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Foxearth Meadows News & Prayer Letter

Issue 11: June 2021

Dear friends,
 
A lot has happened since our last edition in March, nationally and on the reserve. In this edition we report on some of the events we’ve been able to hold since Easter and look forward to events we’re planning for the months ahead.
 
We had hoped that as this edition hits your Inbox we’d be emerging from restrictions. We’re not quite there yet, and for the present are still needing to work carefully within Covid regulations. That means that booking ahead for events is particularly important, but we hope will not stop some great things taking place which will help people enjoy nature and be inspired to nurture and defend it.
 
I’m writing on a rare Friday when, due to almost non-stop rain, the usual work party was called off. I needed to go to the reserve anyway to open up the car park and deliver mower fuel and bird seed from the boot of my car, and decided while I was there to do a simple job (pulling nettles which were growing through the boardwalk and laid blackthorn hedge). I found myself joined by a fellow volunteer who had also decided to come for some fresh (damp!) air and the exercise. We shared how we both look forward to the Friday work parties: being in the open, doing something purposeful and with some good company.

The point is that we have a great (and varied) team of volunteers, who together make the whole project possible – hard-working, cheerful, dependable, practical. Thank you. From Gerry stoking the fire bowl to Gill pulling nettles; from Clive reinforcing nest box holes to Rosemary feeding the shredder; from Jill painting the lock-up to Mary tending hedge plants; from Alan digging ditches to Andrea doing dragonfly transects; from Rod doing bird transects to Jess building river bank protection; from Helen raking arisings to Jonathan building paths … not to mention the volunteers who take care of opening up the car park … these are just snapshots, but I trust you get the picture. We are incredibly grateful for your contribution.
 
Andy Jowitt
Volunteer Community Engagement Officer
BIRD RINGING AT FOXEARTH MEADOWS
We asked Pete Dwyer to write about the bird ringing he is undertaking at the reserve (why and how?) Pete has variously been assisted by Tom or Rod. Thank you all for your careful work.

There is a need to monitor bird populations over time in order to conserve them effectively. We need to know whether numbers are stable or changing. Are they decreasing or increasing? If there is a change in numbers, particularly a decrease, we need to know why. Targeted Conservation can then be brought into action.
 
Read Pete's full interview here.
Reed Bunting

WORK EXPERIENCE WEEK AT FOXEARTH MEADOWS
This was a first for us at the reserve: two Year 11 girls from a local school asked if they could do their work experience week with us. We were pleased to be asked and they were both delightful students to host for the learning experience – helpful, interested and engaged. In fact they were in Year 10 when the plan was first mooted. Lockdown got in the way, but they didn’t give up on the idea and we were able to make it happen in the school holidays after Easter.
 
The following résumé is culled from Rosy and Emily’s reports:
Day One: An introduction to the history and geography of the reserve, practice identifying plants and birds and then some practical work, marking out plots for plant counts, and coppicing willow in preparation for …
 
Day Two: Chopping, carrying and constructing a bird screen with hazel and willow, then an introduction to the admin. of managing a reserve: budgets, management plan and more.
Day Three:  Finishing touches to the bird screen, followed by planting Alder and Black poplar and then setting up a mammal footprint tunnel and a motion-sensing camera.
 
Day Four:  No sign of the hoped-for hedgehogs in the footprint tunnel, and just pheasant on the trail camera. Much of the day was spent learning about and doing hydrology tests on the pond water.
 
Final Day:  Helping set up a FoxeARTh event and producing sketches and studies from the reserve.
Rosy added: “Thank you so much for the opportunity. I have learned so much, especially about birds and running a nature reserve. Now I am even considering doing Biology at A-level (as well as Chemistry!) I didn’t really have a favourite part, because I had so much fun doing everything, but it was satisfying to see all our hard work paying off when we finished the birdscreen”.
And Emily wrote: “Overall, this was a lovely experience. It allowed me to learn more about how nature reserves are run, including some parts that I was not previously aware of. (For example, the variety of tests and experiments). I also learned how to identify a lot of bird calls – in fact around 20 different types”.
FOXEARTH MEADOWS PERCHERS – which is which?

