Parents upset as Suffolk Wildlife Trust axes kids' groups at two reserves

Parents have shared their disappointment after two nature reserves axed their education sessions.

Suffolk Wildlife Trust has cut its engagement activities at Redgrave and Lopham Fen and Knettishall Heath.

The trust's CEO, Christine Luxton, said the sessions were not financially sustainable and it has looked into new initiatives to "reach more people".

Mary Sullivan, whose son attended the reserves' education sessions, said: "It's a huge loss to this area."

Mrs Sullivan said her youngest son, 13, had attended the reserves' Young Warden sessions for three years.

"The sessions have formulated who my son wants to be," she said. She shared that he aspired to be an assistant warden.

Mrs Sullivan continued that the educational groups had taught her son about more than just nature.

"They learned to identify things on the reserve and they'd done craft activities as well. He's learned hedge-laying, how to put fences up, coppicing and lots of different techniques," she said.

In a statement on Facebook, both conservation sites announced the Wild Tots, Weekend Wildlife Club, Forest School, Young Wardens, Young Naturalists and Send Woodland Play sessions would be coming to an end.

Father-of-two Ed King said: "It's such a great thing for the kids to do each week and if that's gone, that's a real loss."

The trust has directed members to ongoing sessions at its Lackford Lakes site, near Bury St Edmunds, but Mr King said: "We won't go to Lackford Lakes - it's too busy for us and it's that much further."

Ms Luxton, speaking on the trust's decision, said: "The numbers of people who were joining in the activities were just so small.

"We are still absolutely trying to ensure we are working with children and young people, but trying to find a way to do it that is financially sustainable for us."

She added that the trust would continue to run school visits at the sites, but more work would be completed in community settings, such as school environments.

"We're training teachers... so nature does not just become a day out, it becomes something that the children can enjoy all the time and is accessible to them, regardless of whether they have a parent who is going to take them out," Ms Luxton said.

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