The Chaplaincy heritage organic trials garden reaches out to spearheads community initiatives from our small patch. We have created accessible community opportunities for people to improve skills, build awareness and gain independence for positive change. Gardening offers physical exercise, self awareness and opportunities to explore, control and reflect...all useful for mental health service users and participants suffering from stress and low self esteem. Our work always challenges racism and bullying and builds self reliance, networking information to individuals in the community, such as carers, who may feel isolated.
Racial stress: the Synergy Collaborative Centre have evidenced racism (apparent or micro-aggression & verbal or physical attack) as a stress trigger. Seemingly insignificant events create awareness of being treated unfairly, being isolated or differentiated and disadvantaged due to race. This undermines wellbeing, threaten self-esteem and identity, causes emotional distress and can lead to mental illnesses. Outcomes may include depression, trauma, and psychosis. Injury a from a racist attack can cause post-traumatic stress. Research suggesting that mindfulness practices and connection to nature may help individuals be more able to handle the emotional and physical distress of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
We have been working for some time with schools and others, to help people to understand about strangers touching black hair and the importance of teaching personal boundaries to children. This is central to inclusion and diversity in education. Touching someone’s hair without permission is assault, an act of micro-aggression and should be challenged as such. Lots of resources can be found on the internet, eg: ttps://parentsfordiversity.com/touching-black-hair-as-micro-aggression.
For over fifteen years, we have worked with community groups in Nottinghamshire & spoken with the Police & Crime Commissioner on stop & search. More recently a report on police strip & search has stimulated discussion & parents are talking to children about racial profiling. One parent said to our CEO: “It scares me”. We have had reports of families moving home to reduce incidents. Research shows that strip search powers are being used disproportionately by the police on Black adults and children, with the figures for 2018 being of particular concern. To support families & children, we have publicized a strip search resource from the charitable CIC BLAM.
We have been developing mindful movement and mindfulness in nature practice along with resources for health and wellbeing. Some people may question the value of these practices but we are reminded that Albert Einstein would have seen this as physics: he referred to everything being energy and said if the frequency of the reality that you want is matched -you get the reality that you want. This made a great discussion topic; in tandem with an activity exploring Fever few plants, inspired by our supporter, Jacqueline Durban http://radicalhoneybee.blogspot.co.ukOur environmental projects empower people in a stimulating natural environment and build community cohesion. We have been looking at the work of India’s “Seed Mother”, Rahibais. This amazing woman saved eighty varieties of native seeds and linked failing health to hybrid seeds. One of our supporters, Linda, said: “All small growers could learn from this”. Giant Greek butterbeans, Lincolnshire snake beans, tomatoes including orange banana, climbing courgettes & squashes, grow as good companions in our garden. Lettuce, mustard greens, other salad and leaf vegetables grow on well. We are excited each time more heritage seeds germinate, such as the tiny micro shoots of yellow winter radish popping out of the seed or when tiny red threads of newly germinated beetroot just show. Nature observation: the calm observation of detail and difference and the development of empathy, offers transformational understanding. This is just one of our “nature nurture” wellbeing tools, used to develop holistic learning skills. Children can, for the rest of their lives, draw upon a wider bond, developed with nature and wildlife.
Garden magic, gardens with interest capture the imagination. We can find history in living plants. Pulmonaria, known as lungwort, was associated with the doctrine of signatures because the leaves were thought to look like lungs.
We think it is important that people are able to grow food for themselves on a household level, at a time when farming is under huge strain to support the wider population. Changing weather makes farming difficult on a large scale. Potatoes can't be planted when it rains too much in spring. When it doesn't rain in summer they don't grow (large scale irrigation is difficult). it is difficult to store potatoes for more than a year. They are a carbohydrate high, staple food. Potato farming is now in trouble in most countries, acording to research by a commercial potato growers forum in 2024. The conditions that could trigger a year with total failure of the European potato crop, are the same that would be harmful to the wheat and rice crop.
In the trials garden, we collect heritage seeds to sow & share year on year. Crop diversity for food security is a prime target & understanding plant responses to climate change. Perenial vegetables, ancient grains (especially Ethiopian barley & maslins) & growing in zai pits have been explored since 2023. The health of the soil is all important, no-dig cultivation with compost top dressing is practiced. Pictured below is cutting leaf celery, in flower to produce seeds and our amazing angelica with ripening seed heads. Angelica seed cab be sown or used in baking biscuits
The First Peace Chaplaincy " Grow-How: helping to grow" project was established in 1985. We aim to share best practice in growing organic heritage plants, including wild flowers, food crops and native trees and shrubs. Summer times are busy. 30 heritage vegetable varieties, 25 heritage fruit varieties, 30 wildflower varieties & 35 native tree & shrub varieties can be propagated & grown on in the Chaplaincy trials garden to distribute & use for educational purposes & as part of our learning/skills development initiative. Lincolnshire Snake Beans grow well, they produced seed for the UN” Year of the Pulse” project 2016. Heritage vegetable plants are given to local schools and nurseries for children’s educational activities. Our “Grow How: helping to grow" project, developed social media tools that have been take up by people looking for practical solutions.
Below: we have been growing heritage lettuce "Stoke" from our own seed for twenty years. We have
experimented with growing Gerkins for pickles.We create wild life habitats and showcase beneficial gardens. Hedgehog feeding & monitoring is continuous with groups of hedgehogs being fed & catalysing publicity for the wider community to be involved in hedgehog welfare. Biological records are maintained, eg: a hummingbird hawk moth recorded on red valerian, became a popular social media post. Volunteers and children have compared designs of insect hotels and pictures have been put on to social media to draw attention to the project.
