Creating a Living Landscape for Suffolk

Gorse

The ponies enjoy prickly gorsefoliage. The bright yellowflowers are a valuable source ofnectar and have a surprisingsmell of coconut.

Grazing enclosure

Explore the forest using thenetwork of tracks and trails.

Dunwich Forest

Dunwich Forest is changing! Over the next 35years, a partnership involving Suffolk WildlifeTrust, the Forestry Commission and RSPB willtransform the pine plantation into a mosaic ofgrazed woodland and heathland. This will link theadjoining reedbeds, marshes and heaths of theSuffolk Coast and Westleton Heath NationalNature Reserves which make this part of theSuffolk Coast and Heaths Area of OutstandingNatural Beauty so special.

This is the first step in a wider vision to create awildlife-rich landscape extending from the BlythEstuary southwards towards the Alde. People willbenefit too, with the changing landscape bringingnew wildlife interest and improved access.

The transformation will be gentle. The conifer cropwill be gradually harvested, creating space fornatural vegetation to develop in its place. Thelighter soils to the south will revert back to openheathland under the care of the RSPB. In thisnorthern part of the forest (shown on the map),the conifers will be replaced by broadleavedwoodland through natural regeneration creatingwood pasture.

Wood pasture is traditionally maintained bygrazing. Suffolk Wildlife Trust has pioneered theuse of ponies for conservation grazing in Suffolkand hardy Dartmoor ponies, which will thrive onthe scrubby woodland grazing, are ideal inDunwich Forest. The herd of 30 ponies roam freelythrough the forest, grazing alongside the rabbitsand deer.

Managed for nature and free for everyone toenjoy, our goal is for Dunwich Forest to be avibrant Living Landscape where local people,visitors and wildlife thrive together. You can helpus by joining Suffolk Wildlife Trust –www.suffolkwildlifetrust.org

Siskin

Large noisyflocks of siskinare easy to spotthroughout thewinter, feedingon birch andalder seed.

Dogs are welcome but should be kept on a lead when near livestock.

R i v e r A l d e

The project has been funded by SITA Trust and TheTubney Charitable Trust and supported by SuffolkCoast & Heaths AONB, RSPB, Suffolk Creating theGreenest County and Natural England.

Registered charity no 262777

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Sailors Pathto Aldeburgh

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Size: 270 hectares / 668 acres

Dartmoor ponies

A hardy breed native to the UK, theponies are ideal grazers for the forest asthey feed on a wide variety ofvegetation including grass, bramble andgorse.

Noctule bat

As night descends over the forest, look for this large high flying

bat hunting for cockchafers and otherlarge insects along the forest rides.

Red deer

You are most likely to see orhear Britain’s largest deerduring the October rut, buthoofprints, fraying on treesand clumps of hair are evidentthroughout the year.

White admiral

Adults are on the wing inJuly, feeding on honeysuckle

and bramble flowers alongthe rides. Honeysuckle is also

the food plant for thecaterpillars.

Adder

Widespread but seldom seen,adder will slide away if they feelyou coming. They are easiest tospot in spring, basking alongclearings on south-facing banks.

200m

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