Hear about making habitat improvements work on an arable farming enterprise, at the GWCT East Anglian Grey Partridge Walk 2022

Three years ago, Ed Nesling took the plunge into a mid-tier countryside stewardship scheme on his 191-hectare Suffolk arable farm Flea Barn. Now the farm, well-known through the writings of conservationist and writer Richard Negus, is seeing a steady rise in grey partridge numbers along with a host of other farmland bird species, invertebrates and mammals.

At the kind invitation of Ed Nesling and RR Countryside Services, the GWCT Grey Partridge Walk on 8 September 2022 offers an opportunity to visit Flea Barn and learn how Ed has made the habitat improvements work alongside the farming enterprise.

At the start of the project, Ed took more than 20% of the farm out of arable production and has created four hectares of new woodland, carried out thinning and management of existing woodland, widened floristic margins, created wetland, in-field game cover and beetle banks. Hedges have been laid and new hedges planted and there is now systematic provision of supplementary feeding and predation control.

The event will also include fascinating talks from the GWCT’s Director of Advisory and Education, Dr Roger Draycott, as well as Richard Negus on hedges and data recording, and Richard Gould on woodland management, the shoot and his take on grey partridges in Mid-Suffolk. Mark Nowers and Eliza Leat from Operation Turtle Dove will discuss Turtle Dove conservation efforts at Flea Barn and their recent farmland bird nesting survey.

In support of the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust gwct.org.uk

Programme of talks, followed by hog roast and refreshments.

The East Anglian Grey Partridge Walk 2022 is kindly sponsored by Castleacre Insurance: Period Homes, Fine Art, Jewellery, Trusts, castleacreinsurance.com