David Attenborough has been teaching us all, across the world, for almost 70 years! This is a record-breaking achievement for any presenter or (online) teacher, and there is no sign of stopping him, even in his 100th year!

In his 2011 ‘Life Stories’ book and series, he took us on a journey back almost 600 million years to the discovery of Charnia, one of the oldest animal fossils, resembling a giant frond. Then in 2026, he brought us to the present day, right in our own back gardens, to reveal the secret lives of small mammals, birds and insects desperately surviving in our hectic and dangerous world. His time-travelling through natural history is better than any ‘Dr Who’ series, and he doesn’t even need a telephone box! 😉

His programmes have brought all sizes of creatures into our living rooms too, from Leafcutter Ants to Blue Whales. For these and so many more achievements, he is so deserving of the global birthday celebration that culminated in the Royal Albert Hall on the 8th May.

We, along with other groups, including the Plymouth Climate Choir, were involved in a song video, as part of the birthday celebrations. For our part, we embarked on a chalking design 80 feet wide on Plymouth’s iconic Hoe Promenade. We had 3 hours to complete it, before a filmmaker arrived with a drone to record the event – phew! Made it!

However, in celebrating these 100 years, we need also contemplate what drives him to continue presenting with his amazing team of filmmakers to bring us, and teach us, the wonder of the natural world. We should not just sit, watch and wonder, we really need to be acting upon the facts he is presenting us with, if we are to save this precious, now fragile, planet.

When David Attenborough was born there were approximately 2 billion people in the world; today, there are 8.2 billion! The population has more than quadrupled in his lifetime and with that huge increase has come mass consumerism and, subsequent, mass waste! Our seas are full of plastic, our soils are drenched in toxic pesticides and the air we breathe is becoming more contaminated with carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide and methane gas. In David Attenborough’s lifetime, the levels of carbon dioxide in the air we breathe have risen from 280ppm to 430ppm (parts per million), and the world’s wilderness has reduced by half!

“The devastating scale of the catastrophe now forecast…is a direct result of the way we are currently treating the planet.”

However, from the top down (governments, corporates, the world’s richest people) to the bottom up (that’s us!) we can ALL make change. Government change is slow, but we have buying power and that can force change at the top.

Buy for need, not greed.  Greed wastes YOUR money and creates waste.

We can stop buying pesticides. Learn to garden for nature, not against it. You’ll SAVE money and nature by not poisoning it.

Turn off/down unnecessary energy usage – computers, heaters, lighting and SAVE money.

Reduce/stop car use and flight travel. Walking and cycling is healthier and free.  Use buses, trains and ferries – relax and ENJOY your journeys.

By cutting down what we spend, with big global businesses, like Amazon, prevents the rich becoming richer; and by making our needed purchases with our small local businesses, that improves YOUR local economy.

We all need to be more thoughtful about our spending, our wasting and improving our wellbeing by working and being in nature.  Our philosophy moving forward must be “sustainability in all things…and… radically reduce our impact on the world.”

For us, we continue to make our mark on the urban pavements, using them as a canvas to highlight the wildflowers popping up between the cracks and crevices. By naming these plants, we hope you learn to love and respect them too, and reconnect with nature. “To restore stability to our planet … we must restore its biodiversity.”

So, let’s “rewild the world!”  🌼🌍🌼🙂👍

(All quotes and data taken from: D. Attenborough, 2020. A Life on our Planet: My Witness Statement and a Vision for the Future. Witness Books: London.)

“The State of Nature Report is an assessment of how nature is doing across the UK…The report pools data and expertise from more than 60 nature conservation and research organisations, a partnership unparalleled in UK conservation.” https://www.bto.org/our-work/science/publications/reports/state-of-nature

Our latest project, ‘Nature Calling!’ has been kindly funded by Charlotte Holloway, the local councillor of Drake Ward in Plymouth. Its key aims are to address and raise awareness of pests and pesticide pollution: both are major threats to flora and fauna.

When we talk of pests, we are not talking about insects, because with thoughtful gardening practices they are not pests, but pollinators and food for other insects, birds and mammals – a natural biodiversity cycle. No, the pests we are focussing on are in fact our cute and adorable moggies. Yes, cats!

