Within the area proposed to be removed from Green Belt and under threat from the development plans is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, under Section 28 of the Wildlife an d Countryside Act, Culham Brake.
Description and Reasons for Notification
This small area of willow carr by the Thames contains one of the largest British populations of a Red Data Book species*, the summer snowflake Leucojum aestivum.
The wet clay soils and humid conditions within the willow thicket or withy bed support a lush fen carr flora in which well over a thousand clumps of summer snowflake occur.
The summer snowflake population appears to be thriving in the humid conditions provided at Culham Brake.
* The Red Data Book documents those species that are rare or threatened in Great Britain
Culham resident and botanical illustrator Val Price has drawn this beautiful image of the Summer Snowflake especially for our campaign website.
