SS15 wildlife watching: "Love Minsmere: the live event" hosted by Chris Packham and Megan McCubbin

Chris Packham and Megan McCubbin set up their daily Self-Isolating Bird Club via social media channels in mid-March 2020 following the first national lockdown. It subsequently reverted to every Friday morning and was then suspended in the lead up to and during BBC Autumnwatch which they both presented along with Michaela Strachan, Iolo Williams and Gillian Burke.

However Chris Packham and Megan McCubbin both returned to social media this morning when they hosted “Love Minsmere – the live event”.

RSPB Minsmere has been a nature reserve since 1947. It is one of the RSPB’s flagship sites for both wildlife and visitors. It forms part of a wider area of the Suffolk Coast which is widely recognised as an outstanding location for wildlife and people alike with a rich and varied mosaic of habitats such as mudflats, shingle beach, reedbeds, heathland and grazing marsh, all providing a landscape of wild beauty. It is a safe haven for an amazing variety of wildlife and it is protected by a range of national and international nature conservation designations including:

Minsmere-Walberswick Heaths and Marshes Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)

Minsmere-Walberswick Special Protection Area (SPA)

Minsmere-Walberswick Heaths and Marshes Special Area of Conservation (SAC)

Minsmere-Walberswick Heaths and Marshes Ramsar site

RSPB Minsmere is also just one of 5 sites in the UK to have received the Council of Europe European Diploma for Protected Areas award. A draft resolution for the renewal of this award was approved in March 2019 on the condition that the proposed Sizewell C development (see below) does not cause any harm to RSPB Minsmere.

More than 6000 different animals, plants and fungi have been recorded at RSPB Minsmere, more than on any other RSPB reserve and amongst the highest number of any nature reserve in the UK. Its habitats include 4 of national conservation priority: reedbeds, lowland wet grassland, shingle vegetation and lowland heath. These habitats support a wide range of bird, plant and invertebrate populations of international conservation importance.

Among the diverse wildlife are nationally important populations of Bittern, Marsh Harrier and Avocet. Other wildlife in the wetlands include Otter, Water Vole, Kingfisher, specialist wetland plants and many rare dragonflies and other invertebrates. Across the heathland there are many rare species including Nightjar, Woodlark, Dartford Warbler, Adder, Natterjack Toad and Silver-studded Blue butterflies.

But …. the Sizewell estate, which borders RSPB Minsmere to the south, is one of 8 sites which have been identified by the Government as potentially appropriate locations to construct new nuclear power stations. The existing Sizewell nuclear power stations consist of Sizewell A, 2 reactors now in the process of being decommissioned, and Sizewell B, a single reactor. The proposals for Sizewell C by a consortium of EDF Energy and China General Nuclear Power Group consist of 2 reactors to the north of Sizewell B. This will bring the existing development right up to the boundary of RSPB Minsmere. In addition to the permanent buildings, infrastructure and access roads, there is a significant area of land identified for temporary storage and construction use during the development. If permission is granted, construction is expected to take up to 12 years.

What impact could the development of Sizewell C have on RSPB Minsmere?

At this stage, the concerns with the proposed Sizewell C development stem from its proximity to nationally and internationally important and designated wildlife sites, including RSPB Minsmere. This could be catastrophic for wildlife. The building work may increase erosion and upset the delicate balance of RSPB Minsmere. It could affect the water levels in the ditches and adversely impact rare wetland wildlife. Once construction is in progress, it may increase levels of noise and light pollution causing disturbance to sensitive wildlife. The effects would be long-term.

“Love Minsmere – the live event” enabled Chris Packham and Megan McCubbin to convey the biodiversity value and the beauty of the Suffolk Coast together with the huge threat being posed by the proposed Sizewell C development. They also encouraged viewers to support the e-activist campaign led by the RSPB and the Suffolk Wildlife Trust …. see here and please sign.