Local Parks: For People or for Wildlife?

By Michael Smith (Veshengro)

The municipal parks in Britain were created so that the working masses could go and get some fresh air, seeing that they lives in tenements where little light and fresh air ever got to.

Those parks (and open spaces) were created under the Public Heath Act of 1875 and the subsequent ones and made the provision of parks and open spaces a statutory requirement on local authorities, councils and parishes.

That such parks can be and are a haven to wildlife, however, is and must come secondary to the original uses.

As parks, local municipal parks, and open spaces, are predominately for people and their needs of exercise in the open air they must, therefore, be managed primarily with that goal in mind. Wildlife, thus, must come – and does so under the law even – second.

It is this that must be understood when it comes to managing such parks and that it is people and their needs that come first.

Wildlife has its place but it will have to be one lower than the needs of the people for healthy recreation, even if this is just walking in a managed natural environment or well kept gardens.

There are a number of people who think that publicly owned parks and open spaces should, first and foremost, be managed – or better not – for wildlife and that people should be controlled in where they go and when and how.

This is a total and utter misunderstanding of the way parks are to be managed under the laws under which they were brought about. Wildlife was not a consideration at all back then.

While, as I said, wildlife certainly has its place and should be given consideration, primary consideration must be given to those for which parks and open spaces were made a statutory requirement, namely people.

The priorities must be gotten right and the priority is that parks and open spaces are for people's enjoyment and recreation and that should not take second stage to anything else.

Parks and open spaces are green oases in the often grimy inner cities and were thought to provide green spaces in which the working masses could go for a walk and enjoy some fresh air, even though in those days it was much more regulated what one could do in parks, and not just the Royal Parks of London. Park Keepers had real powers then and bylaws were rigorously enforced.

Parks and open spaces, under the laws that brought them about, which are still valid to this day in the same way, are primarily for people and management should reflect this, though each park and open space will have its unique areas that can also be managed for wildlife though without hampering the enjoyment of the place by the people.

Unfortunately there are some misguided people who think that wildlife has to come first in the management of parks and open spaces and will insist that this is to be so. It can, however, not be so, and that already as a result of the laws and statutory instruments under which the great majority of parks and open spaces, which are publicly owned, were created.

Thus care must be taken and those that make the demands that wildlife must have priority must be informed of the fact as to how the cookie crumbles, so to speak, as to how parks and open spaces are meant to work.

We cannot go about excluding visitors from parks at certain times, or from certain areas at certain time, just because someone thinks that wildlife needs to be protected during the breeding or nesting season or that this or that cannot be done in ways of necessary management because it might remove cover for one or the other kind of animals.

I don't think any of us have any problems with wildlife but it all comes down to a matter of priorities much like that one might encourage cyclists in parks but also in that one lets them know in no uncertain terms that it is pedestrians in the park that have priority.

“Public” parks and open spaces are here, primarily, for the enjoyment and use of people and it was for people and their use that they have been legislated for in the Public Health Act of the 19th century and the subsequent ones.

© 2011

Is Britain becoming deforested?

By Michael Smith (Veshengro), RFA

Latest national tree planting figures show a continuing decrease in the rate of woodland creation, whilst trees and woods are being lost across the UK

Tree planting figures released by the Forestry Commission show the rate of woodland creation in the UK continues to fall despite recent calls for increasing woodland cover from within and outside government. From more than 12,000 ha of new planting in 2004, levels had halved to less than 6,000 ha last year and have fallen further to 5,000 ha in the last planting season.

It should be evident to all but the most blind that the UK has been losing and is losing woodlands and hedgerows and hedgerow trees at a rate of knots with little if any replacement.

Responding to the announcement by the Forestry Commission, Sue Holden, chief executive of the Woodland Trust, the UK's leading woodland conservation charity which is now encouraging planting on other people's land, said: "These figures are truly worrying, but should be seen as a clarion call to us all to reverse the downward trend as a matter of urgency.

“Woods and trees are not a luxury but essential for our future quality of life. They are a key component in delivering a wide range of environmental benefits, such as carbon storage, air quality control, shade and shelter, surface flood water management and soil conservation, which are all the more pressing if we are to adapt to a rapidly changing climate.

“They also provide vital habitat for some of Britain’s most important wildlife, produce home-grown timber and wood fuel, have a proven ability to alleviate human mental stress and specific physical health problems and enhance our landscape.

“Trees are in many ways a highly cost effective way of tackling some of the major policy challenges of this government. This is why the Trust's pre-election manifesto called for a doubling of native woodland cover in the UK over the next 50 years.”

At the election the Conservative manifesto called for a national tree planting campaign – reiterated in the coalition agreement – and also highlighted the need to create green spaces and 'plant many more trees'. The Liberal Democrats on their own went even further calling for a doubling of woodland cover.

The benefits of woodland creation already feature in the UK's Low Carbon Transition Plan published last summer and the 2009 ‘Read Report’ on the role of UK forests in combating climate change. Most recently, under Defra's Climate Change Plan a designated Woodland Carbon Task Force will work out how to encourage large scale private sector investment in woodland planting.

The Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly have both made far-reaching commitments to increase woodland cover.

The UK is already one of the least wooded countries in Europe, with half the European average for tree cover.

Referring to the pressures on currently forested areas, Sue Holden continued: "We fully support the Forestry Commission's policy on restoration of open habitats and the restructuring of plantations, but are concerned that with new planting rates so low the net result may be a loss of woodland cover in the UK, at a time when increasing it is essential. The Government's own figures show a loss of over 9,000 ha of woodland between 1999 and 2008 for England alone which may well be an underestimate.

