A small but significant group of environmental activists gathered in Norfolk Park on Saturday. Led by Dave Dickinson of Sheffield Environmental we walked through Claywood to the Cholera Monument, South Street Park to the Canal Basin and the Grey to Green area by the Castle grounds, through the city centre to Devonshire Green. Along the way, we talked about many issues.
An interesting experiment is taking place near the Norfolk Park Centre. There are two patches of wildflowers growing, one is restricted to native species and the other includes wildflowers from many countries. If you are thinking of planting wildflowers, please make sure they are native to the UK. Many of our insects are struggling, indeed as the banner I carried on my rucksack stated, one in eight species are in danger of extinction. There are many complex relationships between insects and our native wildflowers, so if some species of wildflowers are not thriving, the butterflies and moths associated with them will also suffer.
Dave Dickinson said “It’s easy to dash out and buy non-native flowers to attract more bees to the garden. But in a ‘Butterfly crisis,’ as declared by the wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation, we need to provide food for the 25,000+ species of moths and butterflies supporting the entire ecosystem, not just the 270 species of bee. We need to be planting native species where possible.”
Walking through Norfolk Park we admired the long avenue of Turkey Oaks, the longest in Europe, but wondered if, as these are not native species, they may be limiting the biodiversity in the park. I am sure Ian Rotherham will advise! I have been recording what birds visit the park and have discovered 24 species so far. 70 species of birds are now on the Red List, which means there are serious concerns about their future. The red list includes birds we should be seeing in Norfolk Park such as the Cuckoo (April until June), the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, the House Sparrow, the Swift, the Starling and the Greenfinch.
Claywood is home to a rare millipede called Melogona Scutellaris. It is in a list of globally threatened declining species. Despite their small size, millipedes and woodlice are the heroes of the British countryside, and especially our woodlands, where they provide an essential ecosystem service in helping with the decomposition of plant material. These groups of minibeasts are highly sensitive to their environment and are regarded as excellent indicators of the health of the natural environment.
It is not just other countries where nature is disappearing- we are already one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world as we are in the bottom 10% of nations for biodiversity. We urgently need to protect the species we have left and rewild areas to create homes for species that are struggling or that could be reintroduced.
Passing the Cholera Monument, one of the best views of Sheffield, we noticed the Council could be doing better in promoting the wildflowers. To create a wildflower meadow it is important to clear away the cuttings, otherwise, they add nutrients to the soil and the dominant species will crowd out the wildflowers.
At the iconic Park Hill flats we noted the lack of Swift Bricks, but this will be put right soon with specially designed Swift Boxes. Solar panels on the roof were also lacking! Come on Urban Splash, you must have one of the best sites in Sheffield for solar!
South Street has been designed without footpaths and with “wiggles” which are supposed to slow the cars down. Unfortunately, not all drivers are considerate and there are no 20 mph signs. This seems to be an accident waiting to happen.
We enjoyed the Grey to Green scheme which was a riot of colour and protects the city from flooding. At the Castle, we looked forward to the unveiling of the River Sheaf but were dismayed to see the wonderful facade of the building on Haymarket, which is now scaffolded for demolition.
On King Street, we were delighted to see the brand new Community Bike Project, a place where people can learn bike maintenance, with “do it together cycle repair sessions.”
But on Fargate as the redevelopment continues the Council eventually decided not to include a bike lane for health and safety reasons. How we separate cars from bikes and bikes from pedestrians is going to be an ongoing problem.
Passing the Town Hall we wondered what progress Councillors have made in reducing Glyphosate use. If we are going to protect nature, the very first step must be to stop poisoning it! Spraying has been reduced but we need to remember that what we call “weeds” often feed our bees and insects.
Joining us on the march was Calluna, the puppet Hen Harrier, to remind us of all the species persecuted on our moors so that rich people can shoot grouse. Remember the massive pollution event Sheffield experienced last autumn from moor burning? This was carried out to maximise the conditions for grouse, causing severe difficulty for many people with asthma or other breathing problems. It is time the authorities clamped down on this objectionable practice.
This week we have heard that only 2.93% of the UK is protected for Nature, despite government promises to conserve 30% of it by 2030. Government delegates will soon head to Cop16, the international nature summit, which will take place from 21 October in Colombia. They intend to ask other countries to stick to ambitious nature targets.
According to the Guardian “The commitment to protect 30% of land for nature by 2030 was made in 2020 by the then prime minister, Boris Johnson. But according to a report by Wildlife and Countryside Link, the amount of land in England that can be said to be effectively protected for nature has fallen to just 2.93%, while the amount of sea protected is at 9.92%.”
Green Councillor Peter Gilbert said “The Restore Nature Now March was a positive event, about exchanging ideas and looking at the city from a nature perspective. If only we placed as much emphasis on ecology as on the economy, we would be in a much healthier place.”
Restore Nature March in London
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