Page 3 - Natural World Summer 2017

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dorset WT Plan positively
for wildlife

Rampisham is We are enjoying another beautiful
safe – but it took English summer. And those of us
a two-year fight who took part in 30 Days Wild
noticed wildlife every day in June, an
Rampisham Down, Dorset experience I recommend to
everyone. I realised how beautiful
After two years of important area of rare the stalk of a bramble can be, and stopped long
campaigning by Dorset acid grassland with enough to listen to a chattering in a nearby tree
Wildlife Trust and skylarks, adders and than turned out to be king shers.
others, Rampisham many species of But loving the natural world makes you
Down SSSI in West butterfly. The solar vulnerable too. I am sure many of you know only
Dorset will not be panels will now be sited too well the sickening feeling of hearing about an
developed into a solar on a less sensitive area imminent new development, or seeing the
power station. nearby. More at bulldozers move in. This is all the more poignant
the closer to home it is, the more we love the place
The site is a legally dorsetwildlifetrust. and the more memories it holds.
protected, nationally org.uk The Wildlife Trusts oppose development where it
is simply in the wrong place and too damaging to
Threatened wildlife. Many fantastic sites have been saved by
Trusts. Most of us don’t even know about the
sheffield & rotherham WT Smithy Wood, Sheffield threats these places once faced. For example, my
favourite reserve in Nottinghamshire was destined
for land ll in the 1970s. More recently Rampisham
Down has been saved by Dorset Wildlife Trust.
This edition lays out our vision for housing, which
avoids harm to important wildlife sites and creates
new wildlife habitats. The best housing
developments start with the landscape, building
around existing old trees and hedges, and working
in sympathy with the nature of the area.
Trumpington Meadows (p8) is a good example.
Gaydon (p9) is another, where the development
went ahead but in a much better form because a
Trust worked closely with the local authority and
developer.
To get on the front foot we need local authorities
to plan positivly for nature’s recovery. This would
mean new developments of any kind minimise
damage to wildlife and maximise benefits.
We all want to feel safe in our love of wildlife and
the natural world. One way to do this is by building
wildlife into every new development.

More than 1,000 people objected to swapping a bluebell
wood for a motorway service station

When a proposed part of Sheffield’s green Stephanie Hilborne OBE
motorway service belt. The City Council Chief Executive of The Wildlife Trusts
station threatened one also received more than @stephhilborne
of Sheffield’s ancient 1,000 online objections,
woodlands, the local almost all citing the loss Wherever you are in the UK, your Wildlife Trust is standing up for
Wildlife Trust organised of local wildlife as the wildlife and wild places in your area and bringing people closer to
a protest in March key concern. nature. Contact us on enquiry@wildlifetrusts.org or 01636 677711.
outside the city hall. To join your Wildlife Trust, visit wildlifetrusts.org/joinus. Natural
The Council was due World, The Kiln, Waterside, Mather Road, Newark, Notts NG24 1WT.
More than 300 people to make a decision on Editor Rupert Paul Layout editor Dan Hilliard Communications
showed their objection March 28th but instead officer Catherine Boggild. Cover: White tailed bumble bee in
to building on the delayed it. Keep up Sheffield city centre, by Paul Hobson
bluebell wood, which is with developments at
a Local Wildlife Site and wildsheffield.com twitter @wildlifetrusts facebook.com/wildlifetrusts

summer 2017 NATURAL WORLD 3