We think that organic practice is important. 80% of flowering plants, including food plants, are pollinated by bees, yet pesticides are decimating our beneficial insect population. Just think, a single wheat grain treated with neonicotinoid, the most widely used pesticide on the planet, will kill a song bird.
People often ask us about garden manure. Herbicides in farmyard manure & in some horse manure (picked up from pasture grazing & hay) can contain aminopyralid – a hormone-type herbicide which goes under several trade names. It kills most vegetables & fruits if it gets in to compost or soil & it lasts in soil for many years. Remember also that herbicides & insecticides in most manure makes compost non organic. People using well rotted manure made into compost that has stood for over a year are finding gardens destroyed by residue from herbicides, whilst pesticides kill beneficial insects, worms & soil biodiversity; they are not biodegradable & persist in soil causing damage for years.We plan Summers filled with fun, bringing people and communities together. This resource project feeds into social, therapeutic and educational activities that share and develop skills for employability and enrich peoples lives and wellbeing. The programmes increase the confidence and achievements of vulnerable people and promote mindfulness and healthy diet whilst offering people "a change of scene" by getting them out into nature and encouraging green gym activities. Our working partner John, said: "healthy earth creates healthy life". Below: children's activities, fun cress growing and pea-pod play.
We usually have a riot of seedlings and cuttings in propagation. The abundance of energy in the sprouting seedlings encapsulates the potential of green economy and sustainable communities. We work alone and in partnership to deliver environmental learning. This First Peace Chaplaincy project is much in demand in the communities: stimulating organic horticultural and nature conservation activities; inspiring healthy food growing; developing understanding of the issues surrounding pollinating insects and soil and water conservation and saving heritage seeds.
Below: seedlings of heritage cress; globe artichokes and Indian mustard.
l
We have grown large leaved sorrel with seed provided by the Real Seed Company, so when members of our community visited Burton Agness walled garden on a field trip in 2019, we were delighted to find this crop.
Below: angelica seed heads and flowering cutting leaf celery.
Below: feverfew flowers and feverfew flower essence preparation.
Our heritage plants projects include ancient trees, traditional orchards, perennial vegetables, heirloom vegetable growing and seed saving as part of a sustainable plant-based diet, medicinal & culinary herbs, and wild plants and flowers. We promote the importance of composting and vermiculture and vegan organic no dig horticulture to protect our soil structures and soil organisms. Soil organisms fed by surface mulches of organic matter, create a healthy crumb structure within a firm soil with no disturbance of the soil life, micro-organisms, fungi and worms, that help feed plant roots.
Heritage varieties of fruit and vegetable were forced to the edge by EU rules and commercial seed companies and agriculture; attitudes are changing. Thousands of different varieties of fruit and vegetable were grown by our grandparents generation, on a small scale when these people lived off the land in rural areas. These historical varieties contribute genetic variety that will be vital as we fight to survive climate change.
Below: child feeling heritage French beans, pumpkin bed and traditional orchard medlar fruit.
We raise awareness of the need for open pollinated plants and creating a healthy environment for pollinating insects. Try to avoid F1 hybrid seeds. Saving your own seed & propagating your own plants for your garden is cheap and it protects the survival of heritage plants. Some plants are wind pollinated but many insects are pollinators, along with some animals. The insects include many different species of bees, flies, wasps, beetles, butterflies and moths. Even houseflies and mosquitoes are much needed pollinators. Hoverflies are great pollinators, visiting over 72% of global food crops and over 70% of animal-pollinated wildflowers. They are migratory, travelling hundreds of kilometres daily and carrying pollen over 100 kilometres across open water. Wild pollinators pollinate about 90% of insect pollinated crops with honey bees responsible for the rest. With out them we would have no food, yet three UK bumblebee species have recently become extinct and the European Red List for Bees warns that one in ten species of wild bee face extinction. In 50 years we have seen the decline of half the bee, butterfly and moth species studied in the 2013 State of Nature Report. Modern farming by intensive, poisonous chemical means using fungicides, herbicides, and insecticides hand in hand with the destruction of habitats; urbanisation and climate change have created this situation. We encourage gardeners to help to redress the balance.
Below insect pollinated heritage garden plants.
Orchards:Since 1985 we have built up a reputation for leading on orchard projects. Our CEO wrote a Local Biodiversity Action Plan for orchards. Prior to this, board members piloted interest in orchards in Essex, the West Midlands, Northumberland and Nottinghamshire. We liaise with a number of national groups to facilitate orchard information and network opportunities regionally. We organize orchard activities as part of our “out to learn” opportunities. We develop new and innovative orchard projects with new groups in new locations. We encourage orchard habitat creation, promote the replanting of hedgerow fruit trees (such as damson, traditional in the county, which are under particular threat) and give advice on sensitive and sustainable land management, including traditional orchard restoration and recreation with local heritage varieties. Our community survey of orchard fauna and flora, leads to evaluation of data to determine conservation priorities. We have “mapped routes to market”, stimulating demand for traditional orchard products. Community members and groups enjoy the historical and cultural activities associated with orchards, from regional wassailing to making huge apple mandalas. They learn to use wood and fruit in a range of ways such as our traditional apple bread, pictured below.
Above: our 2015 "Be Healthy" Wassail. The old Staffordshire slip trailed mug is pressed into service every year. Barley wine is traditional for wassail in Nottinghamshire but Blue Barrel perry is delicious and made locally in Colwick. Apple juice and apple pies - our "pips to pies project", are a great hit and children love to try on the Holly Kings hat at our "Press Fests"
Below: Launde Abbey.
