Dear Friends,
Last summer the residents of Shingle Street got together to try and raise sufficient funds to buy the large 22-acre acre field that lies to the right as you come into the village. The immediate aim was to protect it from threatened developments that might degrade the environment. The dream was to see if we could eventually wild the land and restore the biodiversity of local species that we have sadly lost over the years.
I am delighted to say that we are now the proud owners of that field. Shingle Marshes, as we are now calling it, is already home to skylarks, snipe and brown hares. We are keen to move to the next phase and actively create new habitats for visiting waders and wildfowl, curlew, godwit, lapwing, teal and wigeon. Maybe even a breeding avocet one day.
We have commissioned a professional ecological survey and the next step is to start landscaping the area: replacing the perimeter fence to make the habitat safe, installing a solar pump and starting to restore some ancient lagoons that will help create this new wetland. While we apply for grants, which take time and are in no way guaranteed, we are hoping to raise some initial money to start work on the site now, with the objective of completing it by the end of the year in time for next year’s breeding season.
We hope you don’t mind the intrusion, but with the goal very much in sight we are now reaching out to friends and family of Shingle Street to see if anyone would like to be part of this project. We know times are hard for everyone so, if you are able, any donation would be very gratefully received.
Donations can be made below.
Thank you,
Shingle Street Settlement Company
NOTE: You can donate directly with Paypal or a debit/credit card by using the form below. Alternatively, please contact us for our bank details to pay by bank wire (preferable for larger sums since it will avoid Paypal fees).
