Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust: Time to go wild to help with nature’s recovery
Having been originally employed to work exclusively within the city of Nottingham for the Wildlife Trust and having grown up on the outskirts of the city, urban and suburban wildlife has long been of real interest to me, writes Erin McDaid, of Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust.
As we face up to the fact that we are in the midst of the nature and climate crisis, now, more than ever before we need to make space for nature in our urban environment whether that be towns such as Newark or Bingham or cities such as Nottingham or Lincoln — and perhaps even more importantly, in our lives.
Over recent centuries we have become less and less connected to nature — the fact that this disconnect has developed over the same time period that has seen most of us migrate from rural areas to urban settings isn’t just a coincidence.
While many folks do care passionately about wildlife and the environment, collectively we are disengaged from how natural systems work, their complexity and connectivity.
Far too often we seek to try and tame or control nature, craving manicured and micro-managed landscapes because these are what we have become accustomed to and where we feel safe.
As a result, measures to allow nature a freer hand can be viewed nervously and negatively — even in a nation of nature lovers.
Wild and natural is often viewed as untidy, unkempt, and even unsafe.
Over the past decade, the concept of rewilding has really come to the fore. In essence, rewilding embraces the power of nature to self-regulate landscapes and ecosystems.
Where there is space for true rewilding, wild species, including apex predators, can come back from the brink, and repaired and renewed functioning landscapes bring with them benefits such as species recovery, increased carbon storage to mitigate climate change and reduced flood risk.
Here at Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, we are big fans of rewilding - but we recognise that where space is at a premium, whether in the farmed landscape or highly built-up towns and cities, there isn’t always room to unlock the full power and potential of rewilding.
However, let’s be clear — room can and should be found to make spaces wilder.
Our whole strategy is focused on creating a wilder Nottinghamshire and ensuring that more people have opportunities to see, experience, connect with and benefit from nature.
It is in our towns and cities, where most of us live, that the disconnect with nature is greatest.
Here, people are disproportionately disadvantaged; deprived of the health and wellbeing benefits that access to and connection with nature brings.
Making space for nature in these settings does more than support nature’s recovery — it can boost the health and happiness of communities too.
Making space for nature where we live can be challenging, but the rewards can be amazing.
Change can be disconcerting. Areas of lawn left to grow into a meadow can be viewed as messy or even considered a rouse by landowners to save money on mowing. Self-sown trees and scrub can be seen as untidy — but these will often establish and grow faster and support more wildlife than the expensive ‘lollipop’ trees that all too often become a focus for vandals – requiring costly replacement.
Low lying areas left to flood can be viewed as wasted or abandoned, instead of being valued for the role they play in protecting people and property.
For details of how our towns and cities can be transformed for nature and people — and how you can play a role in delivering this transformation visit notting hamshirewildlife.org/transform-our-towns
If we are to ensure our urban spaces play a part in nature’s recovery, our mindset needs to shift from trying to control and tame nature to working with it and harnessing its power. If we can find space to let more nature into our lives and the places where most of us live and work, we can all reap the rewards while watching wildlife flourish.
