This month’s Eco Action column is by Bromsgrove Extinction Rebellion.
AS Coronavirus restrictions ease we are all looking forward to a healthier, unrestricted life and Bromsgrove and Droitwich folk, more than most, appreciate the importance of biodiversity in the health of the planet.
Upton Warren Nature Reserve, helps to provide a coherent network of green areas linked by wildlife corridors that can hugely boost biodiversity.
As we await the environmental protections promised in the Climate and Ecological Emergency (CEE) bill, we cannot take what we have for granted.
We must ensure the Reserve boundaries are not infiltrated by pollution, noise, litter and domestic animals which could destabilise its viability.
John Belsey Upton Work party leader said “The work of volunteers is vital in supporting biodiversity with the regular cutting of reed beds, preventing the build-up of nutrients and the rejuvenation of islands for breeding birds”.
The reserve consists of the ‘Moors’ (freshwater) and the ‘Flashes’ (saline), which support an unusual range of saltwater plants and wildlife, with 245 bird species recorded on site. Badgers and Otters are also seen.
In trying to understand what has happened to the wetland’s biodiversity over the last 20 years a sample of six wader birds was chosen, most of which are now in decline. Volunteers believe the decline is due to a combination of nesting habitat loss, migration fatalities and breeding site predation by other birds and foxes.
The outstanding breeding success story over the period is however the Avocet, where numbers have risen from zero to 59.
Looking ahead we need to ask if the reserve is still safe under the new planning laws.
Certainly, there is a concern that the boundaries are potentially under threat from future housing projects.
Councils are now required to submit development plans identifying land ‘for growth’, ‘renewal’, or ‘protection’.
Planning permission will be granted automatically in the former, with permission in principle given in ‘renewal areas’.
There is a risk that the field adjacent to the Flashes could be designated “for renewal” if the transmitter towers were ever dismantled. However small the risk we must remain vigilant.
Join the Worcestershire Wildlife Trust today and the Tuesday Upton work parties and write to your MP about the CEE bill to protect our local biodiversity.
New Bromsgrove Extinction Rebellion members are always welcome. Find out more by emailing [email protected] or by visiting the Bromsgrove Extinction Rebellion Facebook page.
