The Art of Doing Nothing
The Millennium Green is in good shape. It’s official. The data from this year’s campout shows an increase in numbers for all the wild creatures we monitored on our bat walk, butterfly count and bird identification session. Birds have flown from Africa to spend our summer at the Millennium Green and we’ve recorded five species of bat (one more than last year). I’d love to say that this was due to all the hard work we’ve put in at the organised work parties but in most cases it’s what we, and our neighbours, haven’t done that has made the difference.
Daubenton’s bat is a species that loves nesting in hollow, mature trees – due to the age of the trees on the green I know that they are not nesting on the immediate site but close by in the wooded area just over the Smite. This area was cleared recently but some of the older, dead trees have been left standing – these are now home to bats and I suspect the Tawny Owl that I hear on my evening dog walk. The clearing has also allowed light in so that the show of snowdrops and Aconites was the best I’ve ever seen. The felled trees that have been left lying around are now home to some weird and wonderful fungi too.
Elephant Hawk Moth lays its eggs on Rose Bay Willow Herb – this is missing from the green but a conscientious farmer has left a lovely stand of this impressive wild flower along the banks of the ditch in The Bean Field. These beautiful night-flying moths also visit my garden to feed on my overgrown Honeysuckle – I’m pretty sure they’ve come from this patch too. I’ve found mussel shells in The Smite and on the banks of the Millennium Green. These, and the Crayfish Zara and I spotted sheltering amongst the rocks in The Smite, are key indicator species that show that The Smite is super clean – they simply can’t survive in toxic water. We have to thank Flintham Farms for using less harmful chemicals on their crops, along with whoever made the decision to let the reeds grow further up-stream which helps filter the water as it makes it’s way to The Green.
Let this be an inspiration to you and rather than cut your lawns closely every weekend – let a bit grow long and see what appears. You might be treated to a few wild flowers that will in turn be visited by some mini beasts and butterflies. These will then get snapped up by the birds or used to feed their young. Leave a pile of bricks or logs in the corner and don’t rake up all of your leaves. All of these will help increase biodiversity and encourage more of the larger predators – birds, mammals and butterflies – into your gardens and give you a little bit of pride and a lot of joy.