Talking
pointIronically, there has been repeated
public outcry over damage to short grass,
caused by environmental protestors during
demonstrations, not matched by a whisper
of public concern about those same places
often being ecological disaster zones in the
first place. In February, when a stampede
of more than 15,000 Greta Thunberg
followers squished the short turf on College
Green in Bristol into a muddy mush, there
was public rage at the ‘damage’.
It emerged afterwards that there was no
serious damage – unless you count years
of wildlife declines. The fury was the
second high-profile example that month
of mass rage – the other being at Trinity
College in Cambridge. In both cases, a
more important concern was overlooked- some of our urban greens are so barren
that there is comparatively little wildlife left
to harm or lose.
B
ut we can fix this. There is
an exciting twist to Greta
Thunberg’s visit to Bristol
that addresses this concern –
wildflowers will be growing
in the young activists’ footsteps. The
community ploughed more than £20,000
into a crowd funder to transform College
Green and other green spaces, in an
attempt to bring more wildlife back into
the city, bring people closer to it, and
inspire them. Bristol was, of course, the
first British city to declare both a climate
and ecological emergency.
Chris Packham, TV naturalist and co-
founder of Wildlife Rebellion, said: “This is
a superb example of community spirit and
people coming together to make a positive
impact for green spaces across Bristol.
We’re excited to be working alongside
Bristol Youth Strike 4 Climate and partners
to help transform College Green into the
best it can be, for wildlife and for people.”
If a challenging, heavily used city centre
space like College Green can be improved
for wildlife – and it can – surely almost
anywhere can. Simple steps all help drive
up the wildlife richness of an urban space,such as adding native British wildflowers,
carefully choosing nectar-rich ornamentals
instead of pretty but poor exotics, reducing
mowing, reducing light pollution, adding
wildlife shelter areas, good bee nesting
spots, bird or bat nestboxes, native trees
or a modest pond with native plants.I
n the Cambridge case, there was public
anger when Extinction Rebellion
(XR) protestors dug up a manicured
university lawn. Three people were
arrested and charged with causing
criminal damage. XR spokeswoman Amelia
Halls said: “Lawns are a class and status
symbol. There needs to be a complete
re-evaluation of what we understand to
be heritage, when lawns could be full of
wildlife. We should use green spaces to
bring back biodiversity.
“The reaction highlighted the class
divide in Cambridge. The grass was
part of a vast expanse of lawns that are
ecologically barren. You are not even
allowed to walk on them. They are there
just to be looked at. They require a huge
amount of maintenance and watering,
giving nothing in return.
“It was surreal to compare the level of
international coverage and public outcry at
digging up a few square metres of barren
lawn, to almost apathy towards inaction
on the climate and ecological crisis.”
A press spokesperson for the University
of Cambridge said each of its colleges
decides its own policies, but added:
“We are working on a biodiversity plan
that is in the planning and approval stage.”
Kings College in Cambridge, for example,
this year transformed the famous Chapel
lawn into taller, insect-rich wildflower
meadows. It had been short and pristine
for centuries. The College gardeners
recognised it was species-poor, almost
a monoculture, and they introduced a
riot of summer colour with harebells,
buttercups, poppies and much more
besides. Here, the ‘keep off’ signs have
been removed, making way for public
paths mown through the tall meadows.Buglife’s chief executive Matt Shardlow
said: “Many Cambridge University
greens have been intensively treated with
insecticides, including the persistent,
and now banned, neonicotinoids, to get
rid of chafer beetles – so, these lawns are
generally highly sanitised and sterile. Much
more wildlife could thrive in Cambridge
if it was given the space to do so on these
currently over-manicured carpets of green.”
He added: “Too much of our urban
landscape is dull municipal grassland,
but several cities are showing the way and
planting up large areas with wildflowers
and relaxing the management [of these
spaces], to create a safe space for bees and
other biodiversity. It would be great if this
was done everywhere, and our guidance for
local authorities to help them to look after
pollinators sets out how to do so.”
Buglife research shows that about half
of our bumblebee species are in decline
(three others have already gone extinct).
Two-thirds of our moths are in long-term
decline, 71 per cent of our butterflies are
in decline. Across Europe, 38 per cent of
bee and hoverfly species are in decline.
The charity’s Urban Buzz project has“ It was surreal to
compare the
level of public
outcry at digging
up a few square
metres of barren
lawn, to almost
apathy towards
inaction on the
climate crisis.”