A marsh harrier floats over the reeds. Picture Credit: RSPB
RSPB Titchwell is renowned for its marsh harriers. In addition visitors can find avocets, gulls and terns in the lagoons. It's one of the RSPB reserves that will receive a contribution from the RSPB Eastern 400 Challenge so please donate.
The Emily Williamson statue design arrived for display on 1st August and proved very popular.
Joseph, 9, Elizabeth, 6 and Beatrice, 4 Griffiths from Southampton. Picture credit: Sam Turley, RSPB
The Griffiths family from Southampton loved the design. Joseph, Elizabeth and Beatrice studied the statue in detail and decided that of all the birds the owl was their favourite. Elizabeth thought the starling in Emily's hand was like 'the birdie in our garden'.
Trevor Ansell, Andrew and Sue Bryan Picture credit: Sam Turley, RSPB
Regular Titchwell volunteer Sue Bryan had actually seen yellow eyed penguins on a visit to New Zealand and was delighted to see them in the statue design. In over sixty years as a birder Sue had seen around 5,600 species of bird. She felt the statue was pro-women, pro-birds and pro-avocets!
Andrew arrives at Titchwell on his bike. Picture credit: Sam Turley, RSPB
At midday, Andrew resumed his 400 mile cycle ride. Half the money he raises will go towards vital conservation efforts at the eight RSPB reserves he is visiting on the ride. The other half will go towards funding a permanent statue to the female founder of the UK’s largest nature conservation charity.
To donate to the fundraising campaign please visit Andrew's fundraising page.
Andrew headed for RSPB Frampton Marsh
Andrew on a training run in Bollington, Cheshire
The Emily Williamson statue will be placed in Fletcher Moss Park, Didsbury, Manchester, where Emily lived when she founded the RSPB in 1889.
Cycling 400 miles and visiting eight RSPB nature reserves across six counties Andrew is aiming to raise £5,000.
Andrew’s RSPB Eastern 400 ride takes him to eight RSPB reserves in the six counties of Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk and Lincolnshire, beginning 23 July and finishing Wednesday 2 August, He is aiming to raise £5,000 towards the fundraising goal of £100,000 and half of the funds raised with be shared among the RSPB reserves he is visiting.
Eve Shepherd with her winning design
In December 2020 a competition was launched by author and journalist Tessa Boase and Andrew, in partnership with the RSPB, to design a statue of Emily Williamson (1855-1936). The four shortlisted designs were unveiled on the centenary of The Plumage Act (1 July 2021), the RSPB’s first legislation triumph and the result of Emily’s long campaign.
Brighton based sculptor Eve Shepherd’s winning design was then made available as 20 limited edition 40 cm high bronze maquettes which are also for sale as part of the fundraising efforts for the life-sized sculpture of Emily.
To find out more please go to www.emilywilliamsonstatue.com