Chairman’s Annual Report at AGM,
5 October 2005

Our major project this year has been the installation of some 175 m of rabbit-proof
fencing along the entire length of the loke that bounds the east of our reserve, in order
to abate the perceived nuisance to our neighbours. This work occupied a number of
monthly work days during the winter and spring: brush-cutting, driving posts, running
wire, digging-in wire netting and building a gate. In the event, we placed the fence on
the more tractable, internal side of the loke, where we hope that most of it will
eventually be masked by the re-growth of scrub and bramble. So far it seems to have
been successful in constraining the distribution of rabbits along this boundary. We
have also carried out the now familiar ‘housekeeping’ tasks on our reserve on other
work days.

We have again been active on the wider village scene. Members spent several days
planting new hedgerows around the village, with planting stock at the Trust’s
expense, to compensate for the absence of materials from South Norfolk D.C. Further
progress on the village hedge survey was made during sessions on 18 May and 6 July.
The wild-flower bank on the closed land-fill site was largely cut and cleared on 19
July. Many members were involved with the 2005 Cairn Sculpture Trail on the two
last weekends in May and the first in June - organizing car-parking, mounting an
exhibition in the Church and as gardeners, amongst other roles. A small group went to
help our friends at the Blofield and District Conservation Group (BADCOG) cut and
clear fen vegetation at Walsham Fen on 2 October 2004.

Our annual round of meetings kicked-off with the fungus foray around the reserve on
24 October 2004. We repeated last year’s highly successful ‘Breakfast with the birds’
(8 May). A very early start was rewarded with a beautiful walk, led by David Lester,
followed by full English breakfast at the Davys’. The wildflower walk (11 June) was
a joint event with BADCOG at their fantastic orchid site at Howes Meadow. Annelise
Savill expertly conducted pond dippers around Robert Waters’ pond, the River Chet
and our own pond on the afternoon of 3 July. David Lester’s ‘butterfly’ walk on the
evening of 24 August, after a day of heavy rain, failed to spot any actual butterflies
but a few of us enjoyed the Ted Ellis Reserve at Wheatfen very much and saw some
interesting plants. Another very wet day nearly blighted our first ‘moth watch’ for
many years. Derek Howlett set up his light trap in the Church meadow and the rain
paused long enough in the evening of 9 September for an embarrassingly small group
of stalwarts to see a good assortment of late-season species. After the business of the
last AGM, Clive Britcher of the Raptor Trust gave a brilliantly illustrated talk on
‘Birds of prey – keeping and rehabilitation’ and introduced us to some of his
charming charges. The social events of the year were the Christmas party at Flint
Cottage (18 December) and the midsummer barbecue and bonfire (18 June); we thank
the Meynells for combustibles and the use of their field.

Our second overseas excursion, this time to Cyprus (23 March-6 April), was a
highlight of the year for the 12 enthusiasts who took in the stunning spring flowers
and other conservation sights. We landed at Larnaka and spent the first night in
Nicosia. Then a week high in the Troodos mountains, based at Platres, was
complemented with a week near the coast on the Akamas peninsula (based in Polis).
We stayed, early on, at the hotel of the local orchid expert, Dr Yiannis Christofides,
who took us for a day’s tuition in the field. After that we seemed to run into him all
over the island.

At the last AGM, Lorie Lain Rogers and Robert Kerry were re-elected to serve as
trustees. We are very grateful to Bernie Bobbin, a founder member of the Trust, who
retired as a trustee after many years of service; Dennis Moye was elected a new
trustee. The trustees met three times during the year: 11 November 2004, and 17
February and 14 July 2005. At the first meeting, Tony Davy and Stephanie Crome
were re-elected chairman and secretary, respectively, and Bob Kerry elected treasurer.
We thank James Savill for excellent work as treasurer, and all of the people who have
helped us this year.

Behind the scenes this year, we have finally negotiated a land purchase for the Trust
that should dramatically improve our ability to conserve local biodiversity. All that
remains to do is to raise the remainder of the money required. This is undoubtedly the
most exciting development since the founding of the Trust and we will be seeking
your redoubled support to lift us into a new league in the next year.