We encourage securement of heritage varieties, grafting and own root propagation methods. We carried out research with national bittersweet experts, via the Marches Group, into specific varieties. We carry out orchard mapping using historic maps and oral history projects to identify surviving and lost orchards and undertake fieldwork to establish condition, raise awareness of the wildlife and wider benefits of orchards. We are currently producing an orchard booklet.
Orchards are a rich resource. Villages such as Lambley in Nottinghamshire had a considerable number of orchards, growing fruit for market and some varieties were ready to supply stalls for the Goose Fair. Sadly, many orchards have been lost to the development of housing, road building, industry and golf courses. We see a lack of understanding of the cultural, environmental, health and wildlife significance of orchards. Traditional management, pruning skills and grass sward care are now rare and the special habitat that they provide are under threat. Old varieties give way to modern commercial bush varieties with heritage trees often grubbed up or are not replaced due to lack of economic incentive. Modern management practice such as clearing dead wood, using pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides and strimmers are detrimental.
Heritage orchards may occupy the same land for centuries & with low chemical input can provide a biodiversity haven. Fruit trees provide a long flowering and fruiting period, offering nectar and fruit for wildlife over the maximum periods of time. Blossom and windfalls provide nectar for bumblebees and butterflies, moths and other insects and autumn and winter food for mammals, insects, mollusks and birds, respectively. A neglected orchard may have become a rich wildlife site with a mosaic of habitats. Hedge boundaries, wood pasture features, varying vegetation, individual fruit trees, decaying wood, species rich grassland understory, nectar sources and water elements can all be important in providing food, shelter and breeding sites.
If you have old fruit trees that no longer produce fruit, have remedial pruning by a reputable specialist to rejuvenate. Retain trees that no longer fruit or are dead as a landscape and wildlife feature on your land as long as safe to do so, they provide bat roosts, help hole nesting birds and invertebrates. Fruit trees are relatively short-lived, consequently producing more dead wood habitat more quickly. Bark provides can an anchor for lichen, moss and epiphytes invertebrates; lichens growing on the trees are used by the Hook-tip moth. The Red-belted Clearwing moth lays it’s eggs on rough, cankered large apple and pear branches, the larvae then live under the bark.
Nottinghamshire has a number of unique fruit varieties with a traditional local mix gene pool, suited to sustainable orchard habitat management. The synergy with local wildlife can be influenced by local wild fruit that gave rise to ancient cultivars. Crab apples were often planted at the centre of orchards to aid fertility. Buy locally grown orchard fruit to encourage orchard growers to extend stock. Below: Pitmaston Dutchess is a very big and most delicious, juicy pear. Hedges add greater biodiversity gain, extending nest sites and nectar sources. Mistletoe gives cover for insects and has its own weevil. Apple trees support Eyed Hawk–moth larva; near-by willow and poplars would increase this month’s habitat. Orchard hedges are important to the Pinion-spotted Pug moth which may need apple and hawthorn to feed and complete its life cycle. Lunar-spotted Pinion moth will benefit from orchard hedges, where its larva can feed on elm, blackthorn and hawthorn as well as apple. Ivy should be encouraged; it provides cover for insects and nesting birds and a late nectar source for insects and berries for birds such as black birds, song thrushes, mistle thrushes, Redwing, collared doves, robins, black caps and wood-pigeon. Grass sward should be cut for hay to encourage diverse flora and could contain a ponds for the wildlife.
A-apple, Py-pear, D-damson, P-plum, G-guage *local name ** locally notable
Berzock (Py)* Barnack Beauty(A) Winter Quarrendon (A)**
Louie Bonn (Py)* Barnack Orange(A) Meech’s Prolific Quince
Beeley Pippin (A) Screveton Golden(A) Bradleys king (D)**
Crimson Bramley (A)** Conference (Py) Holland Pippin(A)
Grantonian (A)** Worcester Black (Py) Early Rivers (P)
Nottingham Pippin (A)** Allington Pippin(A) James Greaves(A)
Johnny Rawes (P)** Ingall’s Pippin(A) Grimoldby Golden(A)
Pickering’s Seedling (A)** Brown’s Seedling (A) Ellison’s Orange(A)
Radford Beauty (A)** Drewdrey’s Seedling (A) Ingall’s Red(A) Sissons Worksop Newton (A)** Dr. Clifford (A) Black(Py)*
Hazel (Py) Walnut Lamb’s Seedling (A) Queen Caroline (A)
Nottingham Meddlar** Worcester Pearmain (A) St. Aildred (A)
Merryweather Seedling (D)** Victoria (P) Philodelphia(A)
Bramley’s Seedling (A)** Czar/golden/cambridge (G) Sleeping Beauty (A)
Lemmon Pippin (A) Blenheim Orange (A) Wm. Ingall (A)
Nottingham Colonel (A) Russet (A) Herring’s Pippin(A)
Peasgood's Nonsuch (A)** Marriage Maker (A) Dummelow’s Seedling(A)
Barron Ward (A)** Stripped Russian (A) Northern Greening (A) Domino (A) Prince Charles (A) Lord Burleigh (A)
Beauty of Stoke (A)** Meads Broading (A) Belvoire Seedling(A)
Besspool (A)** Mrs. Willmott (A) Warwickshire Drooper (P)
Flower of Kent(A) Newton Wonder(A) Annie Elizabeth)*
Orchards can be protected directly or indirectly in a number of ways: as trees, landscape features, or habitats with biodiversity value. The 1999 Town and country planning act via TPO’s, can protect fruit trees, usually in urban areas, for amenity purposes. They can be applied to whole orchards or individual trees. Further, orchards can be designated under PPS9 Circular (para 88) if they benefit biodiversity and conservation. Wildlife associated with orchards, eg: invertebrates or the botanical grass land mix could offer protection to sites via designation. Consideration could be given to SSSI, Local Nature Reserve or County Wildlife Site potential. In the cases of semi natural or uncultivated (neglected) sites, with unimproved grass land, significant populations of BAP species, historic features or with specific landscape value, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Regulations could provide protection. Larger orchards should be considered under forestry EIA regulations.
