Dr. Therese Coffey MP, champion of the bittern, visited RSPB Minsmere to learn more about her species and see what is being done to improve the resilience of Suffolk’s reedbeds in the face of climate change. During her visit, the RSPB presented Dr. Coffey with a unique bittern picture, selected as the winning entry in a children’s art competition at Minsmere.
Plantlife took Richard Benyon MP, the species champion for the snake’s head fritillary, to see the plants flowering at Stanford Mill Meadows in Berkshire. More information can be found on Plantlife’s website here.
Derek Thomas, MP for St Ives in Cornwall, visited the Isles of Scilly to see the incredible work being done to reverse the declines in seabirds. He agreed to champion the Manx shearwater, one of the bird species benefitting from the removal of rats from the Islands.
Following a visit to RSPB Bempton Cliffs, Kevin Hollinrake MP, became a species champion for the puffin to help raise awareness of the plight of this endangered seabird.
The formal launch of the species champions’ project took place at Westminster on 1 March 2016. The 20 MP species champions were invited to drop in and receive a poster of their adopted species and to talk to the project team.
