40th Anniversary Pt.2
"Founding Daws Hall Nature Reserve"
When the Reserve opened in 1985, the habitats on site were very much in infancy. Our largest wildflower area, “Old Orchard Meadow” was first sown in 1987. The original seed mixture contained around 20 plants. To date over 100 species have been identified, with the majority occurring naturally, Bee Orchids, Bellflowers and Dropwort among them.
The meadow, as its name suggests, sits on the site of a former orchard. When Major Iain Grahame purchased the property in the 1960s, he bulldozed what remained of the apple trees, burning the resulting heap and planting a Christmas Tree farm on the site. The nutrient rich pockets of burnt material have led to a variation in the character of the meadow across its roughly 3 acre size. Another dramatic change to the landscape at Daws Hall took place later in 1987, during the Great Storm. Iain recollected this dramatic event in his last book “Birds, Bees and Butterflies” :
My first perception of it came at around five o’clock on the morning of 16th October. I was woken abruptly to the alarming sensation that the house was moving. Being an old house without foundations, this was exactly what was happening. One of my first thought was for my beloved tulip tree. I drew back the curtains. The hundred-year-old Mulberry tree was lying on its side, in the middle of the lawn, with its roots in the air. Mercifully, the liriodendron appeared completely unscathed, and I offered a silent thank you to Mr. Sycamore [the tree-surgeon who had previously carried out significant work to the tulip tree]. Further to the left, beside the duck pond, the cedar of Lebanon, a splendid old tree that had probably been planted around 1750, also appeared to be unharmed. Between the cedar and the tulip tree there was total devastation. A small copse of native oak and beech, numbering around 40 trees which were getting on for a hundred years old, together with a similar number of other trees, had all been hit by the storm.
Within a few years of opening, Daws Hall Nature Reserve had become an established destination for local primary schools. At the height of its popularity, accepting visits from 3,000 students a year. It is now estimated that over 110,000 children have visited Daws Hall for sessions.
Early visits were free, being funded by Essex County Council. Though Schools had to arrange their own transport. Following the discontinuation of Essex County Council funding in 2011, Daws Hall has only continued to operate thanks to our regular supporters (Friends of Daws Hall Trust), donors and a number of grant giving Trusts. The largest cost to schools is not our fee, but transport, the price of which has grown exponentially since the 1980s.
The demographic of our visiting classes is slightly different to these early sessions, with larger individual class sizes visiting over fewer days. We now draw from a wide range of schools across both Suffolk and Essex, including age groups from Early Years up to University students.
Funded work experience placements are one feature that the Trust is keen to reinstate. A number of placement alumni have followed incredible careers in conservation, citing Daws Hall as the catalyst for their path.
All of the conservation work on site, including habitat creation and species recording, has only been possible with the help of friendly experts and enthusiasts. Daws Hall Nature Reserve has been very fortunate with its friends over the years and many knowledgeable people have been incredibly generous with their time. Thanks must be given to our current volunteer management committee including Paul Claridge, Stephen Clarkson, Peter Dwyer, Darren Tansley. Peter first visited Daws Hall around 1984 and has returned regularly to ring and record bird activity on site ever since. He is potentially the only person to have been involved for the entire duration of the project. So, thank you and congratulations Peter!
Record keeping by our staff past and present, as well as the children that have visited in our forty years gives us a fascinating insight into the development of our habitats. Data on plants, birds, fungi and insects give a glimpse into the story of our Nature Reserve’s maturation. One group of records that stands apart from all others is our Moth records. Regular Moth trapping has taken place on site since at least 1983 and among its most enthusiastic participants was Major Grahame himself. Iain was proud to have records for over 610 species on site, with more being discovered every year.
The diversity of moth species is a fantastic indicator of the quality of habitats on site and the presence of previously unrecorded migrant species shows the shifting climate. There are around 2,500 species of moth in the UK, ranging from the tiny microlepidoptera up to the massive Hawkmoths.