(above: Quince fruit)
If you are lucky your orchard could be home to: the Noble chafer (Gnorimus nobilis),Bumble bees (Bombus) leaf cutter bees and other wild and solitary bees. Wasps, hornets (vespa crabro) and hover flies, many Butterflies, Mistletoe Weevil (Ixapion variegatum), Mistletoe bug (Anthocoris visci), Red-belted clearwing moth (Synanthedon myopaeformis), Eyed Hawk-moth (Smerinthus ocellata), Pinion-spotted Pug (Eupithecia insigniata), Lunar-spotted Pinion (Cosmia pyralina), Beautiful Hook-tip (Laspeyria flexula). Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhulla), Song Thrush (Tardus philomelos), Mistle Thrush (Tardus viscivorus), Wood Pigeon (columba palumbus) , Linnet(Carduelis cannabina), Spotted flycatycher (Muscicapa striata),Tree creeper (Certhia familiaris), Nuthatch (Sitta europaea), Tree Sparrow (Passer montanus), Owls, Woodpeckers (eg: Green woodpecker/Picus viridus), Turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur), Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris),Redwing (Tardus iliacus),Brown Hare (Lepus europaeus),Hedgehog: (Erinaceus europaeus),Bats,Wood mouse( Apodemus sylvaticus), hedgehog, Common toad (Bufo bufo) and if you have a pond,fish, frogs ans newts including the Great crested newt (Triturus cristatus) and Grass snake (Natrix natrix). You may have a Wild crab apple Malus ssp with Mistletoe (Viscum album), Lichen (Parmelia acetabulum), mosses, Ivy (Hedera helix) and tree fungi; a grass sward with Wild daffodil (Narcissus pseudonarcissus), primrose (Primula vulgaris) or cowslip (Primula veris). If you have a hedge look out for violets, jack by the hedge and stitchwort.
Above: quince blossom & orchards near Revaux Abbey.
First Peace Chaplaincy has been offering nature based solutions since 1985. Since that date, we have raised awareness that nature is vital to prevent climate change, poor health and is important to support food security and safegard our precious water.
We are deeply concerned about the collapse of nature & biodiversity, this is very obvious in our oceans, insect populations and landscapes. The greatest threat to the diversity of life on earth today, is habitat loss. Scientists advise that, without change, half of our species could be extinct by 2050. We seek to transform this concern into action, through the delivery of nature-based solutions.
Key to our work has always been our programmes of connecting communities with nature, through fieldwork and nurturing the enjoyment and conservation of nature and offering emersive cultural activities linked to natural heritage. Our Community Learning Groups are inspired by and learn from nature and this leads to wider evidence-based design. We belive that, just as ecosystems are maintained by mutualism, so to human wellbeing and flourishing ecosystems correlate. We seek to inspire change and realignment in this matter. Mental and physical health can improve with deeper connections between people and nature, as illustrated by our wellbeing programme. Below: Frampron Marshes, Lincolnshire, photo taken by one of our volunteers on a recent field trip.
Below: Tintern Abbey in Southern Ireland has a beautiful, natural, tidal estuary... such landscapes are vital for flood alleviation, in the face of rising sea levels, to reduce costal disaster risks around the world. Encouraging ecocentric attitudes and returning to natures own solutions or creating natural climate change adaptation, are neccessary to prevent humanitarian crises, safegard food security and protect habitats. We explore enterprise skills and transformative economic models. Our Community Learning Groups look at traditional practices, indigenous knowledge, the concepts of cooperation, sustainable consumption linked to responsive productivity, local economies, exchange and gifting. Economics can protect and support the stewardship of ecosystems, offering enterprising people and communities the chance to diversify, transform business and enable sustainable development. A good example is the womens initiative in the Congo: see our International Programme articles on this website.Our programme of community based education, research, and international cooperation in the fields of natural history, environmental humanities, culture and wellbeing is an invaluable tool in advancing this interest in our work. We are well known for facilitating accessible, high-quality and richly diverse activities and contributing to public and learned debate on natural history, society and ecology with the aim of creating positive environmental change and learning across our communities. Our online events, across a wide range of platforms, attract international audiences and offer involvement to hard to reach social groups. This drives our nature and climate communication agenda. Our organisation and key partners inform and are informed by the Yale University Climate Communication unit and the Climate Reality Project 9set up by Al Gore) and its Climate Leaders programme. Our extensive environmental check list tool, drives ethical applications.Pictured above Spern Head. We can be inspired by landscapes themselves, as they constantly shift and evolve to meet environmental challenges; Spern Head is a good example. We encourage effective support of nature and through this, the ethical positive change that is needed for social and ecological health, strength and sustainability. Our CommunityLearning Groups have a wide range of resources on wildlife gardening. Regenerative farming or climate-smart agricultural practices and zero grazing natural regenerative rewilding are key interests of our organisation. Land owners and farmers need the tools and information to be able to make informed decisions about their land and address natural resource concerns such as: air and water purity, soil health, wildlife habitat and preparing for climate shock and floods. We have lead debates on no-till (observing progress at The University of Newcastle's Cockle Park and the horticultural work of Charles Dowding), cover crops and underplanting, perennial vegetables and fruit, cropping diversity and maslins and ancient grains and zai growing techniques.
