The Jim Bull Wood

On Saturday 12 April a small group gathered in Northumberland to pay tribute to Jim Bull, who worked for the Council (later Campaign) for National Parks for over 26 years.

Jim’s friends and colleagues,after the treeplanting

Part of this tribute included planting twenty native trees which, in time, will form a small wood, just off the Hadrian’s Wall National Trail near Milecastle 42 at Cawfields.  This will be known as the Jim Bull Wood.

The Jim Bull Wood

The group included many people who had worked alongside Jim and was very ably assisted by Paget Lazzari and the National Park ranger team.  Thank goodness they had dug the holes beforehand, making the job of planting the trees and attaching protective guards much easier and quicker.

The rangers couldn’t have suggested a more perfect spot to plant the trees – tucked away off the National Trail and with road access, with a bubbling stream flowing nearby and birdsong all around.

The day allowed us all time to remember Jim, with anecdotes, memories and extracts from a Swinburne poem (the garden of Prosperine):

From too much love of living,

From hope and fear set free,

We thank with brief thanksgiving

Whatever gods may be

That no life lives for ever;

That dead men rise up never;

That even the weariest river

Winds somewhere safe to sea.

Tribute to Jim Bull – a loyal work colleague and friend

Jim worked for the Council (later Campaign) for National Parks for over 26 years. He was a diligent, loyal work colleague and an essential part of the close CNP team while we worked there. Jim looked after the Friends of National Parks scheme, was the office manager, organised meetings of the Council (and the Park Societies conferences in earlier years), looked after the accounts, acted as the organisation’s grammar guru and generally sorted out anything that needed sorting, including the computers. If you asked Jim to help out with something he was always quick to get on the task and when we were out and about with our busy and stressful jobs, he was always the person back in the office you could rely on.

Jim was keen to find ways to save CNP money so that hard won donations could be spent on important campaigns. A good example is when he found a group of muscly South African moving men who carried box after box of the precious CNP archives up and down stairs during the office move – they were a lot cheaper than conventional movers!

Working with Jim was good fun. We used to take it in turns to buy chocolate and biscuits to keep us going through office hours and Jim liked nothing better than to go out for a mid-morning pasty run to the local Greggs.

Outside work Jim was an enthusiastic volunteer for the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers – often driving the minibus or leading weekend long conservation tasks.

With his academic background (PhD) and intelligence he could have had a very different career but chose National Parks because he loved their open spaces and believed in them. We will always remember him for his integrity, compassion and commitment to a cause in which we all believed.

He lived in Clapham Junction close to the CNP office and working there played a huge part in his life. We knew that Jim was often depressed and we did our best to support him, including during the very difficult time when he was made redundant from CNP in 2012. Tragically, Jim took his own life in September 2014. He was in his mid-50s when he died.

Through all the challenges it was Jim that kept the charity ticking – the most consistent person as others came and went. If he hadn’t performed that job as he did for such a long time the family of National Parks would have been so much the poorer for not having him there. We are all very grateful to Jim for the work that he did.

Ruth Chambers and Vicki Elcoate (who worked with Jim for much of his time at CNP between 1992 and 2012)

When will the energy policy pendulum reach a steady state?

We humans are a sociable bunch and we like to associate ourselves with like-minded others, whether in politics, sport or ideology, with energy policy no exception to this congregation.

 

Generally, it seems that people associate themselves with a few distinctive camps.   Climate change campaigners who believe that this is the number 1 issue facing the planet and that measures to reduce the amount the climate will change are essential, perhaps at any cost.  Landscape lovers who hold that the current march of large scale renewable (principally wind) schemes in upland and rural areas is a step too far and are or have become anti-all renewables as a result.  Nuclear supporters who claim to have all the answers to our energy woes.  Conventionalists, who want a new dash for gas, including shale.

 

Politicians like to place themselves visibly on this spectrum, their views informed by a complex mix of constituency issues, lobbying pressure, financial considerations and a good old dose of gut reaction.

 

This results in the energy policy pendulum being in a perpetual state of motion.  Sometimes the swings are wild, like in 2009 when Ed Miliband said that opposition to wind farms should become as socially unacceptable as failing to wear a seatbelt while he was Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change.  Or last week when the Secretary of State for the Environment Owen Paterson declared war on ‘Soviet style’ wind energy subsidies when he rightly recognised that renewable energy can have unintended consequences on the countryside.

 

The barricades between people who care about our changing climate and its impacts domestically and internationally, and those who care about the harm that poorly sited renewable energy schemes are causing to our landscapes are fast being piled up.

 

But there are glimmers of hope.  The Llangattock Green Valleys scheme in South Wales delivers wins all round – the only issue I have with it is why aren’t similar schemes being rolled out everywhere?  For me, this is where the energy policy pendulum should settle – on projects, policies and funding streams that deliver renewable energy (and other green goals) in ways that respect landscape (and townscape) and on which consensus – and ultimately progress – could be built.