David Chandler writes: 
I’m assuming you can tell a damselfly from a true dragonfly. The true dragons can then be split into ‘fliers’ and ‘perchers’. The ‘perchers’ are more obliging – they spend more time settled, darting out and returning to the same perch or nearby, or settling on the ground or a fence. The ‘fliers’ are trickier – often they seem to never stop flying. I wrote about them last summer. This article [here] looks at six perchers that you could see at Foxearth Meadows. Hopefully, it will help you identify them with confidence.
Read David's full article here.
EDEN'S YOUTH PROJECT – ‘Christian Youth Café’
Eden’s is a youth project that has been running in Sudbury for about 20 years. The project has its base near Gainsborough House in an old building with capacity to be a great centre for drop-in evenings, courses and skills development.
 
The ‘Youth Café’ is a monthly meeting with a focus on thinking through issues of life and faith as well as fun, socialising and worship. This was their second visit to the reserve and their first since lockdown.
 
The weather made for a tough call as to whether to go ahead, but we made the right decision and it was a full and fun evening, with games, nature walk, Bible talk on why God wants us to care for nature, worship led by Matt and Sophie, and toasting marshmallows over the fire-bowl. 
 
The pictures tell the story …
… and so do the comments:
  • I liked the camp fire and the walk we went on.
  • I loved the worship around the campfire, it was so lovely to be able to do that after so long.
  • It was a good time and I loved sitting by the campfire and getting to sing.  The games were really fun.
  • I liked being with everyone and I enjoyed the games and toasting marshmallows on the fire.
  • I really enjoyed the worship and the smores in such a pretty area of nature.
WILD IN THE STOUR VALLEY
In 2018 and 2019 this was a very successful event organised by the Stour Valley Education Network for a Saturday in the summer half-term. Foxearth Meadows was one among a range of organisations with an activities stand, aimed to encourage children and families to enjoy the outdoors and the beautiful area we live in.
This year it still happened but in a different way, with about six organisations offering self-guided activities for the half-term week.
We offered a quiz trail, both online and from a leaflet box by the noticeboard in the reserve car park. We don’t know how many people did the trail, but we do know that each day several leaflets were taken: 25 over the week or so. You can find the quiz trail on the Foxearth Meadows page of the A Rocha UK website: https://arocha.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Foxearth-Meadows-Quiz-Trail.pdf
"The Gardener": OPEN AIR WORSHIP for Environment Sunday
This was the title for our service on Sunday afternoon, 6 June.
 
For those who came, it was a special time, with contributions by different Steering Group members and volunteers all melding, by God’s grace, into one whole as we meditated on God as gardener, both of the natural world and of our lives. Stella Davis provided a graphic and dramatic challenge as she placed negative factors and positive actions on different sides of a Climate Balance Beam, and Matt and Sophie provided worship music for us to listen (and quietly hum) to.
There were many enthusiastic comments after the service about the joy of being able to meet and chat in a relaxed way with members of different churches, in the beauty and peace of the place with bird song blending in worship with our song.
 
On this occasion we were still curtailed by Covid restrictions. For the organisers, there was the pain of having to tell people, “Sorry, we’re fully booked”. So we look forward to our next date – Sunday, 19 September at 3.00 pm – when we hope we’ll be able to say simply, “Come one, come all” and also be able to sing out joyfully together. Please mark the date on your calendars!
‘CHURCHES COUNT ON NATURE’
St Gregory’s Primary School Year 2 class visit to All Saints, Sudbury

 
This year A Rocha UK, in partnership with charity ‘Caring for God’s Acre’, the Church of England and The Church in Wales, encouraged people to visit their local churchyards to see what nature they could find between 5-13 June.
 
