Jane Newton has been appointed as Information Officer at the RSPB’s Lakenheath Fen nature reserve on the Suffolk/Norfolk border.

This is a new post, intended to show the natural and human heritage of Lakenheath Fen to visiting members of the public. This includes running and leading an events programme on the reserve.

A new visitor centre should be ready by the end of 2006, and part of Jane’s role is to encourage community groups to use the visitor centre as a community resource. Recruiting volunteers to help staff the visitor centre seven days a week, and to help with guided walks and events, will be the next step.

Jane, is originally from Surrey, but completed a degree in Applied Ecology at Coventry University, during which time she volunteered with Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, conducting otter and water vole surveys and building otter holts. Jane was also secretary for the Warwickshire Mammal Group. She has a keen interest in bats; she did her dissertation assessing feeding habitats of bats on farms in Warwickshire and has now begun volunteering with the Suffolk Bat Group.

In 2004, Jane spent three months working with the conservation officers at the RSPB regional office in Norwich, six months volunteering as an assistant warden at Strumpshaw Fen nature reserve and three months last year as a warden at Great Yarmouth, monitoring and protecting Britain’s biggest colony of little terns.

“I am delighted to have this opportunity at Lakenheath Fen reserve. It is so exciting; everything here is so new - not just myself but the reserve as well! I am really looking forward to welcoming the local community here, and showing them what wonderful habitats can be created for wildlife, and how quickly nature can take over.”

Lakenheath Fen reserve was bought by the RSPB with the help of the Heritage Lottery Fund. It now boasts 140 hectares of wetland in which a total o f 106,800 reed cuttings and 142,000 reed seedlings have been planted. Just last week, the reserve recorded its first ever booming male bittern.

Other reedbed birds arrived even quicker. Bearded tits and marsh harriers are also breeding regularly, and hobbies (a falcon that’s a summer visitor) are feeding over the reserve. The reeds are alive with sedge and reed warblers, together with reed buntings. A male golden oriole has also been spotted and it is hoped that a pair will breed again on site this year.

Jane is also keen to encourage visitors from non-birding sectors as well, by offering events such as bat walks, animal track safaris and fitness walks. She is also keen to get the local schools involved and hopes to start up a Wildlife Explorers group in the area. “There is something here for everyone, it is such a beautiful place just to relax and de-stress”, adds Jane.

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Further information
Jane Newton 01842 862036 jane.newton@rspb.org.uk

Chris Durdin
Public Affairs Officer
RSPB Eastern England Office
www.rspb.org.uk
e-mail: chris.durdin@rspb.org.uk
tel 01603 660066 direct line 01603 697521

The RSPB is the UK charity working to secure a healthy environment for birds and wildlife, helping to create a better world for us all