Natural costal flat lands are essential spongey landscape habitats that provide natural solutions (the best solutions) vital to combatting the onslaught of climate change and rising sea levels. They defend & protect the land, provide fabulous biodiverse habitats. Carbon capture is achieved through plants growing in saltmarshes as they photosynthesise. Carbon is stored both in the plant and the sediment that extends several meters beneath. A hectare of saltmarsh is capable of capturing over two tonnes of carbon every year and locking it into the sediment for centuries. If the saltmarsh remains undisturbed the carbon in the soil can be stored for millennia. We must push for recognition of such natural solutions. These landscapes are also worthy of consideration in our eco-spirituality work as they reduce eco anxiety and heal the soul. One of our supporters (TG) said of the Suffolk coast: "Suffolk is one of my favourite places for peacefulness and natural beauty". Yet we are not shouting loud enough about natural solutions. The Sizewell C main development site discounts all of this. It threatens 950 acres of an Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty, located in Suffolk. If built, the nuclear platform will be partially built on the Sizewell Marshes SSSI & hundreds of acres will be permanently under concrete for car parks & roads, totally excluding nature.
The idea of "adapting" to climate change, using engineered solutions in particular, is very limited, it is based on a total misunderstanding of what climate change means. We must prepare but what we need most is to massively reduce emissions and to strengthen nature!
Below: Lambley village with the Cocker Beck in flood, Spring 2024. Nature-based climate change mitigation does not distract from our vital need to very rapidly decarbonize our economy, adopt vegan diets and make radical systemic changes. These measures and opportunities should work hand in hand. The world has a very steep mountain to climb but we believe that positive action applied with hope, is the only path to take.
Whilst species rich ancient hedges are often discussed with some common agreement, woodland ecology and palaeoecology can be a more controversial topic. New woods take a long time to become species rich. Many people are asking why (other than for fund raising) so much new tree planting is taking place and why natural regeneration is over looked.
Natural regeneration of woodland and other habitats can offer robust solutions at a time when biodiversity is challenged.Planted trees can introduce disease and often do not thrive for a range of issues including a lack of mycorrhizal fungi in the soil which may create weak stock due to soil structure issues, phosphate and other nutrient deficiencies & even poor water uptake. Introduced tree stock may have no empathy with local conditions, cross pollination integrity, or local climate.People often ask us about planting trees. Aided or unaided natural regeneration of local provenance with associated fungi and bacteria's, suited to climate specifics, is far preferable to planting. But when this is not possible, the rule should be: the right tree(s) in the right place(s).
Woodland and peat-lands are excellent carbon sinks, as are our oceans & wetlands. Trees soak up heat and trapping carbon dioxide as they grow, they release it when they burn or rot. Research into large remaining contemporary ecosystems, for example, in rain forest areas or Siberia could help us to understand the mechanics of dynamic vegetation lifecycles, interactions and change. Good land management and re-wilding of nature could be equivalent to stopping global oil burning and could avert 11.3bn tones of carbon dioxide emissions a year, (equivalent to fossil fuel carbon dioxide emissions for China) and providing 37% of all cuts needed by 2030 to offset climate change. If added to this veganism became wide spread, possibly the single biggest act that could be delivered to reverse climate change, significant progress could be made.It has been argued that newly planted woodland will probably have less wildlife value than a single ancient or veteran tree that can be in its self a mini nature reserve. Ancient trees are hollow and beyond maturity, the crown may be consolidated and the girth noticeably larger than neighboring trees. Veteran trees are old trees (pre-ancient or mature) Different species reach maturity at different ages. Environmental and ageing factors cause features such as flaking bark, cavities, fungal decay, running sap, if it is oak it may have a staghead feature, they may be old coppiced stools or man-.made or natural pollards. We have the technology to transplant huge mature trees in order to “save them” from development sites; but should we not instead relocate the development sites.US White Oak specimen trees in urban areas are given deserved attention (as with UK trees that have been awarded tree preservation orders) but these great trees have lost their natural homes, their habitat envelopes.
Many of the ancient and vetran trees in Sherwood, survived because they were status symbols, the great estates of the Dukeries did not need money from timber. Timber extraction in Sherwood was sometimes selective, though woodland economy included more than just the great oaks. Birch twigs made flexible, sprung packing for cast iron pipes & were sold to furnaces in South Yorkshire for this purpose. Much straight church timber used in Lincolnshire & the East Midland area was shipped in via the port at Boston. Timber for strong elbows & joints came from the conveniently shaped stags heads in Sherwood. Import of oak timbers via Lincolnshire was famous & used at at Ely and York cathedrals. English merchants are recorded as visiting and trading at the southern Baltic ports of Elbing (now Elbląg, Poland), Danzig (Gdansk, Poland) and Stralsund (Germany) as early as 1350. By the 15th century Danzig was one of the most important ports exporting timber to England, via lincolnshire. As Sherwood was less often used for straigt beams in building or shipbuilding but for joints of great strength, extraction could be selective. The Forest of Dean specialised in straight beam oaks but mostly for shipbuilding with little left over for building. Boston was arguably the most important guild in England at the time. Thomas Cromwell worked for the Boston Guild to the mutual advantage of both.
