Pair of Kingfishers captured on camera at Worlingham Marshes

Suffolk Wildlife Trust completed the purchase of the 381-acre site near Beccles last month but still needed to raise £775,000.

It launched an appeal following the purchase of the land which they hope will create a "wildlife corridor" along the River Waveney.

Matt Gooch at Carlton Marshes

Site manager for the area, Matt Gooch said: "The Worlingham Marshes appeal has started well and it’s been very humbling the number of donations members of the public have made.

"Although there is a long way to go to reach the £775,000 target to ensure maximum diversity of wildlife is achieved on the site and it starts to contribute to stabilising species of conservation concern. 

"Everyone can get behind this appeal however great or small the contribution, they are all valuable to achieve this goal. 

"The work does not stop at the land purchase boundaries remember and spreads out into the community where our engagement officer will be visiting groups and schools in the area.

"Our farmland advisor will be offering landowners any assistance they feel they need to ensure all areas of the lower Waveney Valley continue to develop and their importance for wildlife and public engagement into the future."

READ MORE: Worlingham nature reserve to 'link' Broads network in £2.7m bold vision

The Suffolk Wildlife Trust's vision for Worlingham Marshes is to restore a classic Broadland landscape, with a wildlife-rich mosaic of grazing marsh, wet woodland, fen, and scrub.

Water levels will be managed to restore wet fen on the peat soils, which they say will lock up carbon and reduce the impact of flooding.

At the time of writing, the trust's donation link had raised £128,000 of its £775,000 goal.

To donate see the link: www.suffolkwildlifetrust.org/appeals/help-us-buy-restore-worlingham-marshes

Worlingham Marshes by Steve Alyward (Image: Steve Alyward)Worlingham Marshes by Steve Alyward (Image: Steve Alyward)