SNS Field Meeting:
Alder Carr Farm, Needham Market
Reserve your place
Sunday, 20th September 2026 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
This will be a day of general wildlife recording on a small farm in the Gipping Valley. Formerly a fruit and vegetable farm, the land is now used for grazing a herd of milking sheep.
The farm contains a variety of habitats, including:
- Deep peat and sandy gravel
- Five acres of spring-fed Alder and Willow carr
- Five acres of dry woodland
- Access to the River Gipping at Hawks Mill Bridge
- Two ponds
- An adjacent County Wildlife Site, rewilded since the 1990s, now with a scattering of Oaks in chalk grassland and plenty of scrub
- We have been invited to visit a nearby former sandpit designated as a Geological SSSI, notable not for its original designation, as a relic of the Ice Age, but for its sandy-soil flora and fauna
These meetings are very much about sharing knowledge. You may wish to join one of several small recording groups led by members with expertise in particular taxonomic groups through the day.
If you are interested in a particular taxon (not necessarily an expert) and would be happy to help lead or share your knowledge, please contact Joan beforehand (details in the booking confirmation email) or introduce yourself on the day.
Members are also welcome to explore and record independently using the provided site maps. If doing so, please make sure you have Joan’s mobile number (details in the booking confirmation email) and sign out when leaving.
SNS field equipment, including nets, hand lenses, digital microscopes and identification guides, will be available to borrow from the shed.
Weather permitting, moth traps will be set up and available in the shed for viewing.
Timetable
10:00 – 10:20: Arrival, sign-in, refreshments and viewing of moth traps
10:20 – 10:30: Welcome and introduction from Joan Hardingham
Maps distributed and Health & Safety briefing
10:30 – 10:45: Formation of recording groups and collection of equipment. People might like to join more than one excursion. We will therefore return to the shed at lunchtime to exchange notes and swap groups.
10:45 – 12:45: Morning recording sessions
12:45 – 1:15: Return to the shed – lunch, refreshments and moth viewing
1:15 – 3:30: Afternoon recording sessions
3:30 – 4:00: Return to the shed for refreshments and sharing observations
4:00 pm: Sign out and departure
Records
Please submit records through SBIS or iRecord. Arrangements for coordinating records and providing them to the farm owner without duplication will be discussed before or during the meeting.
Important Notes
- ⚠️ No dogs please
- Please sign in and out (in the shed)
- If you wish to leave early or stay later, please let Joan know
- Please bring a mug, and a chair if you can
Venue
- Alder Carr Farm, Creeting St Mary, Suffolk, IP6 8LX
Directions
- The farm is east of Needham Market on the road to Creeting St Mary. Follow your sat nav to Alder Carr Farm Shop, then follow the signs. Parking is in the grass car park on the left.
What3Words
- Farm entrance: mash.liquid.dated
- Car park: mouths.cadet.informal
- Farm shed: causes.heartless.ground
Facilities
- Toilets are available in the café courtyard.
- Refreshments will be available in the farm shed.