Apparently, over 25% of households have a cat. The problem is that when left to roam, as many do, they kill “over 100 million wild animals in the UK every year, and of these 27 million are songbirds”.
https://www.songbird-survival.org.uk/help-birds/help-birds-at-home/protecting-songbirds/pet-disturbance

It’s a cat’s instinct to hunt, so telling it off won’t work, but we can reduce this hunting behaviour. Given how seriously threatened birds and small mammals are, it’s an essential cat owner’s ethical responsibility to protect them, so here’s what you can do:

1. Keep your cat indoors between dusk (sunset) and dawn (sunrise) when birds are singing and feeding.
“Not only will doing this protect wildlife, but it may also protect your cat by reducing fighting and road accidents (Cecchetti, Crowley, & McDonald, 2021; Crowley et al., 2019).”

2. Play with your cat.
Providing physical and mental stimulation through play and puzzle feeders, even for just “10 minutes of daily play can reduce hunting by up to 25% (Cecchetti, Crowley, Goodwin, et al., 2021).” 

3. Consider your cat’s diet.
Store-bought cat food is low in meat proteins, instead they are packed out with grain and cheap proteins. “Changing your cat’s diet to include more proteins that come from meat has been shown to reduce hunting by 36% (Cecchetti, Crowley, Goodwin, et al., 2021).”

4. Place your bird feeders up high. Even though you may not have cats yourself, neighbours cats will undoubtedly wander in your garden. Place them really high, out of reach of the most energetic cat.

5. Get a multi-coloured cat collar with bells. They can reduce the number of prey caught “by over 50%, making it one of the most effective options for reducing the number of birds your cat kills.” (birdsbesafe.com).

So, at Houndiscombe Park, in Plymouth, funding has secured: 

– the replacement of high rise bird feeders and seed for our feathered friends 🐦🐦🐦🐦🐦

– 10 free multi-coloured cat collars (with bells and safe release clips). If you live in the Drake Ward – these are available to the first 10 lucky cat owners to try. Just give us email feedback (twice over 6 months) to let us know how effective they are. Just PM us on our Facebook page.

The second focus of our project is pesticides. Despite being readily available to buy on garden centre shelves, they are destructive toxins, killing life in our gardens and further afield. These chemicals are also contained in flea sprays used on pets.

A recent study has revealed further worrying evidence that every bird’s nest tested was lined with pesticides in the nesting material. https://www.channel4.com/news/scientists-warn-chemicals-in-pet-flea-treatments-are-killing-wildlife

“PAN Europe recently revealed that PFAS pesticide residues are found in many fruits and vegetables… These forever chemicals are deliberately sprayed on food and fields and their use is increasing. Not only are they persistent but they also have toxic properties.” https://www.pan-europe.info/blog/pfas-pesticides-cause-havoc-uk

“PAN UK analysed the latest results from the UK government’s residue testing programme, finding that ten different PFAS pesticides were present in spices and a range of fruit and vegetables including grapes, cherries, spinach and tomatoes. Strawberries were found to be the worst offenders, with 95% of the 120 samples tested by the government in 2022 containing PFAS pesticides.”

“Pesticide elements have now perpetually entered our atmosphere and subsequently contaminated water, food, and soil, leading to health threats ranging from acute to chronic toxicities…Pesticides produce different types of toxicity, for instance, neurotoxicity, mutagenicity, carcinogenicity, teratogenicity, and endocrine disruption.” https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844024051594

Depressing reading  isn’t it, but:
here’s what you can do:

– stop using pesticides in your garden
– email your council to stop using chemicals on streets and public spaces
– buy organic and significantly reduce your exposure to these chemicals
– use natural, toxic free, flea sprays for your pet.

A natural toxic-free alternative is
Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) spray. It  is effective because:

– “pH balance: ACV slightly acidifies the skin’s surface, creating an environment fleas dislike.
– Smell and taste deterrent: its sharp scent and flavor make animals less attractive to biting insects.
Anti-inflammatory effects: helps calm itching and redness from flea bites.
Mild antiseptic properties: cleanses minor irritations and prevents infection from scratching.

