Join us on a sobering drone fly through of the two kilometres of felled woodland margins. Between 23-26th September 2024 the MOD/DIO CLEAR FELLED and flailed close to 1 hectare of a cracking woodland Local Wildlife Site (over one football pitch worth). The grave concern this will be permanent if the woodland is fenced off as the kissing gates suggest!
This has removed the ENTIRE southern edge habitat along 2km; this was one of the finest and most diverse woodland edges in Essex due to the lack of deer and low intervention management for many decades, allowing natural regeneration and a diverse scrub layer.
This has impacted at least 12 Nightingale territories, definitely will have killed reptiles and possibly destroyed Dormouse habitat - no protected species surveys were carried out. This also will have killed countless invertebrates alongside small mammals. The result? A LOT of wildlife such as birds and bats will go hungry.
The destruction of Birch Brook Woodland southern margins is directly connected to the planned development of Middlewick Ranges. MOD/DIO is intent to destroy this largest remaining acid grassland site - and to justify this by ploughing up and adding dozens of tonnes of Sulphur to the grassland next to this woodland edge habitat as 'compensation'; unthinkable permanent impacts on wildlife that calls this grassland and woodland home.
The woodland clearance is presumably to facilitate their sale to a developer. Further habitat loss and breach of protected species/environmental legislation must not be allowed, the MOD have acted with impunity.
Find out more - and sign our petition - Just Google 'Buglife Middlewick' and you will find the Buglife website and petition.
Join our Face Book group: Save the Middlewick Ranges
Save the Wick - and Birch Brook Woodland!!!
20 окт 2024
