Badersfield boasts 50 arcres of greenspace which is mown atleast once a week, each week of the year. The grass isnt allowed to grow at all and no flowers are allowed to bloom. Given the climate and biodiversity crisis we all find ourselves in this greenspace could be enhanced. 

Each and every week throughout the year we watch this grass get mown once (sometimes twice) a week (with noisy fossil fuel powered lawnmowers). Often there is not so much as a daisy head being cut as they simply haven’t had chance to grow from the previous cut. I assume that this manicured grass must appeal to lots of people for it is kept incredibly tidy and with many young families living at Badersfield this manicured lawn is a great place for children to play.

The earth, is however in the midst of a climate and biodiversity crisis ad we should all being doing what we can to combat this. For many at Badersfield our gardens are very small and therefore we don’t have much space to enact much change but we do all pay for the greenspace to be managed each and every week – maybe it could be managed slightly differently to ensure that safe open spaces are maintained whilst also benefiting biodiversity?

Since 1950 insect populations have declined by around 50%, what were once common garden bird species have declined (House Sparrows down by 95% since 1970 and blue tits down by 83% since 1979). Hedgehogs, which were once common mammals to our gardens as recently as the year 2000 are now Britain’s fastest decline mammal and in the last 20 years have declined by 50%. If these are not sobering statistics, I don’t know what are.

So, what could be done to improve our little corner of the world? Areas of grass could be left uncut, these don’t have to be large areas, 1m or 2m strips along some of the larger green spaces or in areas tricky for the mowers to cut. Benefits include, but are not limited to, wildflowers would eventually bloom attracting insects, seed heads would form which could help to feed wild birds, hedgehogs would have better foraging habitats allowing them to fatten up for the winter.

Nature has been proven to enhance our wellbeing and it needs us now more than ever. The residents of Badersfield pay for the management company to maintain this 50 acres of greenspace so perhaps we should get a say in how it is managed.