‍Use as a ratio of 1:2 (1 part ACV and 2 parts water) especially if your pets skin is sensitive.”
https://vetexplainspets.com/how-to-use-apple-cider-vinegar-for-fleas

Check out Alternatives to Herbicides on the PAN UK website:
https://www.pan-uk.org/alternatives-to-herbicides-a-new-guide/
‍
Please click on our partner Facebook page: Pesticide-free-Plymouth to show your support of these initiatives. 🙂👍

https://www.facebook.com/share/1AFdns9P3h/


Thanks to our reference links for all the informative data and to Charlotte Holloway for the funding to promote Nature Calling!

Pasley Street (pronounced paisley) is a very long urban road in the heart of Stoke, Plymouth. Join us on our walk and chalk, with Sophie from Green Communities, to identify wildlife on the walls and in the cracks of pavements, serving as valuable green corridors for nature. 🚶‍♂️🚶‍♀️🚶Here we go 🙂…

Firedot crustose lichens can be orange, yellow or brown and appear like tiny dots on the surface. These dots are the spore-bearing structures (apothecia).

Sunburst lichens (Xanthoria) like Firedot are often found on sunny walls and rocks. They have a circular, foliose design with tiny branching lobes, which often become obscured as they amalgamate into larger forms and can be easily mistaken for a crustose lichen.

Thoreau stated in his journal of 1851: “It is a good day to study lichens”, but perhaps that could refer to any day because lichens are fascinating. “They provide food, shelter and nesting material for birds, mammals and insects…moths on the run from a predator will mimic bark lichens. Many foods, perfumes, dyes, medicines (antibacterial and antiviral properties) and foods are directly derived from lichens…many species are very sensitive to pollutants such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen.” (www.bbc.co.uk)

As well as those fabulous Vitamin K-packed, dandy Dandelions (Taraxacum officinale) we found Sunken Disc Lichen (Aspicilia calcarea) which belongs to the Aspiciliaceae family.

“Through its ability to break down minerals and organic matter, the lichen gradually forms a thin layer of soil, creating microhabitats that support the establishment of other plant species…By binding soil particles together and reducing surface runoff, the lichen contributes to the maintenance of soil structure and fertility. (https://www.sidmouth-nature.uk/hub-detail/Sunken%20Disc%20Lichen)

Another ancient life form on this planet is the fern. Did you know there are more than 10,500 species of fern? 🤔 Wow! 😲

It’s a vascular plant that has neither seed or flower, and this Male Fern likes damp shady places.

Don’t you just love it when a plant or tree finds the tiniest crack to find a home? 🙂Just like people, our sometimes hostile concrete streets are difficult places to find shelter, so plants have to be resilient and resourceful. The Sycamore provides nectar and pollen for bees and other pollinators 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🌳🌳🌳🌳

Did you know that Red Valerian is also known as: Kiss-me-Quick, Fox’s Brush, Devil’s Beard and Jupiter’s Beard. Which name do you know it as?

To avoid confusion this is why we use the Latin language to name plants, as this is globally recognised. “Since the first printing of Carl Linnaeus’s Species Plantarum in 1753, plants have been assigned one epithet or name for their species and one name for their genus”.  (Wikipedia) This is why Latin plant names are binomial.

“The troubling extent of insect declines across the UK has been highlighted… by the results of the 2024 Bugs Matter citizen science survey. The latest data shows that the number of flying insects sampled on vehicle number plates, across the UK, has fallen by a staggering 63% since 2021.                                                                    (https://www.buglife.org.uk)

We can all do more to help insects and increase these numbers – NOT using pesticides is a good start. These are toxins which kill insects and contaminate our socks, watercourses, and poison other life in our gardens, including birds and our own pets. Check out http://www.pan-uk.org for further information.

Also known as False Oat-Grass, it provides shelter and nesting material for Field Voles.

