ON THE MARSH

He does write beautifully especially of his greatest love our wild birds On The Marsh is a delightful read Christopher Hart Daily Mail How the rewilding of eight acres of Norfolk marshland inspired a family and brought nature even closer to home When writer Simon Barnes heard a Cetti s warbler sing out as he turned up to look at a house for sale he knew immediately that he had found his new home The fact that his garden backed onto an area of marshy land only increased the possibilities but there was always the fear that it might end up in the wrong hands and be lost to development or intensive farming His wife saw through the delicate negotiations for the purchase Once they d bought it they began to manage it as a conservation area working with the Wildlife Trust to ensure it became as appealing as possible to all species For their son Eddie who has Down s syndrome it became a place of calm and inspiration In On The Marsh we see how nature can always bring surprises and share in the triumphs as new animals Chinese water deer otters and hedgehogs arrive and watch as the number of species of bird tops 100 and keeps on growing As the seasons go by there are moments of triumph when not one but two marsh harrier families use the marsh as a h