Holistic, biodiverse habitats with natural regeneration are vital. The impact of human activity and long-term vegetation change must be properly understood. Large herbivore grazing in woodland and within re-wilding areas has become a recognized though controversial tool to create diverse habitats. When animals used in smaller scale conservation grazing are sold for meat to generate income, a conflict of interest can arise. It is argued that animals can disturb natural balance, destroy invertebrates and produce methane & other waste. Historically (post glacial) Ireland had no large grazing animals. It would be expected that Ireland’s tree cover would have varied from places with grazing animals. However, palaeoecological research including counts and analysis of historical pollen, show no unexpected difference between tree species distribution & density (closed canopy v park woodland) in Ireland and other places that did have grazing animals. Natural regeneration is preferred for creating and expanding new wildlife rich woodland and ancient semi natural woodland. It is cheap and the trees generated are better adapted to local conditions and reflect natural composition. What could be easier than to keep our hand off and allow space for nature?
We have facilitated a learning discussion, asking if haloing interrupts mycorrhizal networks (a fungus which grows in association with the roots of a plant in a symbiotic or mildly pathogenic relationship). Trees that are haloed are usually a different species to those removed; that may reduce the impact on mycorrhizal networks. A point made by participants, was that: “too much can be removed”; this is a mistake that can be made with oak birch woodland where birch is seen as: "a second class citizen". Halo intervention may be most necessary for ancient trees, where ancient woodland has been seriously violated by commercial pine plantation or non native invasive species. In this instance mycorrhizal communities may also benefit, especially if acidity from pine can be removed from the soil and water table. Ancient trees - at the point of no return – will need to be haloed in these situations - a rescue missions. It was suggested that "archetypal woodland may be compromised to meet the needs of oak", which is not strictly a woodland tree and prefers a more open aspect without encroachment (oak pasture). Using commercial livestock for conservation grazing, creates many compromises (especially if parasitic treatments are used). It certainly is not a natural solution, by definition, it is not rewilding. However, the UK countryside, its habitats & wildlife have developed over thousands of years. Perhaps rewilding does not suit it. The reintroduction of species alongside extensive natural regeneration; to get as near wild as we can, could support and expand the traditional wildlife communities that evolved in the UK, sometimes along side of ancient forms of land management and land use. The group thought that withdrawing humans from some environments, rather than management, would be interesting.
Above & below: healthy habitats nurture wildlife by providing expanse of shelter, food & places to breed & raise the next generation.
We promote ID of British wildflowers. We encourage people to monitor species whilst taking healthy local walks. We encourage people to monitor British moths & birds in home gardens. We give information to enable our communities to protect & conserve ancient woodland and other habitats. We support partners in America with a community based heritage White Oak project. Our own flora and fauna projects, for example: green alkanet & borage for pollinators, are very popular. Lincolnshire costal wetland, Nottinghamshire dumble and wetland and Leicestershire unimproved grass land species monitoring are features of our springtime work.
.jpg)
Our Juno Project celebrated thirty five years of delivering outstanding community benefits. Two topics:
a) regular annual species recording visits to the Lincolnshire coast, where our volunteers have recorded Red-footed falcon, Spotted redshank, Whinchat, Marsh harrier, Stonechat and Whimbrel.
b) our “Tremendous Trees project” (recording and celebrating ancient trees since 1985) has created an extensive record of ancient coppice, pollards & stubs across the East midlands.
The bio-security threat to our Ash trees is becoming more evident. This will have grave consequences for the East Midlands where Ash trees are so characteristic, especially in the “Mercian mud-woods” and the Dumble areas. We engaged within a number of forums and partnerships that are considering the best action to take to assist in the situation. How now do we “maintain & improve by management, existing mixed ash dominated woodland”? (Notts. BAP)
our community members busily feed underweight, hungry little hedgehogs. Our hedgehog hibernation quarters, have all had hedgehogs in residence. The design of the nests has been distributed national. We have campaigned to raise awareness of seasonal risks to hedgehogs, encouraging the public to check before lighting bonfires to prevent sleeping hedgehogs from being burned alive. We advise that people move and re-site piles before lighting or push broom handles into the base of the wood heap to lift it & shine a torch in and look & listen. We also ask people to put out water & cat food (not bread & milk as it can kill them) to help them survive.
Ethiopian Biodiversity:
Ethiopia has 871 species of bird and 39 endemics, birds native or restricted to areas of Ethiopia, often the highlands. Ethiopia also has endemic mammals: a wolf, giraffe, the famous Gelada Monkeys and Mountain Nyalas. The country contains Abijatta-shalla Lakes National Park, Awash National Park, Bale Mountains National Park and Simien Mountains National Park. However, forty Years ago forests covered 40% of Ethiopia; today less than 3% remain...mostly in UNESCO coffee reserves. 80,000-200,000 hectares of forest is cleared annually in Ethiopia. Maintaining habitats and biodiversity in Ethiopia is essential.
Loss of biodiversity is the single most important threat to the conservation and sustainable use of drylands in northern Ethiopia due to many centuries of cultivation and heavy livestock grazing pressure.
Human activities, such as direct "harvesting" of species, introduction of alien species, habitat destruction, and various forms of habitat degradation, such as environmental pollution, have caused dramatic losses of biodiversity; current extinction rates are estimated to be 100–1000 times higher in areas that have become home to human populations compared to prehuman extinction rates.
Degradation is a biophysical process driven by socioeconomic and political causes. Subsistence agriculture, poverty and illiteracy are important causes of land and environmental degradation in Ethiopia.
About 12% of Ethiopia's population follow the Animist belief system or traditional religion. They believe that natural objects have spirits, which has a big impact on day to day life and attitudes to the environment and wildlife. Ethiopia has much to teach us. Ancient grains such as Teff & Ethiopian ancient & multi diverse black barley offer biodiverse, healthy crops and have been the subject of a Chaplaincy projects along with sowing meloline mixes and growing in zit pits.
