Lawyers from leading Norwich law firm Howes Percival LLP donned their wellies and wooly jumpers and headed to Surlingham Church Marsh recently, to lend a hand to RSPB staff working on the reserve.

Nine staff from the law firm spent the day scrub-bashing at the RSPB reserve, helping to clear away and burn small willow and alder trees and other unwanted vegetation.

Howes Percival LLP’s Joanna Nicholls, who organised the day, commented, “Scrub-bashing is an essential part of managing the reserve, if the scrub isn’t carefully controlled it can quickly become a dense thicket destroying the wetland habitat. The scrub-bashing gave us the opportunity to do something practical to assist the RSPB in maintaining a valuable habitat in our region, and to enjoy some much needed exercise!

“The reserve is home to many different species of birds including bitterns, marsh harriers, kingfishers and water rails and we were delighted to help support the RSPB’s work in maintaining this beautiful place.”

Surlingham Church Marsh forms part of the RSPB’s Mid Yare reserves in the Norfolk Broads (Strumpshaw Fen, Surlingham and Rockland, and Buckenham and Cantley). These reserves provide a mosaic of wetland habitats that are home to bitterns and other important species of birds. The RSPB is working to enhance these habitats and to restore their natural ecology.