UK's Oldest Wildlife Trust Celebrates 100 Years Free

The UK's oldest wildlife trust is celebrating 100 years of protecting nature by inviting everyone to explore its reserves for free this weekend.

The Norfolk Wildlife Trust opened in 1926 when Dr. Sydney Long bought 435 acres of marsh at Cley next the Sea as "a bird-breeding sanctuary for all time." That single purchase would inspire the creation of wildlife trusts across the entire country.

Today, Cley Marshes alone welcomes over 100,000 visitors each year. The trust now manages dozens of nature reserves across Norfolk, protecting everything from ancient woodlands to coastal wetlands.

From Friday through Sunday, all of these sites will be open to the public at no cost. Chief executive Eliot Lyne calls it a chance to honor the past while looking forward with hope.

The Ripple Effect

The impact of that first marsh purchase in 1926 extends far beyond Norfolk's borders. It launched a nationwide network of county wildlife trusts that now protects habitats and species across the UK.

In Norfolk alone, the trust's century of work has helped bring back species that were struggling or lost. Cranes, bitterns, purple emperor butterflies, and natterjack toads now thrive in protected areas.

The conservation success continues today. Just this year, the trust acquired 100 acres of ancient woodland at Foxley Wood, where some trees have stood for 6,000 years.

Even broadcasting legend David Attenborough, who turns 100 this year himself, sent congratulations to mark the milestone. He visited Cley Marshes in 2015 to open a footpath that now bears his name.

Lyne acknowledges that Norfolk's wildlife still faces serious threats, but the trust's century of experience has prepared them for the challenges ahead. "We are raising our ambitions and looking forward to the next 100 years with hope," he said.

One small act of conservation a century ago proved that protecting nature could inspire an entire movement.