We decided to encourage children to look for nature and care for it, and were delighted when St Gregory’s Primary School in Sudbury took up the invitation to walk down the road to All Saints churchyard. The children were enthusiastic, engaged, excited and well-behaved all at once. They used ID guides provided by ‘Caring for God’s Acre’ to hunt wild flowers and insects and look out for birds and butterflies. They then spent time in the church hall garden to make that even better for nature. They chose locations for a bug hotel and robin box, planted insect-friendly flowers and built Buggingham Palace with bricks, pallet wood, logs, moss, sticks, pine cones and more.
Here are some comments made by the children: 
  • I really, really liked it because I saw lots of birds and plants – some I had never seen before!
  • I really liked Buggingham Palace.
  • I liked it when we planted in the mud.
  • I have never seen that many daisies before!
  • This is the best day ever!
One lesson for next time: we were just in time before the mowers and strimmers from the Council cut the wild flowers down. (One contractor obligingly took a tea-break to give us time to finish!) Can we negotiate a better mowing regime for the future?

Looking and Noticing: The Gift of Art
by Stella Davis (Artist, Printmaker, Mentor, Methodist Local Preacher, Eco Church/Circuit Co-ordinator, Co-Founder of Stowmarket Eco Future Group)

What excites me about my relationship with God, is discovering, learning, reflecting, sharing, and receiving love. To be able to notice God at work in my life, and the lives of those around me, involves being aware of light and shade, contrasts, boundaries, patterns, connections. Life is complex, difficult, but also sometimes beautiful in its simplicity. To find all that, means making time and space to reflect. The years that I spent caring for family (at both ends of the generation spectrum) have eased, and I am appreciative of the unusual space I have now to do this.

Art is the same for me. It’s about looking and noticing. What shape is that? Is it bigger/smaller than what is behind/ in front? Where is the light coming from? Where is it falling? What's happening at the edges? What is dominating? What is hidden? Where is the beauty or the sadness? What is it that attracts or moves me? What's going on here? I see that as a parallel for God being completely aware of the world he created.

Read Stella's full blog post here.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS
GREEN FAIR at The Apex, Bury St Edmunds: Sunday, 4 July
We will have a stall for Foxearth Meadows and will be delighted to see some friendly faces.
 
More details at:
https://www.westsuffolkhive.org.uk/greenfairbse.html
 
Please be in touch with Foxearth Meadows Reserve Manager, Mark or Andy if you’d like to find out more, or might even like to help staff the stall.
NATIONAL MOTH NIGHT: Thursday 8 July and Friday 9 July
We are linking in with the national Moth Night event which this year is focusing on reedbed and wetland species. We will meet at Foxearth Meadows from 8.30 pm to set up our light traps to run through the evening. (Sunset is 9.17 pm). As darkness falls there will be moth walks using butterfly nets and the traps will be visited to check catches. The light traps will run all night and the next morning (Friday) those who wish can return to examine catches from 8.00 am.
 
Please contact Mark if you are interested in participating. 
(Booking essential).
CHURCHES DEMONSTRATION DAY: 
Saturday 10 July (1.45 - 4.30 pm)
The Churches Demonstration Day is designed to give practical ideas and inspiration for churches wanting to look after their land in a nature-friendly way.
This event will feature input from A Rocha UK’s CEO Andy Atkins and Conservation Director Andy Lester as well as from Mark. Please contact Mark for enquiries about places. (We may be running a waiting list for this).
BBQ for VOLUNTEERS and FRIENDS OF THE RESERVE
at 12 Fields View, Sudbury CO10 1BJ: Friday 16 July from 6.00 pm
Andy & Jane invite fellow volunteers and friends of the reserve to an informal BBQ evening. Family members welcome, and if you’d like to become a volunteer or friend, please come! 
RSVP (essential this year) to Andy & Jane please.
(01787 464010 or e-mail
jowitts@btinternet.com)
DRAGONFLIES AND DAMSELFLIES FOR BEGINNERS:
A GUIDED WALK WITH DAVID CHANDLER
Saturday 17 July (10.30 – 12 noon, repeated at 1.30 – 3.00 pm)
 Emperor dragonfly (Photo: David Chandler) 

Did you know that 17-25 July is the British Dragonfly Society’s National Dragonfly Week? These walks are our contribution to it.
 
They are a chance to find out more about dragonflies and damselflies in the company of David Chandler, part of our steering group and the author of 'Dragonfly' and 'A Beginner's Guide to Dragonflies & Damselflies of Britain & Ireland'.
 
