2009 saw the 25th anniversary of the ownership of Kelling Heath by the Timewell Family.

During this time a significant amount of time and resources have been invested to enhance the visitor experience of the park and to help protect and preserve this unique natural environment for future generations to enjoy.

To mark this anniversary a series of events and activities were organised celebrating the achievements of the park. A number of longer term projects were identified that fitted in with the ethos of Kelling Heath and were launched in the anniversary year and in early 2010.

Anniversary Trail
Launched in mid May 2009 this new trail explores some of the natural and built environments at Kelling during the past 25 years and explain what impact our interventions have made. Guests are able to walk the 3 mile route following directions from the self guided leaflet and interpretation boards spaced along the trail.

Timeline
Located in the Village Square the timeline display will highlight many of the key milestones throughout the last 25 years at Kelling Heath.

Sculpture
A call to artists based in the North Norfolk area was made inviting proposals for a permanent sculpture that will be commissioned and which reflects the ethos and successes of our 25 years at Kelling Heath.
The official unveiling is likely to be in Apriil 2010 - look out for details on this website.

Future projects
Kelling Heath has always been proactive in the protection of the unique natural environment that the park enjoys. In 2010 we will continue with protecting our bee population and launch the Anniversary Tree Trail, projects that we hope will make a lasting difference to the estate and the wildlife and insects that share it with us. The projects will also permit us to build on our commitment of interpreting our actions to visitors helping them better understand the countryside and the threats it faces.

Protecting our bee population
Bumblebees are among the more familiar of our insects but are under increasing threat due to changes in how the countryside is farmed. The number of species found in most of lowland Britain has halved since 1950 and three species have gone nationally extinct and several more may follow in the near future unless action is taken.

Bees feed exclusively on pollen and nectar and there are now far fewer flowers in the countryside than there once were. Hedges have been removed and marshes drained and unimproved grasslands which are rich in wildflowers have been lost and replaced by silage and cereal fields.

There is also concern about the decline in honeybees particularly from the Varroa mite which is decimating colonies throughout the world and which has been the subject of debate worldwide and in our own Houses of Parliament.

Bees make an important contribution to the sustainability of the countryside, contributing both to agriculture and horticulture and to biodiversity. They also produce honey and other hive products and further losses will have serious implications on food production both in the UK and worldwide.

Working with the Bumble Bee Conservation Trust and other agencies we intend to:

• Survey the species of bees that are currently present at Kelling Heath to obtain a base level of species and if possible numbers
• Research the habitat that is required for bees to thrive and review how we can provide pockets of suitable habitat at Kelling Heath without compromising existing habitatsRaise funds throughout the year to assist in the provision of habitat for bees
• Interpret the threats to the bee population to visitors and show how we are attempting to reverse the decline
• Provide simple guidance on how visitors can play their part in helping to preserve the bee population in their own gardens across Britain

Tree Trail
There are many species of trees growing at Kelling Heath set amongst the planted coniferous woodland, semi-ancient and mixed woodland, the majority are native species whilst a few others are invasive. There are several specimen species that are already present; indeed many of the Oak trees are already several hundred years old!
Our aim is to plan a new trail round the estate identifying these specimen trees and providing interpretation about them. We will also identify where new specimen trees can be planted to enhance both the enjoyment of the trail and the environment. The trail will be launched in April 2010