Stefan Barton the reserve manager for Natural England will be giving us a talk about the management. A National Nature Reserve has the purpose of protect the nation's most important wildlife habitats, rare species, and geological formations, while serving as outdoor spaces for scientific research and public enjoyment. This is a site the group have visited many occasions in the past and so an opportunity to gain greater insight into how the reserve is managed. The reserve covers a square mile and has the largest reed bed in the south east of England, which supports a range of specialised birds and insects. The reed beds are an excellent sanctuary for migrating birds such as swallows and house martins in the summer and starlings in the winter. Bittern, marsh harrier, kingfisher, great crested grebe, coot, moorhen, reed bunting, bearded reedling can all be seen.