Giving Something Back To The Environment "My wife always says I look so much more relaxed when I come home from a day’s volunteer work,” reckons Howard Leader. After twenty-five years of teaching science in Ipswich, he’s found a new lease of life, and a great way of keeping fit! "I’ve always been interested in conservation, and when I retired over eighteen months ago, I wanted to get involved in something. The Stour Valley Volunteers are an interesting mix of people, and good fun to work with. We go out every Wednesday fortnight from Sudbury and work at a variety of locations throughout the Valley. "I enjoy everything. The work could be planting wildflowers and painting gates and fences at Hornestreet Field, clearing a pond at Daws Hall, or felling hybrid poplars obscuring views featured in Constable’s paintings. "We get to know corners of Suffolk and Essex that few others see, and it’s a great feeling to think at the end of the day, I helped look after that." Retired teacher Howard Leader is a regular member of the Stour Valley Volunteers, a fortnightly task force organised by the Dedham Vale AONB and Stour Valley Project. Back to My Suffolk , Your Suffolk >