A December update from our Nature and Wellbeing Manager, Emma Dagless.
"In the October newsletter I explained how the Nature and Wellbeing Manager role had got off to an exciting start. Life has continued to be busy, and I have learnt a tremendous amount about Letchworth and our green spaces. As a result, I am pleased to have fed into the Foundation's 2025 Business Plan and have an ambitious programme of work to get stuck into. A focus of much of this work will be to bring people together.
The way in which we work with colleagues can be very important, one thing that my arrival has catalysed is stronger team working with staff involved with managing greenspace. This has injected fresh energy and fun into what we do, with a focus on wellbeing - laughter is very therapeutic!
Some faces may be familiar, but for clarification, from left to right:
Kris Karslake is the Sustainability Manager who I am working with closely to deliver the biodiversity target in our Sustainability Strategy. Paul McKenna, our Estate Manager, oversees the management of much of our green estate including the Greenway, Radwell, Meadows, Wymondly Woods and other public spaces that many of you enjoy. Matt Jones recently joined the team as our Trees & Woodland Officer. Matt is currently in the process of writing the Foundation's new Tree Strategy. Ed Paxton is the Volunteering Manager and is working to increase the number of nature-based volunteering opportunities. Recently Ed and Matt have started running conservation volunteering sessions on the first Thursday afternoon of the month. Further details on volunteering opportunities can be found on our website.
Next week this group will be joined by relevant Directors and Managers to start work on a new Green Assets Strategy. This will be pivotal in reimaging Ebenezer Howard’s vison of best of town and countryside, delivering our biodiversity net gain targets and contributing to the Hertfordshire Nature Recovery Strategy. As part of this we hope to identify a number of sites that will be dedicated to nature and nature-based education.
As my job title implies, I will also be focusing on the wellbeing benefits of nature. A starting point will be to bring together organisations with an interest in nature, health and wellbeing, or both, to understand what we each do, share ideas and look for ways to improve the nature connection offer for the people of Letchworth. Over the years I have read and researched many fascinating books and articles on the powerful effects of nature for health. With anecdotal evidence going back hundreds of years, it is exciting to see the current level of scientific research now being done in this area. I can see huge benefits to it being applied to a broad range of fields including landscape and built environment design, education, and healthcare. My challenge for the days leading up to Christmas is to gather some of this information into a presentation that I can share.
As we approach the winter solstice, I hope that you will be able to join me in getting outside and appreciating the nature that the season has to offer, be it wet, frosty, grey or dappled with sunshine. I would like to wish everyone a peaceful Christmas and invite you to join me in a nature and wellbeing journey during 2025."