Above: supporter Tsebay Bekele in her grandfathers richly biodiverse barley field near to Sheno.
Below: lizards are easily found in Addis. Photograph by one of our community.
Water, Protecting Aquifers & Climate Change:
In 1984 First Peace Chaplaincy identified two critical strands of work: biodiversity loss & climate change. We were ahead of the game! Records were been broken in Siberia on June 19th. 2020. Land Surface Temperature (LST) reached 45°C at several locations in the Arctic Circle, according to data retrieved by Sentinel3. These are important areas for permafrost, trapped CO2 and methane. Temperatures n the Arctic Circle are now up in the 40's Celsius, hotter than the UK Summer heatwave at 30°C. This is not going to end well if we do not have action!
Cutting methane pollution is the fastest opportunity we have to immediately slow the rate of global warming. We can each directly help to secure this change by following a vegan diet as well as by keeping fossil fuel use to a minimum whilst trying to secure alternative, sustainable fuel supplies.
As a response to the East Midlands floods of October 2023 & spring 2024, we have lead Learning Community Groups on carbon capture & flood defence cycles. Reforesting & rewilding through natural regeneration, especially on uplands, ties up carbon & slows water flowing from springs & running off hills into dumbles & other valleys. Woodland floor matter, scrub & tree structures, slows water heading down stream. Wet peatland & wet grassland habitat restoration, by choking drains and nurturing sphagnum & wetland plants, stores massive quantities of water preventing floods & creating carbon capture. Natural floodplains let water spill & soak up. Communities downstream are less likley to flood, millions of cubic metres of water could be held back. Canalasation of watercourses should be reversed, reducing flood-burst pressure points & creating biodiverse rich riparian zones. Renaturalising rivers with meanders & hurbage creates more opportunity for carbon capture, biodiversity & slows water flow. Beavers demonstrate water management, by building dams, that hold back pools of water on becks & small tributaries of rivers; they ease risk & pressure by reducing water volume flow off. Especially in built environments, sustainable drainage (like that in Ollerton Energy Village) & balancing pools, store excess water, managing flow but should double as habitats.
Here is a snapshot of a Met Office UK rainfall record to demonstrate climate breakdown:
Feb 2020. 400%+ average rainfall in North England & Wales. Massive floods
May 2020. Less than 20% average rainfall for large swathes of England & Wales. Drought looming
These weather extremes are becoming the norm & worsening; they challenge the viability of UK farmland, posing huge risks for food growers and farmers. Britain, traditionally, has not been one of the more hostile environments in the world. In 2020 & 2021, arable farmers in the East midlands struggled to get a decent harvest, many turned to growing canary grass for bird seed, at little return. If the UK is struggling, things could be a lot worse in other countries, We need to join together to repair the damage.
We know now that global average temperatures 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels & biodiversity loss will create catastrophic, irreversible harm to human health. World leaders want to contain global warming to 1.5°C (already 1.2) this will not protect us. The world must not wait for the pandemic to pass before acting. Reaching net zero (emitting less greenhouse gases than are removes from the atmosphere) relies on unproven technology. Global warming will likely surpass the 2°C threshold, scientifically predicted as catastrophic, with extreme weather & other impacts on human, animal, and plant life. This is the greatest threat to global public health & to our planet. It is vital to keep the global temperature rise below 1.5°C, to promote the vegan diet as the norm & to restore nature.
The UK Government, the United Nations' Food and Agricultural Organisation, Worldwatch Institute in Washington and others have acknowledged the damaging effects of livestock production on the climate. FAO state that animal farming creates 18% of greenhouse gas emissions; this includes 37% of methane emissions (with 20 times the global warming potential of carbon dioxide) and 65% of the' greenhouse gas nitrous oxide. In its report "Livestock's Long Shadow", the FAO emphasises the enormous impact which is greater than "the transport sector world-wide": sea, air and land combined.
Jonathon Porritt says that excessive meat consumption is amongst the "gravest threats to the long-term stability of humankind". Given that animal farming uses vastly more water than fruit, vegetable or cereal farming this seems possible. In future years water could become our most valuable resource.
Professor Tim Jackson, of Surrey University, says that meat production is approximately 20 times more carbon-intensive than vegetable production, an estimated 30% of carbon dioxide in the average diet comes from animal produce.
Chicago University researchers have shown that a vegan diet could make a bigger contribution to reducing emissions of greenhouse gases than converting to an eco-friendly car. The choice of food produced and eaten is more important than air miles. A vegan diet could reduce individual carbon footprints from food by 50%-601%. The UK has seen the cost of foot and mouth; money would be better spent to fund education, give subsidies, research and tax incentives and bring in pollution penalties and encourage sustainable, locally produced, healthy plant-based diets.
Nature emergency is equal to & possibly more dangerous than climate emergency. Climate emergency, human & planetary survival, can't be adressed without reversing the nature emergency. Plant based diets use a fraction of land used by animal agriculture, to give the same calories. 3.1 billion hectares/76% of world farmland would become available for rewilding. Non-take zones at sea, would check collapsing marine ecosystems. Veganism is essential to human & planetary survival. We have no time to waste.
The Chaplaincy healthy eating Vegan Kozy kitchen project, started in 2000, has opened up the possibility of vegan diet & life styles to many thousands of members of our community. We promote The Plant Based Treaty. Our CEO added a statement to the Royal Society of Arts website, to contribute to stimulating regenerative thinking & building on our contribution to the RSA lead, Food Farming & Countryside Commission Initiative.
