Ford’s Heath

Leavenheathvillage

Grassland& wet fen

Arable

Lakes &pondsFen

meadow

Alder carrwoodland

Ancientwoodland

Youngwoodland

Ancientwoodland

Roughgrassland

Our 2013 surveys revealed thriving populationsof grass snake and common lizard. Achievingour ambition for a well connected landscapewill encourage these growing populations torecolonise the surrounding areas.

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Dormouse

Commonlizard

IanPratt

Dormousehedgerows

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We are very grateful to Gerald Ford for rememberingSuffolkWildlifeTrust in hisWill.This lovely patch ofwildlife-filled countryside will be his legacy to Suffolk.

As the habitats mature it will become a haven for wildlifeand a place for people to cherish – for generations to come.

Bigger sites are undoubtedly better for wildlife and soseizing opportunities to acquire land alongside our naturereserves is always a priority.

Mr Ford’s generosity made it possible for us to think big andact quickly when the farmland was put up for sale.Withouthis support, the opportunity would have been lost.

Creating a new landscape for wildlife

Gerald loved Suffolk – thecounty of both his parents, andalways wished to leave somepermanent presence hereHe was a life-long naturalistand would have been delightedto see his legacy being used tocreate a space for wildlife

Gerald Ford

Buying Ford’s Heath isa chance to createsomething spectacularPlease do help if you can

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A gi in your WillBuying and enlarging nature reserves is one of themost powerful ways in which we secure a betterfuture for wildlife. Legacy gifts make this possible –indeed they have been instrumental in every landpurchase in recent years.

Perhaps more than any other nature reserve, thegrowth of Arger Fen & Spouse’s Vale demonstratesSuffolk WildlifeTrust’s vision to create large areasfor wildlife – and the impact of legacies in makingthis happen.

The growth ofArger Fen & Spouse’sValesince the gift of Spouse’s Grove in 1991

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Photos: Steve Aylward & Clare Sheehan

2014

1991

1997

2008

2005

2012

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Everydonationwill help

Yes, I’d like to help buy Ford’s Heath

Living Landscapes Living Gardens Living Seas

SuffolkWildlifeTrustBrooke House, AshbockingIpswich IP6 9JY01473 890089info@suffolkwildlifetrust.org

suffolkwildlifetrust.orgRegistered charity no 262777

�

If we have a gift aiddeclaration for you,we will claim gift aidon this donation.

Please tick this box ifthis donation cannotbe gift aided

If we exceed our targetfor the land purchase,we will dedicate yourdonation to other habitatprojects at the reserve

Thanks to the legacy gi! from Gerald Ford we now need to raise£110,000 more to complete the land purchase.

� Donate by phone 01473 890089

� Donate online suffolkwildlifetrust.org

� Donate by cheque / debit card / credit card

Cheque and card donationsI would like to donate the following amount to help buy Ford’s Heath:

£15 £30 £50 £100 £500 £1000 other £I enclose my cheque made payable to SuffolkWildlifeTrust

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Thank you for your donationWe always like to thank you for your donation. How would you prefer us to contact you?

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