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Salt Marshes |
It offers rich opportunities for education and thousands of students visit the area each year to undertake field studies.
This increases people's understanding and care for the area, but there is also a responsibility to ensure that its special qualities are not damaged by its use as an educational and research resource. All land on the coast is owned and managed – something that is often not realised by visiting groups. Virtually all of the North Norfolk Heritage Coast, and much of the rest of the coastline, is protected by statutory nature conservation designations. Failing to contact the right people before your visit could mean that you are acting illegally, and unwittingly causing damage and disturbance to wildlife and the interests of local people. Even a simple beach visit in some locations in spring can cause problems to beach nesting birds such as ringed plovers - the nests and eggs are very well camouflaged and easily trodden on. Some studies, or parts of study programmes, can be done in less sensitive locations, and we would always ask you to consider your proposed activities and do this if possible. For studies which can only be undertaken in the very special surroundings of the Norfolk Coast, the code of practice in this leaflet has been developed and agreed by study centres and reserve managers in the area with the aim of promoting sustainable use for field studies. It applies everywhere, not just on managed reserves.
To make the most of your educational visit and to help keep the Norfolk Coast a special place, please follow the code when visiting any part of the Norfolk Coast for field work.
A pdf giving details of the study centres and reserves along with the code can be downloaded (141kb). (Copies of the original leaflet are still available although some contact information will have changed each year.)
