RAF Molesworth unique status recognized with Earth Day activities

  • Published
  • By By Tech. Sgt. Kristina Barrett
  • 501st Combat Support Wing Public Affairs
RAF MOLESWORTH --  Celebrating its status as a unique conservation area, RAF Molesworth held Earth Day activities ranging from educational programs for kids to the installation of interpretive signs around the installation. 

The 400-acre base used to be farmland before World War II but since it hasn't been farmed in more than 60 years, in contains rare vegetation and has earned the distinction of being a conservation area. 

No pesticides have been used in so long that the flora and fauna that flourishes here support a variety of wildlife, according to Dr. Jo guy, 423 rd Civil Engineering Squadron Environmental Flight chief. 

"There is an area about 30 miles from here that is being reforested," he explained. "Birds are coming back to that area and the conservation area on Molesworth is supporting them." 

Helping preserve this area is the British organization The Wildlife Trusts, which conducts surveys of wildlife and plant life three to four times per year. 

"The military is giving value to the area by managing the resource well," said Rachel Pateman, conservation officer. 

To celebrate Earth Day, children from Alconbury Middle School we let loose in a field to see what they could find. Topping the list were spiders but many different insects were found. 

"This encourages children to think about the environment," Dr. Guy said. 

"The area contains a diversity of wildlife and is unique in the wildlife and plant species it supports," said Lt. Col. Keith Welch, 423 CES commander. "It's important for us to preserve this for future generations." 

In addition to vegetation and wildlife, Molesworth is home to the globally -protected Great Crested Newt, which number around 100 - the largest concentration of the endangered species found in Cambridgeshire. 

"We have received money from the (Royal Air Force) because of our outstanding environmental management program," Dr. Guy said. "This money paid for interpretive signs that let the base know what's out here." 

The signs were installed for the variety of people who use the conservation area to hike or picnic in, allowing them to understand the importance of what is around them. They can be found near the paintball field and by the barbeque pits.