"There is an urgent need to compensate for these losses with large scale woodland creation elsewhere, and we are doing our bit by supporting the planting of native woods and trees through innovative schemes such as MOREwoods (http://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/en/plant-your-own-wood/morewoods/Pages/freewoods.aspx) and through partnerships with companies, schools and communities.

"We want to help government achieve its ambitious plans, but we need to see real commitment to support woodland creation."

Meanwhile there is evidence of significant loss of trees outside woods in hedgerows and fields, as old trees die or are felled for safety reasons, but not replaced. Forestry Commission research has shown that between 1980 and 1997 England suffered a 64% decline in individual trees.

Planting and growing trees and woodlands is one of the best ways of averting the impact of CO2 on climate change but there are many who seem to not understand this and do not appear to be getting the message.

There is a lot of conflicting material out there, sometimes claiming that only old trees store carbon. In fact it is the growing tree, the young tree in his most vigorous growth period, that absorbs most carbon as it is a prerequisite for the tree's growth.

The equation is, basically, the more trees, growing trees, more carbon is being absorbed and stored by them. Old trees, in fact, as they start to slowly decay while standing, release carbon back into the atmosphere.

It is for this very reason that forestry, managed forest and woodland use, with using trees for the many different purposes when trees have reached their proper commercial maturity and then re-afforesting, that is to say replacing the trees felled, three for one, as used to be the good practice, is actually good for the planet.

We need trees and woodlands and we need well managed woods and forests for the good of the country and the good of the Planet.

© 2011

Record-breaking green spaces

By Michael Smith (Veshengro)

On July 25, 2011, a record-breaking 1,288 parks and green spaces throughout the UK have been receiving the Green Flag Award or Community Award. This is a certain sign that even in these challenging times, the value of green space is widely acknowledged as vital to our communities.

The record number of sites that have been receiving an award this year ensures that even more of us now have access to well-managed, high-quality green spaces. Many of those award-winning sites will have been raising their flags throughout Love Parks Week, which ran from the 23rd to the 31st July.

In recent years, research has proved that quality parks and green spaces play a vital role within local communities. They are assets contributing to the local environment, the local economy, individual’s health and well-being, and in bringing the community together.

This year alone has seen even more value placed on our green spaces. A major new study by The UK National Ecosystems Assessment (NEA) shows that the health benefits of living with a view of green space are worth up to £300 per person per year, though as a parks professional I would actually consider the price to be higher still.

The Natural Environment White Paper published by the government in 2011, highlights further the importance of our green spaces and the benefits our natural environment has to us all – strengthening the significance of the part we all have to play in developing and protecting it.

Investment in parks and green spaces has the potential to impact on many aspects of the local environment. The increase in the number of Green Flag Award and Community Award sites this year is testament to the value and significance local authorities and the community as a whole are placing on their green spaces.

Communities and Local Government Minister, Andrew Stunell said: “This year, a record of number of parks and green spaces across the country have been awarded a Green Flag – a testament to all the hard work that local authorities and communities put in to maintaining them. The announcement of this year’s winners also acts as a timely reminder to communities everywhere that there are hundreds of top-quality parks out there to enjoy.

“Given the important role parks and green spaces play in all our lives, I would like to thank all this year’s volunteer judges for their efforts. I share the joy of communities that, through the scheme, see their local areas flourish.”

Green Flag Plus Partnership chairman Phil Barton said: “The importance of good-quality green spaces cannot be overestimated. They are central to the growth of our communities, both socially and economically.

“The Green Flag Award Scheme, and its growth, is essential in driving up the standards of our parks and green spaces. Access to quality green space is something we all desire and the scheme plays a key role in providing it.

“In these challenging financial times it is heartening that the number of Green Flag and Community Awards continues to grow. As the value of green space and the role it plays in our communities strengthens, we must ensure these high standards remain.”

But, many parks and open spaces do face serious problems due to government cutbacks that seriously affect service delivery on a local level. Park staff everywhere, and the management teams, will do their very best do keep the standards up as far as possible with the every dwindling resources.

Looking after your local parks and open spaces may be something where the Big Society could come into its own as well with volunteer groups assisting the park keepers and grounds maintenance teams everywhere.

© 2011

Managing tree suckers and water sprouts

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

Tree sucker sprouts and water sprouts are vigorous, upright, epicormic shoots that grow from dormant buds on older wood. They are mostly a problem on fruit and landscape trees, can grow very large in one season and occur most often under stressful conditions like drought, after severe pruning and limb loss.

Both kinds of sprouts should be removed immediately while remembering that a water sprout can be used to develop a new main trunk if there is severe damage to the old trunk.

Water sprouts are easily pulled off and some people do just that but personally I find that this can cause damage to the tree. Better, in my view, to cut them off close to the tree and treat the wound.

Suckers are much harder to deal with as they are attached at or below ground level and should be removed with as much of the root or basal material as possible.

That, though, is the theory. In practice it is normally not possible to remove the sucker properly as normally people will deal with the issue far too late.

Root suckers do also occur when a tree feels – as strange as that may sound – that it is dying and tries in that way to perpetuate itself.

In most cases root suckers only appear on tress that also would be ideal coppicing material and should the tree that is producing such risers really be in the process of dying it is then a good idea to – if it is a woodland tree – to manage it as a coppice tree.

© 2011