AIR & FIRE: Notes from our annual conference
Puddle gangs, rolling back the clock, reimagining fire, reflowing rivers, listening to our insects, getting stuck in elevators, mulching and community – this year’s conference took in a wide range of themes that set our minds ablaze with ideas for the positive actions we can all take to make a difference. Here’s a brief taster…
SARAH BOARD (Natural England) talked about the Lizard’s diverse natural habitats and species – from rocky outcrops containing plants like Land Quillworts which are only found on the Lizard and Isles of Scilly, to Mediterranean temporary pools and the ‘puddle gang’ of plants like Piggy Rush and Yellow Gentry. But despite the fact that 24% of the Lizard’s land area being legally protected, there’s more of a quantity than quality of protection… with heather habitats taking over in many places, and fewer species than there used to be. Find out more on this blog post.
Sarah shared this quote by John Muir, reminding us of the ripple effect and how everything is interconnected – urging us to use this principle to drive our nature recovery on the Lizard:
“When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.”
STEPHEN TOWNSEND (Natural England) talked about lowland heath burning, and how fire has proven to be a good management tool (although studies are ongoing to consider the climate cost of doing the burning – looking at the cycle on a longer term, it could turn out to be climate neutral, although waiting for studies to conclude).
He explained how their aim was to “roll back the clock to create a more diverse landscape again”, reconnecting rare species that have been forced into ‘islands’.
In the past, the landscape was used a lot more than it is now. Pressures on the landscape – from horses and ponies (main source of transport) to bracken and heather used for bedding, to turf cutting and gorse burning for firewood (as not much woodland) – meant that there was lots of fresh growth. Now, his team are using small, focused, controlled burns – traditionally known as ‘swaling’, to stimulate more diverse species growth. For example, he talked about burnt areas that are now full of millinia plants that encourage marsh fritillary butterflies – the Lizard is an important site for this declining species.
Stephen Townsend’s talk | Image: Nick Pearce–Gowildcam
ZOE SMITH from Westcountry Rivers Trust explained how in the last 300 years, the UK has lost 75% of its wetlands. They’re the foundation of the food chain and support 100,000 different species.
She talked about different ways landowners can support wetland habitats – from avoiding fencing too close to river banks to create bigger buffers (a 6-20m border is recommended if possible), to leaving trees that have fallen down into rivers as they can encourage the river to reflow around it, which is a positive thing and also enables fish and animals/ insects to shelter in their root space as well as helping the nutrient balance.
MATTHEW OATES talked about the messages our changeling insects can give us – instead of the proverbial canary in the coalmine, it’s insects that really tell us what’s to come.
“What affects an insect today affects our own tomorrow,” he said.
It’s about much more than just pollination. So it’s vital that we listen to what insects are telling us.
Matthew talked about the “sudden insect collapse” that happened on 1 June 2023, and the “heat shock vanishers” in the 2022 heatwave, like drone hoverflies and bumblebees, which vanished in mid-August. He also talked about the Asian Hornet which is currently colonising Kent and East Sussex – and new predators, parasites and diseases that may be on the way as “our biosecurity measures are pretty poor”.
But the good news is that more there are lots of positive stories too, such as more than 53 moth species colonising the UK between 2000 and 2019, and 316 species of dragon and damselflies since 1998.
GILLIAN BURKE told us a story – before getting onto the main part of her talk about fire – about being in an elevator that broke down. There was a lady with a baby, who went very quiet and just focused in on caring for her baby. Another person panicked, and kept ringing the phone even though it wasn’t working, couldn’t stop. Another took the front off the panel and started trying to fix it. And she remembers it so clearly, because she sees it as a metaphor for the climate and biodiversity emergency we’re all in now:
Who panics? [Activists making as much noise as possible to urge action]
Who stays calm? [Ecologists, carrying on caring for the natural world]
Who tries to fix it? [Scientists and technology etc]
Who chronicles it? [The media]
She also observed that Cornwall is a post-industrial landscape, and how inspiring it is to see what happens when nature returns. The places we go for peace and solace now, that would’ve been loud and dirty 150 years ago. It can give us hope seeing how nature has reclaimed these spaces.
CAROLINE RICHARDSON shared some hands-on tips for gardeners that can make a big difference to nature in our gardens, and reducing negative climate impact. These included:
Choose perennial plants wherever possible, as they’re deep rooted (good for soil) and also mean less plastic, peat and transport (from new pot plants bought at garden centres). Most new garden centre plants won’t be potted in peat-free compost either.
Future heatwaves and droughts, but also intense rain, wind and flooding/ waterlogging, will mean we need to do more to protect the soil and plants in our gardens. Hot summers can destroy soil biology, but mulching and cover crops can help create shelter, lock in moisture and also prevent soil erosion in heavy rain. Seaweed is a really good mulch than can also detract slugs while planting deep rooted cover crops like comfrey (which also helps mineral accumulation), lucernes, sainfoin, mustards and field beans can help fix nitrogen too.
Try following Charles Dowding’s No Dig technique, which helps preserve soil health and grow vegetables that are much more nutrionally dense too. Caroline also recommended Huw Richards’ YouTube channel.
JULIAN ABEL AND CHRIS WADDLE led a workshop on community and how we can work together to find solutions and coordinate our response. “The reason we’re in the situation we are now is because of human beings – and the way we’re going to get out of it is because of human beings,” said Julian. “Everyone has something they can give.” More on this to follow soon…
Big thanks to the Oates family at Rosuick Organic Farm for hosting us again this year.