According to John Sheail, an environmental historian , the early conception of a nature reserve was to put a fence around it. The first wardens were often former gamekeepers and instead of protecting pheasants they guarded rare birds or plants. The wardens at Blakeney still watch for egg thieves, but debates over public access are more subtle than people in or out.
The wardens' biggest challenge is posed by a particularly fearsome six-legged creature: man or woman and dog. These pets may be perfectly friendly, but birds see only the predator, and even the frolicking of a distant dog will cause beach-nesting species such as ringed plovers to abandon their nests. Four years ago, dogs were banned from large swaths of the Point during nesting season, but the wardens still have clashes with dog-walkers. I've been told to F-off a few times and threatened to be punched.
John Sizer, the National Trust's Norfolk Coast property manager, admits that this protected landscape is still "contested". Local people understandably cherish their traditional rights to fish, go cockling, pick samphire and shoot wild fowl on the salt marshes, which is still permitted under licence, even on Blakeney.
Then there are the visitors. It's owned by the nation," says Sizer. Despite the dogs, this year has gone well: the wardens were delighted to count 2, fledged Sandwich tern chicks. When you see they are successful, that's a good feeling," says Cockram. Alongside the terns have nested pairs of oystercatchers and 16 pairs of redshanks, although there are constant dangers. Foxes have to be shot in the spring to stop them decimating the ground-nesting birds.
Other predators must also be trapped. At the far end of the Point, the wardens find rat prints close to the ravaged carcass of a tern. Rats in the colony," says Nichols. It's like living next to Sainsbury's for them. Blakeney Point may be the cradle of the conservation movement, but nature reserves can seem yesterday's idea when environmentalists now promote "landscape-scale" conservation — ambitious projects to reconnect land, create corridors for wild animals and encourage farmers to manage all land for wildlife.
Like many environmentalists, Stephanie Hilborne, chief executive of the Wildlife Trusts , which also celebrates its centenary this year , stayed on Blakeney as a student, studying at UCL's field laboratory in the old lifeboat house. She says the founders of the first nature reserves — the likes of banker and naturalist Charles Rothschild and Professor Francis Oliver of UCL — never believed they were the total answer.
They are the core and in some areas virtually the only areas of rich biodiversity from which we can look outwards and allow nature to recover much more widely. Sue Everett, an independent ecologist, does exactly this, harvesting wild flower seed from nature reserve meadows to help the restoration of wild flower meadows elsewhere.
As she points out, nature reserves remain far more secure than landscape-scale schemes, which incentivise farmers to manage their land for wildlife through EU agri-environment programmes to enrich our ordinary countryside. EU programmes run on a year cycle and if commodity prices shoot up, some farmers will plough up their new meadows to make a better living. As we wander the Point before the wardens get down to the hard labour of removing the seasonal fencing that protects their terns, Cockram says the joy of his job is simply to witness "the natural world working".
He has fierce debates with a friend who argues Britain should spend the money it devotes to domestic conservation on buying up pristine rainforest in South America because our countryside is already ruined, in relative terms. Cockram dismisses the idea that climate change makes nature reserves an irrelevance.
Many towns and cities are overcrowded, destroying forests and putting the remaining vegetation in these areas in jeopardy. Dedicated space for wildlife and vegetation is becoming increasingly necessary as the urban world continues to expand.
Biodiversity is necessary to keep our ecosystems in balance, and game reserves contribute to the protection and maintenance of important natural areas.
Several animal species are endangered, but the threat to our vegetation and landscapes is less well-known. Game reserves maintain life cycles and resist the dangers that urbanisation and overpopulation pose to these historically significant locations. The animals that live in the game reserves are provided with food and shelter.
A variety of wild fruits, as well as edible roots and tubers, can be found on the reserves. Because they are dependent on the food chain, the animals also provide food for one another, with herbivorous animals being provided with a grazing area. Game reserves allow animals to stay in their native habitat while also ensuring that their territorial grounds are protected. Some game reserves serve as great tourist destinations. Tourism spreads wealth throughout the country, benefiting people in remote and rural communities.
For this reason, guards are employed to protect the animals. The administrative staff is also necessary to ensure that game reserves run smoothly. Receptionists, for example, are needed to ensure that visitors are booked into suitable rooms and are given itineraries for their activities. In addition, general personnel must ensure that the animals are fed and that their environment is clean.
Therefore, game reserves are imperative because they offer employment opportunities to the community. The idea of being close and personal with the most famous of wild animals, is an enticing pull for most foreigners. This, alone, is what gets people to spend money and book into a game reserve.
The eco systems include savannah grasslands, acadia woodlands, valley bushveld, fynbos and riverine forests. By focusing on a particular type of eco system, the game reserve can help the specific wildlife and birds that thrive on those environments. The future of tourism in general and the impact it will have on African countries has been predicted to grow to phenomenal heights in the next 15 to 20 years. In Kenya alone, tourism, especially that which surrounds nature and game reserves, will be a key pillar for development on a national level, as well as a means to lighten the load of poverty and generate revenue through foreign spend.
Many African countries, where game reserves are prevalent, cannot rely on coastlines, offering marine life, sandy beaches, island getaways , and diving as a enticement.
So, they need to make the most of their wildlife and flora to bring the tourists to them. The environment, when it comes to game reserves, is as close to nature as one can get nowadays.
Contributing to the worlds carbon footprint is a very high reason on many a travellers list, as to why they would visit a certain region or venue. The allure of danger will always be a big attraction for most people, and so tourism will always boom in the African safari settings.
The People The people are important and many locals will find employment within the game reserves, often having specific skills that the game reserves can benefit from.
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