Arundel & South Downs MP Andrew Griffith visited the RPSB Pulborough Brooks on Friday 11^th June to find out more about the conservation work to preserve the Redshank, a declining species for which he has been made ‘Species Champion’.

The RSPB invited Andrew to become a ‘Species Champion’ under a scheme arranged by the Rethink Nature partnership, a group of seven wildlife organisations working together to make a difference to species conservation. The partnership includes reptiles, butterflies, and insects as well as at-risk birds.  Cons

Anna Allum, a Customer Experience Manager at Pulborough Brooks, showed Andrew around part of the extensive 160-hectare site which is home to 16 breeding pairs of Redshank.

The RSPB site is a Special Area of Conservation protecting species habitats in the wet grasslands, arable fields, and lowland heath. Many volunteers support the important work of the centre, logging bird sightings and collecting important data for research.

The Arun Valley has ideal conditions for breeding wader birds with its cattle grazed floodplains and extensive ditch network. Many farmers in the Valley undertake careful management of water level control and grazing to help improve the chances of nesting pairs.

Andrew said:

“It is a privilege to have been invited to champion the Redshank.  It is important to protect all our valued species and encourage their breeding by protecting and even enhancing their habitats through carefully managed programmes.

“I am incredibly grateful to Anna Allum for taking the time to show me around the Brooks site and to see where the redshank nests. I look forward to extending my knowledge about the small orange-legged waders.”