sorry me again... thought some of you may like to have a look at the press release for our 10th Anniversary celebrations next week... We have a VIP event on Tuesday and Bill Oddie will be coming along too! So a big thanks from me and all the team on the reserve for sticking with us as we grow and evolve. Who knows what the next ten years will bring?
What’s gone and what’s to come
RSPB Rainham Marshes is celebrating its tenth birthday next Tuesday, 13 July.
Just over a decade ago, we could well have celebrated with a bang as the site, a former military firing range, was strewn with unexploded munitions. A unique landscape, it had been closed to the public for more than a hundred years.
Rainham Marshes nature reserve today is a safe and peaceful haven for wildlife and an increasingly popular destination for local people and visitors from farther afield. With its award-winning zero-carbon Environment and Education Centre in Purfleet and innovative educational facilities, its mission is to bring people closer to nature.
The transformation of Rainham Marshes would not have been possible without the hundreds of individuals and organisations who have helped with their time and generous funding.
A special anniversary event has been planned to celebrate what we have achieved. It will be an opportunity to thank all those who have helped so far and, hopefully, inspire people to work with us to take our vision for the Marshes into the next decade.
Area Manager for the RSPB’s London Reserves, Marc Fletcher said: “From being a forbidding military zone, Rainham now offers the opportunity to get close to nature. Marsh frogs, watervoles, birds of prey and, in winter, clouds of lapwings make it a magical and surreal experience. Our vision for the next decade is as exciting and compelling as the last ten years, putting Rainham at the heart of the Thames Gateway.”
The anniversary event celebrates the original purchase of the site, which was made possible with public donations plus grants from the Heritage Lottery Fund and Veolia Environmental Services Havering Riverside Trust. Since their original involvement, both organisations have continued to support the reserve.
Robyn Llewellyn, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund, East of England commented: “What has been achieved at Rainham Marshes is truly wonderful. With our support, the RSPB have been able to save this ancient landscape, restoring important natural habitats and creating an invaluable resource for local communities. Ten years later, the reserve's special wildlife is thriving and more and more people have the opportunity to enjoy and explore an important part of our natural heritage.”
Doug Benjafield, Chairman of the Veolia Environmental Services Havering Riverside and Mardyke Trusts, which have between them contributed over £1.6 million to the RSPB in south Essex, said: ““The Veolia Trusts are very proud to have assisted both in the initial land purchase of the Rainham Marshes and in the ongoing development of this unique wildlife area on the edge of the south Essex urban fringe, within easy reach of over 12 million people.
“The peace and tranquillity of the marshes will provide a welcome counterpoint to the adjacent restored Veolia landfill site upriver. This will not only act as a focal point for higher density recreation and leisure uses but will also provide visitors with a stunning view out over the marshes – without actually disturbing the wildlife”.
cheers
H ;o)
Howard Vaughan, Information Officer