Birds of the Norfolk Broads

[Timbo]

The other week I chanced upon some of those 'naturalist' type people...not the ones in the 'nood' the other type. I've documented our meeting in the blog, but it left me wondering do the nature groups that so much have the ear of the Broads Authority contribute anything financially to the Broads Authority? Is anyone a member of such an organisation? Don't get me wrong I'm not 'anti wildlife' or anti conservation, in fact part of the joy of the Broads for me is to be able to see the wildlife and sit and draw or paint it.

 

Its just that I often wonder amidst all the fighting and falling out as to whether there is a better way of preserving and funding what we have and of course educating and getting other disciplines such as archaeologists and historians involved.. I've noticed that many groups including museums like the Time and Tide at Yarmouth as well as the Wildlife organisations are trotting out the tired old 'in Roman Times it was all under water' theory with regard to the Broadland landscape that is now thirty years out of date and wrong. Isn't there any attempt going on to get everyone to the table so we can all sing from the same sheet?

[ExMemberBobdog]

Well of course Norfolk Wildlife Trust own Barton Broad, Hickling Broad, Ranworth Broad and significant other stretches of water and chunks of land across Broadland. I've no idea if they make any payments to the BA, but several BA moorings are actually on NWT owned land by arrangement with NWT (Deep Dyke, Whiteslea and Deep Go Dyke for example).

[ExMemberBobdog]

... actually, it appears from the NWT accounts that the BA make a small grant (c£5000) to NWT. This looks pretty insignificant compared to the amount of money NWT spends maintaining the Broadland landscape, which exceeds £1 million per annum and includes flood defence and drainage works

[JennyMorgan]

Although NWT have been less than helpful over mud disposal on Heigham Sound I do think that, on balance, they do a good job for the Broads. The Broads Authority do receive a hefty grant from DEFRA, e.g. the taxpayer, to pay for conservation work. Although I wear my captain's hat with pride I do also have an olive drab coloured hat in the background because just behind sailing boats, nature and conservation come pretty high in my priorities. As much as I mob the Authority, apart from the dosh and vanity, I reckon they get the balance about right.

[grendel]

loved the write up on your Blog, had everyone looking at me wondering what I was laughing at.

fortunately food arrived afterwards or my poor laptop would have been covered in shepherds pie.

Grendel