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On this page we will highlight publications, reports of events and policy developments relating to the urban environment.
Although published a couple of years ago the following is still of interest and relevance. The authors say 'Despite the frequency with which they feature in environmental discourse, children have played only a passive role in the development and implementation of environmental policy. This report argues that children’s well-being and environmental issues are inextricablylinked. The worse a local environment looks, the less able children are to play freely, and to develop the habits and commitments that will enable them to address environmental problems in the future.
A Child's Place: Why environment matters to children
A Green Alliance/Demos report written by Gillian Thomas and Guy Thompson, published May 2004.
http://www.green-alliance.org.uk/publications/PubAChildsPlace_page195.aspx
No Nettles Required
Sub-titled ‘The Truth About Wildlife Gardening’ this brilliant book reveals what really matters to the wildlife in your garden. The author, Ken Thompson, is a plant ecologist at Sheffield University, and was one of their BUGS team. (BUGS = Biodiversity of Urban Gardens, one of the URGENT Programme projects.) The book is written in an easy, non-technical style.
The author looks at the conventions, myths and half-truths which pepper the gardening for wildlife world. His analysis shows that many of our long-held beliefs may have more to do with human perceptions than wildlife’s needs. For example there is no evidence that native plants are better than non-native plants, that large gardens have ‘more’ wildlife than small gardens, that gardens become richer in wildlife the further away from city centres they are, or that large ponds attract more wildlife than small ponds.
The BUGS Project came up with just two really important factors. First that trees and shrubs have a consistently positive effect on garden creatures, and second that altitude is significant in relation to what might be expected to turn up in a garden. Also important are having a variety of flowers for as long a period as possible, having a good mixture of flowers, grass, shrubs and trees, and having structures and artefacts such as old stone walls, hedges, terraces and banks, compost heaps and ponds. The perfect wildlife garden would also have a mixture of damp, shady and sunny spots.
Overall the conclusion is that almost any gardening you do will have some benefits for local wildlife – and you certainly so not have to grow nettles!
No urban nature conservationist should be without this marvellous little book.
No Nettles Required is published by Eden Project Books. It costs £6.99.
