THE 2022 VOLUME IS NOW AVAILABLE:  SEE BELOW

Since 2014, the Suffolk Flora Preservation Trust has published an annual high-quality print book, in its Adult Education Series,
revealing aspects of the historic landscape and wildlife of the Trust’s reserves at Kelsale and Hasketon.
These have all been written, edited and produced "in house" (well, really "in the field"!) by our own members (or "Guardians"),
with additional contributions by relevant experts with whom we work very closely.

You can submit your order to our Hon. Treasurer, in either of two ways —
by email confirming your bank transfer (preferably),
or by post to our registered address with a cheque made payable to:
Suffolk Flora Preservation Trust.
Unless you use order forms for the particular year,
please make clear which book(s) you require — you can download a Continuation Form for this.
The bank or address details that you need are on our Administration page.
Thank you!

BUILDING FROM THE BASE LINE at two Suffolk Nature Reserves

		The eighth annual publication, that for 2021, included comprehensive lists  of all species known (at the time) to occur at each of SFPT's two Reserves.   Already, in 2022, Guardians have made use of that resource, finding previously  unrecorded plants at both — and their reports are presented in this volume. The special features are an essay on Ragwort, by guest author Ian Morton,  and updated lists of all the plants identified on the Trust's two Reserves —  and therefore a useful publication to carry on a visit to the Fromus Valley (Kelsale) or to 'Orchid Glade' (Hasketon).   Other articles are on the grazing-versus-mowing debate and Summer   2022's long drought.  Joint Editor Pete Southgate offers his pictorial record  of the year's turn at Orchid Glade, whilst Bill Jackson contrasts diurnal and  noctural views of both our Reserves. We also held two competitions.  Guardians were invited by the Editors to  submit sonnets in acrostic form, in which the initial letters of each line spelled  out the name of Francis Simpson, and six elegant sonnets are published here.  The Suffolk Building Society also generously sponsored this year's photo- graphic competition on the broad themes of flowers, foliage or wildlife.
		£12.00 (P&P £3.50)
		You can order copies here, and if necessary download a Continuation Form here. Guardians are, of course, entitled to one free copy.

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For this eighth annual volume, we are delighted to open with a contribution by James McCulloch, emphasising the importance of recording for natural history.  As a special feature, we also include reviews of two publications of particular relevance to the Trust's Fromus Valley Reserve.

We are also delighted to welcome the briefer contributions of two dedicated Guardians, celebrating in their own style two different perspectives on their participation in 2021.  Kaaren Whitney gathers a like-minded group to celebrate the turning season of each year at the richly historical, and floristically abundant, Fromus Valley Reserve.  We also salute the achievement of guardian Janet Barnes, whose garden in Kelsale village, on the day of the national Butterfly Count, hosted a lepidopteran throng as mighty as any in either dedicated SFPT reserve.

We tabulate current botanical records at the two nature reserves now owned and managed by the Trust.  We hope that this 2021 publication will therefore have a double role: first, as a contribution to the national records of British flora and, secondly, as a useful handbook to be carried by Guardians and naturalist visitors to the reserves.

£12.00 (P&P £3.50)

You can order copies here,
and if necessary download a Continuation Form here.

Guardians are, of course, entitled to one free copy.

RETROSPECT AND RESOURCES
of two Suffolk Nature Reserves

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GLORIES AND CURIOSITIES
at two Suffolk Nature Reserves

The 2020 annual (No.7 in our Adult Education Series) was published on 22nd December, 2020.  The book has 80 pages with 45 colour plates.  With the title ‘Glories and Curiosities’, the contents focus on these aspects of trees and woody shrubs.  

Guest author Richard Mabey introduces with a scholarly discussion of the glorious role of oaks in the countryside; and Janey Cullen has provided a monthly portrait of the Grand Oak of Fromus Valley reserve.  

Pete Southgate muses more widely on the trees of this reserve and Orchid Glade, including ages computed from girth measurements.  His overview is followed by a closer look at the veterans of the Great Bank at Fromus.  

Jerry Bowdrey introduces us to the galls, many of them uniquely curious in appearance, and Adrian Knowles describes other Hymenoptera he has found at these two reserves; followed by Jerry Bowdrey, again, to describe the beetles; both experts have provided brilliant illustrations of their specialities.  

Kaaren Whitney’s poem imagines the conversation between trees, and Serena Inskip evocatively relives  her encounter with a pair of damselflies.  

Argus Hardy introduces the wider partnership of Wild East, and Gathorne Cranbrook outlines a scheme for local businesses to offset carbon in tree growth.  To close, there is a landmark three-page first list of insects found at Fromus Valley.  

Be sure, this year’s book is a glorious achievement, and a gift to satisfy the curiosity of every naturalist.

£12.00 (P&P £3.50)

You can order copies here,
and if necessary download a Continuation Form here.

Guardians are, of course, entitled to one free copy.

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WILDING AND WELL-BEING:
The Gift of two
Suffolk Nature Reserves

The contributions gathered in SFPT's sixth annual volume show how Suffolk people are already engaged in wilding, and also recognise the value of natural habitats to enhance well-being.  Since 2013, the management of the Trust's two reserves has been undertaken on a fully voluntary basis by a small committee of Guardians.  The dedicated efforts of these Guardians, along with biological records resulting from visits by specialist experts in different fields of botany and natural history, are accessible in digital form elsewhere on this website.

£12.00 (P&P £3.50)

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RIPPLES & REFLECTIONS:
The water world of two
Suffolk Nature Reserves

In OUR FIFTH ANNUAL VOLUME, we decided that the theme for 2018 should be the aquatic environment on our reserves or, as we shall call it, the Water World.  We are pleased to have contributions from a talented group of writers.

£12.00 (P&P £3.50)

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BARONS TO BOTANISTS
Landholders & Land-use
on two Suffolk Nature Reserves

The fourth annual volume was compiled from contributions by Guardians to show how past ownership is reflected in the present condition of  the two Reserves, to describe different ways in which the Reserves are valued by Guardians, and to discuss options for present and future management to meet the objectives of the Charity.

You can order copies here,
and if necessary download a Continuation Form here.

£12.00 (P&P £3.50)

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Please note that further stock of this book has been secured, so it's again available.

The 2016 book, Two Suffolk Nature Res-erves: the Legacy of Francis W. Simpson, edited by our Rose Battye and Janey Cullen, celebrates  the 30th anniversary of the Trust.

We hope that the unfolding story will resonate with other volunteers who may be struggling to save or foster something they think is important — in our case, a couple of small but exciting nature reserves near the Suffolk coast. 

£12.00 (P&P £3.50)

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The publication for 2015 was a description of the dam earthworks and its associated features, "Simpson's Fromus Valley and Kelsale Park: A Guide to the Earthwork features of the Reserve", written by our Archaeologist, John Rainer.  The book has now sold out, and is unlikely to be reprinted.  However, in 2020 John updated the book, available as a download here.

 

A companion account, John's detailed history of Kelsale Park transports the reader back to the days when it was the centrepiece for a family of leading medieval noblemen.  "Simpson's Fromus Valley and Kelsale Park: A brief history of the medieval park" can be downloaded here.

☞ There is a related on-screen article too, summarising both subjects, that you can view here.

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2014 at Simpson's Fromus Valley and Orchid Glade by our Laurie Forsyth is a collection of Seasonal Diary reports, images and reflections on one year in the two Reserves.

£12.00 (P&P £3.50)