Have you got up close and smelt the wonderful aroma of the Buddleja davidii? 🤔

The little pink-purple flowers are so pretty, and the scent is wonderful of this wild plant. When you smell it, you’ll soon realise why it is so attractive to bees and butterflies – it’s a fabulous lifesaver to pollinators, so encourage it’s growth 😉👍

It cannot be overstated enough how important autumn flowering plants are to pollinators (insects, birds, mammals). 🐝 These Michaelmas daisies also provide colour to your garden. Remember though, as with all flowers, try to avoid the hybridised (crossed/cultivars) because the more petal layers they have, the LESS pollen they have for 🐝🐝🦋🦋🐦🐦👍

What’s Tutsan I hear some of you say? 🤔 Well it’s a shrubby St. John’s Wort, and it is also known as Sweet-amber. Want to see it close-up? It’s got rather lovely leaves…

A medical plant used as a diuretic and to progress the healing of burns and minor skin wounds. It has also been used to treat sciatica and gout, as well as being used in the skincare industry. In Portugal, the leaves are used in the treatment of liver, kidney and bladder problems: quite an elixir! 👍

As the name suggests, this plant originated from North and Central America. Its common names include: Canadian Fleabane, Marestail, Coltstail (there’s a horse theme here 🙂🐎) and Butter weed. 

Distinctive due to its club-shaped leaflets that appear in groups of three on the frond. It often appears with other ferns like the Maidenhair Spleenwort.

Did you know, Polygonum means ‘many knees’ in Greek, referring to the prominent joints along the stem.  Many species of insects feed on Knotgrass, including the eponymous Knot Grass moth, Acronicta rumicis. 🙂👍

The species is hermaphrodite, which means it has both male and female organs, and is pollinated by bees, flies, beetles, lepidoptera (moths and butterflies). It is also known as the Serbian Bellflower – it originated from the Dinaric Alps, in the former Yugoslavia. Despite it being a non- native, it is extremely attractive to bees and other pollinators 🐝 🦋 🦋 🐝 Its bell shaped blue  flowers, also make it attractive to humans 😉.

Thanks for reading everyone 🙂 👍🌼🌼

It’s fair to say the Dutch people seem really wild about tulips! 🌷 They are everywhere, in every colour and composition imaginable, through a hybridisation process that has lasted over 400 years and still continues. There is even a book called Tulipomania explaining the fad that took hold regarding this flower.

Each genetically modified design has a different commercial name; here are just a few:

Armada
Kansas
Golden melody
Queen of Night
Golden Artist

Not only are they sold as bulbs, but the flowers are recreated in oil paintings, plastic decorations, china crockery and even wallpaper.

But where is the original tulip, the Wild Tulip, Tulipa sylvestris? 🤔

Tulipa sylvestris, the Wild Tulip, or Woodland Tulip, is an Eurasian  and North African species of plant in the lily family. “It was introduced from the Mediterranean to northern Europe in the sixteenth century and became widely naturalized”. (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-13378-9)

Who first introduced tulips to Europe is not completely clear, but it may well have been the “French diplomat and naturalist Pierre Belon” (ibid) around 1540, during his travels in the Orient.

Yes, though you may have thought Tulips are native flowers to Holland, they were introduced, albeit about more than 400 years ago.

“The Netherlands, known for its tulips, is the world’s largest producer and exporter of tulip bulbs. In 2021, the value of the tulip bulb export in the Netherlands was over 250 million euros.” https://oggardenonline.com

However, still keen to find the original Wild Tulip species, the search ended up at the Hortus Botanicus in Amsterdam.  Of course, to see any tulip in bloom one must see them in the spring, but now, in late summer/early autumn, seeking them as a bulb for planting is the only option. After discussion with two very helpful staff at the gardens, they explain that they do have Wild Tulip bulbs, though not for sale to the public, but planted in their grounds. Unfortunately, their location is not in a public area; however, they show me on the computer evidence on their database that they are there.

It would have been more eventful to have found the Wild Tulip, or Woodland Tulip, as bulbs that could have been planted, but at least we found them. It’s rather a pity that the hybridised colourful versions have completely taken over the sales markets from the original wild species: I wonder what the pollinators think about that…🐦🐝🦋🪲

Whilst walking and chalking on Plymouth’s Hoe, we met a lovely French lady and her two young daughters visiting from Paris. They joined in, chalking flowers on the path, and commended our work for raising attention to urban wildflowers, which are key to the survival of pollinators in cities.