It’s a 90-minute stroll starting in the reserve car park, with plenty of stopping and looking. Let’s assume the sun will be shining – so bring a sun hat, sun cream and insect repellent, and binoculars if you have them, and be prepared for a bit of uneven ground and maybe a bit of mud.
 
Booking is essential. To book a place, please contact Mark. 
OPEN AIR SERVICE 
Sunday, 19 September at 3.00 pm
This will be our second open air service of the year and is time to celebrate the ‘Season of Creation’. It will also be an opportunity to pray for good outcomes at COP26.  We hope there will be no restrictions on numbers at this event and that booking will not be required, but for more information nearer the time, please contact Andy. Come with a chair for comfort and prepared for the weather!
BAT WALK: Monday, 27 September
This will be an end of season treat for a balmy late summer evening (we hope). Please bring a bat detector if you have one. There will also be some to borrow.

The evening will start from 6pm around the fire-bowl making 'campfire bread' and engaging in 'bat chat'. This event is being held in memory of Sarah White, bat expert and canoeist, who is remembered with great affection for her generous sharing of knowledge and enthusiasm.

Booking essential. Please contact Mark.
There are no charges for these events, but donations to A Rocha UK are welcome. Please visit: 
arocha.org.uk/get-involved/donation/
BIRDS AND DRAGONFLIES: Foxearth Meadows cards for sale

BIRDS (4 designs, 2 of each) and DRAGONFLIES (4 designs, 2 of each)
£4.00 per pack of 8 (envelopes included). 
All funds will go to support A Rocha UK. Cheques payable to 'A Rocha UK'.
Please add postage and packing if necessary as follows:
1-2 packs £2.00; 3-4 packs £2.50; 5-20 packs: £4.50; 21-40 packs: £10.00  *

Orders to: Andy & Jane Jowitt, 12 Fields Views, SUDBURY, Suffolk CO10 1BJ
(Tel. 01787 464010 / 07584 751093 or e-mail jowitts@btinternet.com)
* We will endeavour to deliver for free to those within walking distance in the Sudbury area*
'A kind of resurrection': A reflection written at Easter  (Andy Jowitt)

It has been a little over three years of regular visits and volunteering sessions at Foxearth Meadows.I’d told other visitors, that, yes, otters have been seen on the reserve, but you’d have to be very lucky to have a sighting, and I’d never been lucky yet!
 
Read Andy's full reflection here.
Kestrel and three chicks in an owl box at the reserve
(Photos taken on 23 June 2021 by Albert Butcher)
PRAYER POINTERS
 
If you are a person who prays, here are some suggestions:
  • We give thanks for our team of volunteers, for all their hard work and good-heartedness. Please pray for them all. God knows their individual needs.
  • Mark & Gill are in the process of moving home nearer to the reserve. We give thanks that this has become a possibility. Please pray for them in the stresses of moving and that they are soon able to enjoy their new home.
  • Mark and Andy have opportunities to speak to churches and different groups about the work of the reserve and A Rocha UK; about our responsibility to care for nature and about how that is part of our Christian mission. Please pray that they are able to do this in an engaging and inspiring way.
  • Please pray for Mark as he carries the responsibility of running the reserve, that he’ll have strength and wisdom for the task; and for Andy as he assists him.
  • A Rocha UK has a new national office in Brentford (leasing space from the Leprosy Mission) but hasn’t yet been able to move in due to Covid and the need to re-fit the premises. Please pray for staff transitioning to a new place and a new way of working.
  • The number of Eco Churches is growing fast. Please pray for these churches to succeed in the changes they are trying to make.
  • We’re hoping the reserve will be enjoyed this summer by children and families who don’t have good chances to experience nature. (For instance there are plans for Suffolk Refugee Support to bring families). Please pray for happy and safe visits. 
  • Work is in progress to produce leaflets for the reserve. Please pray for this project.
Mark Prina
Reserve Manager
07548 209652
mark.prina@arocha.org

Andy Jowitt
Volunteer Community Engagement Officer

12 Fields View, SUDBURY CO10 1BJ
01787 464010 / 07584 751093
andy.jowitt@arocha.org

 
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