The 1920s saw the setting up of two pioneering Trusts in Norfolk, one for wildlife and one for archaeological sites, of which one (the Naturalists’ Trust) was to set the agenda for nature conservation in Norfolk for the rest of the century, in spite of the fact that, following the First World War, there was a stagnation in the study of botany. ‘Was there less to discover? Or was it, as has been suggested, that more attention was now being paid to the budding science of ecology?’ ‘Nature preservation failed to take off. Whether measured in terms of legislation, public awareness or nature reserves, the tangible achievements of the interwar years were meagre.’ if this analysis was true on the national stage, it certainly was not so in Norfolk, where an awareness of the fragility of the natural environment was clearly evident. The war years had resulted in the ploughing up of heath and the draining of marsh, and it was threats to the Cley Marshes from the War Agricultural Committee that led to concerns over its future and its purchase as a nature reserve.

The period after 1918 saw immense change in the countryside, with increased tensions between the natural environment and man's activities. improved roads, petrol stations, advertisement hoardings, electricity pylons and suburban sprawl were all seen as threats to the ‘traditional countryside’ and were themes taken up by many of the writers of the 1930s. ‘When one considers the changes to the face of the county that are being made or are being contemplated by the Forestry Commission, the Drainage Boards, speculative builders and the like, one is anxious to preserve for future generations areas of marsh, heath, woods, and undrained fenland with their natural wealth of fauna and flora.’