We explained how this consciousness raising supports the non-use/ banning of chemical pesticides, which ultimately destroys the  biodiversity we are highlighting. She then informed us of a bombshell: the “Duplomb law”.

The “Duplomb law” is being hotly debated now, with over 2 million people having signed a petition against it. This new law is overturning a previously banned toxic pesticide, acetamiprid, to be used across the country in the agribusiness. Many “Michelin-starred chefs, school canteen cooks, bistro owners and farmer-restaurateur collectives have spoken out” against this toxic from the “neonicotinoid family saying: “We restaurateurs are in this business to feed, not to poison.” https://www.france24.com/en/france/20250728-feed-not-to-poison-french-chefs-push-back-against-pesticide-law-duplomb

“France is the leading agricultural power in Europe and is committed to offering healthy, sustainable and traceable food”, states the https://www.businessfrance.fr website, so the ruling on this will have far reaching implications and possibly for the UK also. By relaxing rules and regulations about the standards of food being produced and sold, in favour of economic growth (greed), in one country will certainly have a knock-on effect in other countries. In the UK, we are currently pushing for councils to ban the use and sale of pesticides, whilst some have done so others, clearly, haven’t.

Pollinator populations around the world are declining at an alarming rate over recent decades (Goulson et al., 2015), and “disappearing habitats and use of pesticides are driving the loss of pollinator species around the world”. https://www.cam.ac.uk/stories/pollinatorsriskindex

We’ve known this since the 1960s with Rachel Carson’s research and subsequent book: “Silent spring is acknowledged as the ‘effective beginning’ of ‘toxic discourse’, and as a pivotal contribution to emergent modern environmentalism” https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5554789/

This French lady was clearly distraught by this threat. She said: “I worry for my children; what kind of world will there be for them…if this goes ahead I will have to buy bio (organic) food… this law will effect all of biodiversity.”

So, by the 7th August share this post with everyone you know, especially anyone who lives in France or has any connection with food production and cooking, to send a message to President Macron at: https://www.elysee.fr/en/contact/

Please feel free to copy and paste any part of this blog in your message to President Macron. ✊

Vive la biodiversité 🦋🌿🐦🌼🐝🐛🪲🪻🪳🌷🦗🦋🐝🌳🌼

The men responsible for chainsawing the Sycamore Gap tree “were each given sentences of four years and three months”, stated The Guardian on 16th July, 2025.

Although the charge was one of criminal damage, “the attack… was met with sadness, disbelief and anger that rippled around the world…the felling caused widespread distress”.  Generally, acts of criminal damage only effect the immediate owners of property or items involved, this case had a far different and far reaching impact, as the mayor for the area stated: “the sentence could never reflect the devastation we all still feel for the loss”.  The loss is a living breathing life “that brought only joy and happiness to people”.

It’s not an inanimate object, it’s a beautiful life. So, with this legal story a couple of questions arise: firstly, is this a case of criminal damage or ecocide? Secondly, if killing a tree results in a custodial sentence, why are we seeing so many trees being killed across the country without any criminal investigation or sentencing? Is it acceptable for corporates and councils to destroy trees, but not so by two men on a “moronic mission”? https://www.guardian-series.co.uk/news/national/uk-today/25315781.sycamore-gap-men-jailed-4-years-felling-iconic-tree/

“Thousands of trees were felled as part of a £2.2bn street improvement project” in Sheffield back in 2012. “…the authority and contractor, Amey, had ignored the value of street trees and did not anticipate the views of significant numbers of residents”.  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-64863130

In Plymouth, in March 2023, 119 trees were felled in the city centre, under cover of darkness, despite outrage from many of its citizens. A subsequent court case hit the national headlines and a report stated “council failings in governance, project management, engagement, and staff wellbeing.” https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/plymouth-news/armada-way-trees-council-told-10205168

In Derbyshire recently, dozens of trees were felled beside a railway line. Network Rail contractors stated it was for “essential vegetation management”; however, residents and a local councillor feel the work was: “absolutely devastating for the area”. “Contractors had gone far and beyond what they needed to do. I just burst into tears. I saw the birds, the thrushes, and it was just heartbreaking”. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0719jmjxx0o

The beautiful Sycamore Gap tree is representative of all trees, each and every tree is a life which gives oxygen, temperature protection, soil stability, absorbs pollution and provides habitat for thousands of insects, birds, mammals, lichen, fungi and moss. We all need to rethink trees – respect trees, respect  what they do for us and every living being on this planet and stand up for their right to life.