Five reasons to love the New Forest

 

The chance to get away from it all – open space, fresh air, places to paddle

Abundant wildlife – fallow deer, silver studded blue, stonechats and plenty more

Ponies, simple as that

Quirky pubs like the Royal Oak in Fritham

Great places to stay like Little Acorns in Woodgreen village

Why advocacy is like cooking

Many people see advocacy as a bit of a dark art, best left to people with the gift of the gab or political connections.  But I think of it a bit like cooking – if you follow a recipe of simple ingredients then you can achieve great things for your cause.

Today I helped the Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty to think about how they work collectively on behalf of these inspirational landscapes.

Here are my five essential ingredients for impactful advocacy.

1. Use consistent messages – the world of influencing is increasingly competitive so ensuring that you are clear about you want to achieve will be important in winning the ear of policy makers.  No-one likes a waffler!

2. Build quality relationships – it’s easy to get caught up in the machinery of government and forget that decision makers are people too, with human needs, dreams and worries.  Building relationships with decision makers before issues crop up will stand you in good stead in the long run

3. Develop an evidence base – underpinning policy asks with robust evidence will enhance your credibility.  Highlighting economic benefits and impacts will be crucial, especially given the omnipotence of the Treasury in policy making

4. Show and tell – using practical experience, case studies and demonstration projects will help you to be seen as knowledgeable, grounded and realistic

5. Speak from the heart – communicating with passion can enable you to connect with your audience and encourage them to take action to support your work, and to feel good about doing so

Of course, as in cooking, recipes don’t always work as originally planned – but in my view following these five simple ingredients will be a good start to delivering impactful advocacy, whatever your cause.

Angular Solomon’s-Seal at Gait Barrows NNR in the Arnside and Silverdale AONB

Exploring London’s garden squares – expect the unexpected

London’s Garden Squares are secret green spaces waiting to be discovered

On 9th and 10th June, London’s garden squares opened their gates to all for their annual open weekend.

I spent much of this exploring a number of them, and was enthralled by their diversity and green treasures.

Whilst London’s big green spaces such as Clapham Common, Hampstead Heath and the Royal Parks are well known to me, I was a garden square novice so didn’t really know what to expect.

I decided to focus my exploration on my home turf of south west London, with one or two forays further afield.

Having visited over 30 garden squares over the weekend, my overriding impression is that these green spaces are vital havens of tranquillity for Londoners, especially given the relative proximity of many of them to busy roads and bustling centres.

Each square has its own individual characteristics and histories, and many are truly inspiring in their location and aspect.  But while it is heartening to see them so well cared for and obviously valued by their residents and neighbours, they are only known to and visited by a small proportion of Londoners.

I wish that Open Garden Squares could run seasonally rather than just once a year, and that local councils were resourced to promote a network of such green spaces on a borough-wide basis. so that more of us might benefit from them.

Here are some of my favourite discoveries from the weekend…

Possibly a contender for one of the most interesting gardens in London, these Bermondsey barges are connected by a roped walkway, and surrounded by sailing ships with their own special stories

It’s hard to believe that trees, bees, flamingos, ducks and a meadow are to be found on the 6th and 7th floor of this swanky restaurant but they appear to thrive in their lofty existence above Kensington High Street

I had always thought of Gloucester Road as somewhere to pass though on the tube, but this weekend I discovered it is much, much more than that, with garden squares in abundance such as this one at Hereford Square, which was used by American troops as a baseball ground in WWII

My only previous knowledge of Ladbroke Grove was as the destination of the 295 bus route, but I now know it is also home to a number of garden squares, where you can lose yourself in winding walkways of shade and shrubs

 

A legacy worth waiting for

Divine intervention - the South Downs National Park wouldn't be here without the persistence, vision and tenacity of all those who campaigned for it

Today I went on a wonderful walk in the South Downs organised by the Hampshire Ramblers to celebrate the first year of the National Park.  We covered 8 miles in glorious spring sunshine, and in just a few hours we saw many sides of the South Downs, and appreciated just how much National Park status means to the area.  The National Park has had a fantastic first year, and the controversy and bureaucracy that some predicted has simply not materialised.  Well done to everyone involved in the management of this special area and to those people and organisations still campaigning for the best possible future for the South Downs National Park.

Dog mercury thriving in the warmth of Spring

Deer racing through fields is a lovely sight but sustainable deer management is both a challenge and an opportunity - South Downs venison anyone?

There are many ways to enhance the National Park - undergrounding pylons should be a priority

Wood anenomes abound at this time of year. The South Downs is to become a Nature Improvement Area, one of only 12 such areas in England.

