Porton Down

Porton Down in England is a large tract of land that was established in 1916 as a bio/chemical warfare research lab, and thus has been under the tightest security for nearly a century now.

An article from The Independent UK reveals something else about Porton Down: The secret of Porton Down: behind its defences, it has created Britain's finest wildlife reserve

Yet it has another identity, known to only a few, which makes those acquainted with it see Porton Down as a jewel. It is a time capsule of a forgotten countryside which has created probably the single best wildlife site in Britain.

For example, it is beyond doubt Britain's the best site for butterflies. The ultra-high-security 7,000-acre Ministry of Defence estate north-east of Salisbury consists largely of unspoiled flower-rich chalk grasslands, dotted with woods, where 46 of our 55 native butterfly species, or 83 per cent, have been recorded, more than at any other location.

The public can visit, but you must write in to reserve a tour spot and it is currently booked up through the summer of 2005. I'm thinking about booking a spot now and planning a trip around it later....

Comments

[james]

I recently read an article about the no-man's-land between the Koreas. The article was very similar- off limits to humans, the area has become a garden of ecological diversity.
Unfortunately, I can't remember where i read the article and my searches come up empty...

Perhaps i'm a dreamer (but i'm not the only one), maybe someday that strip of land will be preserved without landmines.

[Dav]

Here's a link regarding the korean DMZ: News in Science.

I suppose it's only relatively light animals that are roaming around the landmine habitat.