Enlisting nature’s help
Ecoregen.org History - it was a great site. Here is a small part of it so all of that great work is not lost!
Enlisting nature’s help
Enlisting nature’s help in the restoration of derelict sites involves encouraging the processes of natural recovery and working within the pattern of plant and animal communities developing there. This is more economic, helps build a more sustainable future for the place and encourages local distinctiveness. It also gives life to the involvement of local communities in the process of restoration.
Undertaking an ecological survey is about consulting a site and taking the land seriously as a partner so that nature can benefit from the restoration process as well as local people.
These are the steps you should take to enlist nature’s help:
Observe, sample and survey the plant and animal communities of a site by asking what is there now?
Look at the past history of the site in maps, documents, the remaining industrial infrastructure and the memories of the local communities to ask what was there before?
Explore the processes that have led from the past to the present, which are at work now and which will give shape to the future of the site by asking why is it there?
Predict the trajectories of development among the plant and animal communities to envisage potential future landscapes so that we know what could happen next?
Explore which of these scenarios might be chosen for a site having outlined the various costs and benefits of the options and so decide what will happen?
The following major section of the web-site considers how enlisting nature’s help can relate to the cultural resonance of derelict sites and their values and significance by Linking people and nature.
Some examples
Colliers’ Moss Common, St Helens, UK
Colliers’ Moss Common comprises 130 hectares of post industrial land straddling the main Manchester to Liverpool railway line to the south east of St Helens on Merseyside. To the south of the line lie the remains of Bold Colliery and Bold Power Station. To the north is the area once known as Bold Moss where fragments of a once extensive wetland remain at the fringes of the coal spoil heap.
In 1990 Groundwork St Helens, Knowlsey and Sefton accepted the challenge from British Coal to restore the site. In view of the rich local ecology, a decision was made at a very early stage that the reclamation work should aim to accelerate and enhance natural re-colonisation to create a nature-rich urban common for local people.
The Bold Moss Forum provided a constant link with local users and specific elements of the design have evolved over the years within an overall framework ensuring that natural regeneration and community involvement go hand in hand. Variations in soil conditions, for example, have produced a small-scale vegetation mosaic which requires gentle management suited to volunteer work.
Other habitats developed include wetlands (using existing lagoons), grassland, heathland, woodland and untreated colonising spoil. Colonies of orchids have been protected and encouraged to spread and wildlife surveys show that new species are returning year by year.
The site is now widely used as an informal recreational resource by local residents who use it for fishing, dog-walking and exercise. In 2000 a striking millennium bridge was added to the site which has had a huge impact on the appearance and integration of the moss providing a physical link between the two sides of the common for the first time since the railway was built in 1836.
Colliers Moss Common was the forerunner of a major community led ecological regeneration programme called Changing Places. See more details of Changing Places.
‘La Mitjana’, Lleida, Spain
‘La Mitjana’ is a wetland zone of 90ha owned by a local hydroelectricity company in an area adjacent to the city centre of Lleida. The habitat has developed on an area of siltation behind a dam, built in 1912, on the River Segre in north-eastern Spain. Part of the area has been used in the past by a railway company to dump quarry and other waste materials.
It was not until the late 1970’s that the ecological value of the wetland habitats was recognised but at this time the site and indeed the river as a whole was little integrated into the structure of the city, with various uncontrolled and damaging activities being carried out.
In addition the site was perceived as hostile by the local communities and very few people used it, a problem compounded by poor access. Water quality was also poor due to untreated waste water discharge. A major flood in 1982 focused much greater attention on the river. Realising that although a problem, La Mitjana also represented an enormous opportunity, the local authority (Ayuntamiento de Lleida) with the support of a number of partner organisations took a lead in realising the area’s much fuller potential.
Extensive community consultation and involvement was at the heart of the process. This identified issues, needs and priorities and raised the profile of La Mitjana as a valuable resource for the city which could benefit the residents as a whole. By involving schools, local residents, the University, existing users, potential new users and land-owning interests, a momentum was built which has resulted in a highly successful initiative.
There is now a much stronger bond between the people of Lleida, the River Segre in general and La Mitjana in particular. Physical improvements include a new bridge, footpaths, signage and features such as picnic benches, along with improving water quality, have made the site far more welcoming to visitors. The habitat is being gently managed to capitalise on natural regeneration, enhance biodiversity and ensure public safety. In addition to informal visits, each year 5,000 primary school children and 600 adults participate in organised events to study La Mitjana’s history and wildlife and to enjoy a peaceful and attractive riverside environment.
In 1998 La Mitjana was awarded a citation in the Dubai International Award for Best Practices in Improving the Living Environment.
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