Environment Secretary Elizabeth Truss said she was 'extremely impressed' by a bird trust after a recent visit.

Ms Truss learned about the data analysis of birds on a visit to the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) in Thetford on October 8.

She met with Dr Andy Clements, the trust's chief executive, and other key members of staff to discuss the charity's work.

Now 80-years-old, the trust has been collecting data for 50 of those, and is looking to open up a new wildlife haven for birds and flowers in the future. Nunnery Lakes, the charity's base, is already open to the public.

Its work includes tracking the migratory habits of birds in the UK, with recent studies following their journeys from Thetford Forest to sub-Saharan Africa.

Ms Truss said: 'I was extremely impressed by the knowledge and expertise on offer. The trust has a complement of 110 staff, with the majority of these being scientists, ecologists, bio diversity experts as well as a number of PhD graduates.

'Across the UK there are 50,000 volunteers collecting evidence for recording by the trust. The BTO is recognised globally as the leading authority for their long term monitoring of birds; the data analysis and presentation they gave was incredibly informative. To have such a world renowned organisation based in Thetford is fantastic.'

Dr Clements said: 'It was a pleasure to welcome Elizabeth Truss to our Thetford offices and to have the opportunity to demonstrate how our evidence-based work can inform decisions for the environment. The Secretary of State clearly understands the role of science and we shared a common purpose to ensure that knowledge is better communicated.'

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