There's Pensthorpe, of course, which has just marked its 20th anniversary with a visit from the Duke of Edinburgh who made the official opening back in 1988.

Not far west is Sculthorpe Moor, acquired through the Hawk and Owl Trust and opened by Princess Anne in 2003.

And now Hempton, given the honours by our Mayor, performing one of her final official duties before handing on the chain of office in May.

This reserve is managed by the Norfolk Ornithologists' Association but is by no means confined to the preservation of bird habitats. Already a catalogue of butterflies, dragonflies and plants has been built up, including some that are extremely rare.

The common denominator linking all these important sites is the River Wensum and the broad valley through which it meanders. Apart from the occasional angler and the determined walker, with or without dog accompaniment, most residents seem to avoid the river as a place of recreation.

It may not be accessible for much of its course but around here there's a network of paths which have been increasingly opened up in recent years. You can get onto them from the town itself and there are maps to guide your way.

For anyone not wanting to go too far, or with a pushchair, the stroll down to Goggs Mill along Hall Staithe is a lovely walk with ducks guaranteed by the bridge.

We owe a debt to volunteer group Fakenham Area Conservation Team for their constant monitoring of local paths to make sure they remain clear. With the better weather now in sight the time is surely right to visit the reserves on our doorstep or take a walk on the wild side by the river. Which reminds me that Pensthorpe is staging its second annual Wild About the Wensum event on Saturday, May 17. Singer David Gray will be there to open proceedings at 10am. A host of stalls, workshops, walks, nature quizzes and children's activities will be on the menu with access to the park thrown in for free. You just pay £3 for parking so it's a real bargain.

• A collection calendar for the coming year tagged to my wheelie bin includes a progress report on how the district is doing in the recycling stakes.

In saying well done North Norfolk it is in effect giving us all a pat on the back. Mind you, we had a lot of ground to make up and there's still plenty to do.

If we go back to 2003, just 17 per cent of household rubbish was then being recycled. With the introduction of green and black bins this has steadily increased year by year. The current figure is 45 per cent with the council aiming to hit the big 5-0 next year.

If you have a garden you could help further by joining the brown bin brigade for regular garden waste collections at a relatively small annual cost. More information on this is available by phoning the council on 01263 516301.

Residents with vehicles are fortunate in having the Hempton recycling centre just a mile or so out of town. It caters for all manner of throwouts, including stuff like paints and gas cylinders, which would be inappropriate for normal collection. I've always found it to be a hive of activity there and the staff very accommodating.