Did you know that Durnford Street, Plymouth was once the location of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the author of the great fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes? In 1882 he practiced medicine for a short time here. Well, we went on our own investigation to see what urban wild plants we could find on this famous street. 🔎👀 🌿

Unfortunately, a harshly pollarded tree in the church grounds upset a local lady who spoke to us about it. She said:

“It (Hawthorn) was just coming into flower; it was beautiful last year, but look how they’ve pollarded it! I doubt it will recover from this; they have left it as a stump.”                                         

Pollarding is a controversial issue, particularly when it’s been carried out so extensively it appears to have killed the tree!  Education is clearly needed. .   

“Common hawthorn can support hundreds of other species. It is the foodplant for caterpillars of moths, including the hawthorn, orchard ermine, pear leaf blister, rhomboid tortrix, light emerald, lackey, vapourer, fruitlet-mining tortrix, small eggar and lappet moths. Its flowers are eaten by dormice and provide nectar and pollen for bees and other pollinating insects. The haws are rich in antioxidants and are eaten by migrating birds, such as redwings, fieldfares and thrushes, as well as small mammals.” Thanks to the Woodland Trust for this information.

‘Eco Churches’ is a UK organisation to support churches to protect nature through a range of ethical and environmental practices. https://ecochurch.arocha.org.uk/                     If you live near a church perhaps recommend them to connect with this  website.  If you are outside the UK then check out A Rocha which is the international organisation. For surely, ‘ all things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small‘ need protecting now 🙂👍

Here are some amazing biodiversity facts about Ivy! If you’re not a fan you need to read this:

“Ivy is particularly important to many insects before they go into hibernation. Some of the main insect species which forage on the nectar and pollen of ivy are bees, hoverflies and wasps. It is an important food plant for some butterfly and moth larvae such as holly blue, small dusty wave, angle shades and swallow-tailed moth.

Nectar, pollen and berries of ivy are an essential food source for insects and birds, especially during autumn and winter when little else is about. It also provides shelter for insects, birds, bats and other small mammals. The high fat content of the berries is a nutritious food resource for birds and the berries are eaten by a range of species including thrushes, blackcaps, woodpigeons and blackbirds.

Many rare insects are attracted to ivy flowers, including the golden hoverfly.

Thanks to https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/plants/wild-flowers/ivy/ for the information 🙂👍

Lovely pink flowers loved by many pollinators 🐝🦋🐝🦋

The Smooth Sowthistle has many common names, including Common Sowthistle and Puha in New Zealand 🙂

The delicate floral scent of the Sweet Alyssum is believed to have a calming effect on the mind and reduces anxiety.

Orchard grass is an important food source for Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown butterfly caterpillars 🦋🦋🦋🦋 and many species of finches 🐦🐦🐦                             

But here’s another amazing fact; are you ready?

Honeybees 🐝🐝🐝🐝often favour the pollen of Orchard grass to many wildflowers 🌼🌺🌸 Wow, what a cool fact! 😲

Now here’s a thing:  shouldn’t the apostrophe be placed as I have written it, meaning the joy of travellers (plural)?  However, many books and websites write it as Traveller’s Joy, being the joy of just one traveller…hmm… Who is this traveller? 🤔

I hope you like and appreciate these little drawings our Rebels are creating for you. They are getting very arty you know 😉

Did you know (I bet you don’t 🤣) that the word Taraxacum derives from the Arabic tarakhshaqūn, meaning “bitter herb”.  However, the Persian 10th Century polymath, Al-Razi,  used this same word in relation to dandelions, chicory, and endives, which suggests the word is originally Persian.  He wrote “the tarakhshaqūn is like chicory, but more efficacious”.  (Info from: Wikipedia)

Oh, what a great word – efficacious!  I think we should use it more often, don’t you? 😉

Introduced before 1600 and naturalised, this plant is really important to many pollinators: bees, butterflies and moths.

