As we move into meteorological spring in March, I am encouraged that the days are slowly getting longer and plants are waking up, soon nature will be bursting into new life.
Winter is always a good planning time for gardeners, and it has been a very busy time for me this year. I have started looking at the data from the Nature and Wellbeing Survey. As it was the first survey of its kind conducted by the Heritage Foundation, I included three open text boxes which will now allow us to better categorise the things people do to be close to nature, support their wellbeing, and care for the environment. Walking came out on top both for being close to nature and for wellbeing, some of us walk alone, some with family and friends and many of us take our dog companions with us. After this, gardening was popular with people enjoying growing food and ornamental plants. Norton Common and the Greenway were favourite places to visit. The splash park at Howard Park has a special place in the town's memory with people enjoying it as children, with their children and with their grandchildren.
Click on the images below to see some of the results from the survey:
In December I spoke about a new Green Asset Strategy. To get a long-term strategy in place requires gathering and considering information. This will help us make informed decisions about the management of our rural estate, approximately 2400 acres, up until 2050 and beyond. Food production has always been very important to Ebenezer Howard's vision, and we hope this will remain important to our rural estate while taking positive action to protect and restore nature.
While this long-term strategy takes shape, I feel there is a more immediate need to start understanding, sharing and celebrating our nature. As a result, I am also working on a short-term strategy to take us to 2028 and our 125th Anniversary. There are a number of important developments to support this. Currently Norton Common is the only Nature Reserve within the town boundary; to add to this, I have proposed that we recognise and manage 5 sites as nature reserves by 2028 and that I start work on the first two this year. As I write, work is being carried out to control the scrub at Hillbrow Orchard to the west of the town, the site where school children planted fruit trees last spring to celebrate Arbor Day. This will be our first Nature Reserve, where we will encourage species-rich grassland, an orchard area and discrete patches of scrub, all bounded by trees and hedgerows. This is a site where Kidney Vetch (woundwort) is known to grow, with its distinct yellow flowers. This plant is the only food source of the Small Blue Butterfly, a priority species that has been seen here and in the surrounding area.
Another exciting development is a new Letchworth Nature Group. I am supporting this group in setting up, with the hope that it becomes a Letchworth Arts and Leisure Group and so independent of the Foundation. A primary aim is to monitor, learn about and share news on the nature in and around Letchworth. Already two subgroups are establishing with a focus on gardens and allotments. I also hope that the group will share in the Foundation's journey to protect and restore nature on our rural estate.
If you have enjoyed this article, please look out for information on the following at the start of April:
- Hillbrow Orchard Nature Reserve Consultation.
- Dates for Letchworth Nature Group meetings.
For anyone interested in our nature-based volunteering opportunities, please click here.