Planning for the Parks

The new National Planning Policy Framework for England has been published today. While the detail of this has yet to be digested, at first glance it is pleasing the government has restated its commitment that National Parks enjoy the highest status of protection for their landscape and scenic beauty. In his statement to parliament, the Planning Minister Greg Clark also clarified that the presumption in favour of sustainable development cannot override policies to protect National Parks.

Planning is one of the most important tools that National Park Authorities have at their disposal to protect nature and the landscape, and to support and nurture rural communities. The Minister recognised this when he said that the purpose of planning was to protect what we hold dear in our matchless countryside. Today’s announcement suggests that the government is moving away from simplistic rhetoric that protecting the the environment is bad for jobs – we hope that this message spreads quickly down Whitehall corridors into other departments.

Not just a pretty view

Yesterday the government announced 12 new wildlife havens (called Nature Improvement Areas – NIAs) across England.  This commitment follows on from the 2011 Natural Environment White Paper and the Making Space for Nature review of England’s Wildlife Sites and Ecological Networks that was led by Professor John Lawton in 2010.  I was one of the independent members of the NIA judging panel.

The 12 NIAs vary in geography, habitat, governance and approach (here’s a map of where they are).  Two fall within National Parks (South Downs Way Ahead and the Dark Peak) while another straddles the Lake District National Park boundary, although it falls mainly within the Arnside and Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).  Dorset AONB is a partner in the Wild Purbeck NIA while the farmer-led Marlborough Downs NIA lies within the North Wessex Downs AONB.

Restoring the Dark Peak moors will benefit people as well as wildlife

It is heartening to see the role that protected landscapes have played in helping these projects to win through the competitive bidding process.  This should help to dispel the myth that landscape is little more than a pretty view.  Conservation and enhancement of wildlife are at the heart of the legal framework for both National Parks and AONBs and nature is as much a part of the landscape, as are physical and human elements.

The 2010 Lawton review concluded that ‘National Parks and AONBs should become exemplars of coherent and resilient ecological networks. This will require strong leadership and high levels of cooperation between landowners, public bodies, businesses and the voluntary sector’.

Leadership and co-operation have catapulted these areas into the front line of wildlife recovery – these skills will be needed all the more if they are now to deliver the enhanced natural heritage that our society so keenly needs.

I attended the launch of the South Downs Way Ahead  NIA yesterday.  The success of this bid owes everything to the vision and hard work of all those involved, especially the South Downs National Park Authority.  But it is also evidence of the added value of National Parks in forging new partnerships, levering in new money and making a difference on the ground. 

During the long campaign for National Park status for the Downs, we highlighted the opportunities for enhancement of the area’s wildlife.  Eleven years later it feels that the National Park has really come of age, even before its first birthday on 1 April of this year.

The Secretary of State described the areas as the first 12 NIAs.  I agree with the Wildlife Trusts that the NIAs should be seen as the start of something bigger and with one of the leaders in today’s Independent which says that the nurturing of our nature reserves has a long way to go. Let’s hope therefore that the Secretary of State’s language is a deliberate enticement of more funding for nature restoration and recovery in the very near future.

The South Downs way ahead is a good example of how National Parks can benefit people and wildlife

Big enough?

The Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales National Parks are surely big enough already right?  They’re already England’s two largest National Parks, and it takes days to walk across them.  But hang on a minute, just because they are big doesn’t mean that they are big enough…

 When National Parks were designated in the 1950s, the process of drawing up their boundaries was done differently – there were no GIS tools, or lengthy public inquiries poring over detailed boundary lines.  Instead the process was swift and in some ways blunt, often latching onto administrative boundaries which had little or no meaning in the landscape.  

There is no better place to illustrate this than the Howgills – the southern part of this magnificent range of hills is within the Yorkshire Dales National Park boundary but the northern part is outside.  If you visit the area you’d be fooled into thinking it was all within the National Park.  It certainly should be. 

The stunning Howgills landscape

The northern Howgills is but one of a number of stunning landscapes that for various reasons were left out of the original boundaries for the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks.  Other areas waiting in the wings include Mallerstang, Barbondale, Borrowdale (Westmorland) and the limestone intricacies of the Orton Fells. 

The limestone delights of the Orton Fells

We now have a once in a lifetime chance to right these old landscape boundary wrongs.  Following detailed surveys and consultation, Natural England has recommended that these areas should be included within the boundaries of the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales.  The government is holding a final consultation, before it makes its decision.  There will probably be a public inquiry later in 2012.

The role that National Parks play in helping to lift the spirits and well-being of our society (fresh air, exercise, peace, space, wildlife and a whole lot more) in our increasingly stressed world will only grow and grow.  Their value economically, socially and environmentally to the future cannot be overstated as our human needs grow with world population levels.

You can help to secure long term protection, co-ordinated management and real economic benefits for these wonderful landscapes and their communities by responding to the consultation or writing to your MP.  Please see here to find out more details on how you can help and what points to include in your response.