A number of our supporters have raised concerns about the potential impact on nesting birds during the Brighton Festival installation ‘For the birds’ which takes place in woodland in Brighton in evenings in May.
The concerns centre around the possibility that the piece could impact on nesting birds, which are protected under law during the breeding season. The RSPB is keen to see that organisers of any outdoor event of this type carry out suitable environmental assessments to ensure that the activity does not cause harm to species. We have made the festival organisers and Brighton & Hove City Council aware of the public’s concerns, and they informed us that they are were looking into these issues. Please check the Brighton Festival website for any updates surrounding this matter.
The RSPB has had no involvement in this Brighton Festival event. A similar installation by the same artist was originally installed on at RSPB Ynys-hir nature reserve, in Wales, and the RSPB gave permission for the installation to take place during October, out of the bird nesting season, so that it could engage visitors without having an impact on nesting birds. Prior to the event at RSPB Ynys-hir, the RSPB carried out environmental impact assessments, and engaged with Natural Resources Wales who carried out a full site survey and approved the four day installation. We would expect any replication of the original event to have undergone similar assessments and take into account considerations for wildlife.
The RSPB quote used by the Brighton Festival relates to the RSPB Ynys-hir event.