LOHP Volunteer Conference 2019 - 4th December 2019

On Wednesday 4th December as a change to the normal Wednesday work party we held our annual LOHP Volunteer Conference. With about 40 volunteers attending from all our different volunteering activities, we had to change venues at the last minute to accommodate everyone and luckily Redgrave and Lopham Fen Visitor Centre came to our rescue - thanks for taking us in at short notice.

The morning's event was a variety of different talks covering a range of topics so there was something for everyone. From Otters in Suffolk and on the Little Ouse and a really revealing video, of clips from trail cameras of Otters getting up to all sorts of things; to cute lapwing chicks and how fencing can help them survive predator attacks when on the nest; to finding natural solutions to invasive plant problems. There was of course a selection of cakes for the break. The event was well received so I had better start getting the line up together for next year.

Wildflowers make a come back at New Fen

A wonderful display of wildflowers can be seen on New Fen this year as the fen plants start to make a come back. New Fen had lost its fen habitat as it became colonised by trees, last year we set about removing them with many a volunteer task spent clearing vegetation.

Once the trees were gone a sea of nettles and thistles developed but with careful management these are now making way for some of the once lost fen plants. This is only the beginning we have a long way to go to match Thelnetham Fen next door, but we are well on our way. Next step will be to cut the fen vegetation once it has stopped flowering, this is a big job if you want to come along and lend a hand please get in touch with our Conservation Manager Ellie Beach ellie.beach@lohp.org.uk

Outstanding Contribution award for LOHP volunteer

The Community Action Suffolk Awards 2018 included another award for the LOHP. Many congratulations to Reg Langston who won The Ian Campbell MBE Award for Outstanding Contribution to Volunteering. Reg was a founder member of LOHP and continues to be a backbone of the project. He was nominated for the award by our outgoing Conservation Manager, Rob Martyr. The awards were made at a ceremony at the Museum of East Anglian life in Stowmarket