Close to the heart of Norwich lies Sweet Briar Marshes: 90 acres of fen, rough meadow, grazing marsh, old hedgerows and young woodland. This mosaic of habitats, unusually for a city centre, was arable farmland until as recently as the late 1990s, and today provides a treasure trove of nature, wildness and peace.
But this uniquely wild place is increasingly surrounded by urban development, and its sensitive ecology – including a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) – is in danger of being lost forever…
Today, with the chance to secure the land, restore its biodiversity, and enhance it for people and wildlife alike, we have the remarkable opportunity to rewrite the story of Sweet Briar Marshes.
We want to create
A Wilder Norwich For All with Sweet Briar at its centre: an urban green space that is both rich in wildlife and enriching to the lives of the communities it serves; accessible to and valued by all the species who share it.
We urgently need your help. We need to raise £600,000 to:
- Acquire 90 acres of precious wilderness in the heart of Norwich
- Begin work to create a major new nature discovery reserve for the City and its residents
- Protect and enhance a vital stepping stone for wildlife in an otherwise urban landscape
We already have a head start:
our public appeal will be generously match funded by Aviva to a value of £300,000, so every penny you give will work twice as hard. Help us raise £300,000 to unlock these vital funds, acquire the land, and begin to plan for its restoration.