LAND: 80% of agricultural land in the UK is used to raise animals. 20 thousand 11b of potatoes can be grown on 1 acre but only 1651b of beef. Huge areas of rain forest are destroyed to grow non-human consumption quality soya to feed battery-raised animals, such as UK turkeys and chickens. Rain forests are destroyed at 125,000 sq. miles per year for to feed animals. 55sq. feet of land is used for every 11b of beef produced on former Rain Forest land.
RAW MATERIALS: 1/3 of all raw materials and fossil fuels used in the UK are used to raise live stock. Producing one single hamburger uses enough fossil fuel to drive a small car 20 miles and enough water for 17 showers.
WATER: 2,500 gallons of water are used to produce 11b of beef. 25 gallons of water are used to produce 11b of wheat. Animal agriculture is the UK's biggest polluter of water, producing 80 million tons of excrement per year.
Above: The Dawn Sindh project Pakistan works hard to address the issues of contaminated water supplies in local communities. The women complain that water they walk to get and carry home, is "black".
Below: "grow your own" the Chaplaincy eco-spirituality project cascades best practice on real seed organic vegetable gardening. Our volunteers plant annual trials of heritage seeds for our heritage trials garden. We use organic mulches to save water.
As part of our sustainability and climate change work we have been asking our learning communities to research industrial sea fishing & industrial fishing for krill in the pristine waters around Antarctica. They have been discovering how it impacts on all of our lives. It is threatening the future of one of the world’s last great wilderness areas. Krill fishing vessels, in the region, operate near penguin colonies and whale feeding grounds, taking the food from wildlife. Dead seabirds washed up on the Yorkshire coast in 2021...starved by commercial fishing! Fishing boats can spill oil in accidents, seriously threatening the Antarctic ecosystem.
We set up a virtual learning community event during lockdown, in May 2020, promoting awareness of microplastic pollution in oceans. Participants believe this problem is vastly underestimated. Researchers suggest that particles may outnumber zooplankton, which underpin marine life and regulate our climate. Microplastics have entered the food chain in rivers, with birds such as dippers consuming hundreds of particles a day via the aquatic insects on which they feed. Microplastic pollution now contaminates the whole planet, from the Arctic to mountain top-soils to rivers, oceans and sea-beds. Microplastic in seas, very often from the fishing industry, blows ashore in sea breezes (reports suggest hundreds of thousands of tons per year) Humans inhale and consume it, yet the impact on health, are not understood.
Above: the increase in storms due to climate change hastens coastal erosion in Hunstanton, Norfolk.
Pictured above, an ancient pollard in Bradgate Park Leicestershire.
Carbon capture technology is a diversion from real climate action. This technology is in its infancy and will takes decades to become effective We don't have decades. The carbon capture dream, gives the illusion that carbon can be sequestered, whilst allowing fossil fuel industry to continue for decades to come.
Short rotation coppice, can provide sustainable fuel and materials on a short turn around, whilst creating net carbon balance and improving the landscape and biodiversity. Pollards have also historically provided a sustainable supply of wood wood whilst extending the life of the trees. We have called for funded global clean energy programmes for all; the highest standards in wood stove manufacture and short rotation coppice supply. We have distributed information on residential wood stove standards based on Canadian research. We have been comparing earth ovens, rocket stoves, solar ovens and thermal ovens such as hay boxes and cook bags. Our learning communities found them great fun to make and use. In off grid parts of the world, women have given positive feed back. Rising UK fuel bills in 2022, have encouraged our UK supporters to get sewing cook bags to reduce energy use & bills.
Global media fails to report climate collapse properly to a global public. Media turns from the truth and scale of just how bad the collapse is. Would it be possible to force mandatory reporting laws? We have been keenly involved with the Yale University Climate Communication Programme. Raising awareness of climate emergency & nature collapse issues is vital.
Below: Lambley Dumbles in the snow 2013, do you keep a weather diary, let us know what you are recording.
Our Biological recording is cross cutting and covers climate change, natural heritage and biodiversity. With rapid climate change, the ability to collect, manage and interpret information about our natural world has never been more important. We remain the East Midland lead on heritage orchards & orchard biodiversity. Our cherry blossom and apple blossom celebrations have been a popular part of our heritage orchards project, as well as tracking changing blossom times.
We were delighted to contribute to a spring study on bluebells by the Radical Honey project, for community creativity. This project was delivered by our supporter Jacqueline ; see link at the right of this page. Bluebells are a good indicator of weather patterns.
We are experts on landscape level heritage conservation. Migratory corridors offer a chance for species to move north with climate change. The reduction of fragmented landscapes, redressing islandised habitats and isolated species, creates sustainable wildlife communities. Buffer zones protect important areas to wildlife. All can help to create robust landscapes that better deal with climate change and can help to protect what is precious to us: “today helped me to understanding that places have special meaning”.
In May 2022, temperatures in India & Pakistan have tipped into the 50s, hot enough to cook human cells. In East Africa, the worst drought in memory has wiped out livestock & large areas of vegetation...tragically the death rate will be high.
The United Nations states that climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns, mainly caused by human activities, especially the burning of fossil fuels.
Through our climate change work, links with partners in East Africa, India & Pakistan.
In addition, we have been helping people to find good learning tools in the public domain. For example: we had a good response in our learning communities to a video & graphics by Julia Steinberger: "Struggle for survival", from the ISC 2021 Summer School – Cognitive Challenges of Climate Change. Students understood the need for sustainable food production, vegan diet, protecting water, land and biodiversity, using clean fuels, pollution control, limited air travel, and importance of climate activism.
No comments:
Post a Comment