Next photo shows the flower…

Named after a village in the province of Trieste, in Italy, Prosecco is a drink…Hang on!  This isn’t a wild plant, it’s not even the drink! It is, in fact, the bottle left as litter!

Who’s been irresponsible enough to leave an empty bottle on a wall, which could easily fall, break and cause a health and safety risk to walkers and, particularly, dogs’ paws? Grr!

Did you know in 2020 the UK generated 191 million tonnes of waste (www.gov.uk) but in 2024 that figure rose to 215 million tonnes (www.wastedirect.co.uk)?

That’s a shocking statistic, particularly with the rise of litter pickers, trying to raise awareness! Let’s keep our streets tidy everyone, reduce packaging, and pass the message on. 👍Thanks for reading and sharing 🙂

On Friday, 16th May we turned up to a site in Plympton, Plymouth responding to an urgent plea that lots of trees were being chopped down and nesting birds were possibly in danger. Could we stop it?  Well, we knew nothing about this and neither did anyone else we contacted in our ‘tree caring’ community. So, armed only with good advice and a passion for protecting nature, we responded.

The neighbours living close by these trees had not been informed of this action. As one resident said when we arrived: “you hear the chainsaws and you immediately think ‘Armada Way’, they’re going to cut the whole lot!”  It seems the shock waves from that event are still very much felt by people in Plymouth.

Before going over to speak to the chainsaw handlers, we watched. Looking through binoculars, we searched for nests but couldn’t see any, which was a relief. As we watched, total destruction was not unfolding, rather careful lopping of branches of one particular species, European Ash: Fraxinus excelsior.

We edged towards the barrier and beckoned to the workmen. It was clear from their initial body language they expected confrontation, but quickly realised that was not our agenda and very soon we were having a very productive conversation. They invited us behind the barrier and showed us exactly what they were doing. Contracted in by the council, these tree surgeons had removed 5 Ash trees that had Ash die-back. Was that necessary? Could these trees have been saved by just removing affected branches?  It seemed not. The trunk pieces they showed us were black throughout the heartwood and placing his finger between the blackened wood and outer layer, it crumbled away. Other trees not so badly affected were having branches lopped to save the tree. Amongst the ash trees, other species like Sycamore were untouched.

What about nesting birds? Was it really acceptable to be doing this during nesting season? He assured us they had checked for nests and hadn’t found any, but he did admit that it was a disruption for birds generally to have this activity and noise happening in their habitat.
Could this not be done outside of this season? He responded with honesty:  yes it could and it would be better for wildlife, but for us we’d have no income coming in during those months. The neighbour then responded that if more frequent checks were made, rather than leaving the trees for so long, then the remedial work would not be so intensive. This would also mean the tree surgeons would still have work throughout the year. That decision isn’t theirs though, it’s a council one.

The tree surgeons apologised that the neighbours hadn’t been informed but said they couldn’t be responsible for this. We agreed. The council have contracted them for the job and surely it’s their responsibility to also inform local residents that this would be happening. Yet, apparently, the council doesn’t have to because “the trees belong to them not the neighbours”. Though surely with the branches being so close and the level of noise, it would be respectful to contact them? Also, the initial stress caused to the community thinking they were going to lose all their trees would easily have been avoided if communication had been made.

It’s never good to see trees being cut. Ash die-back is a dreadful disease, though sometimes the tree is able to fight back and survive. With this knowledge, less trees are being cut down and more are being cared for. In this situation, it seemed the disease had gone too far to save the five but, hopefully, the rest will recover.

We left with handshakes and reciprocal smiles, our caller was relieved and happy to pass this on to other local residents. However, it appears that a complete lack of information from the council to its community had created the initial panic. So, please:

“All we need to do is make sure we keep talking”  (Stephen Hawking, 1993).  By talking we are keeping the channels open to communicating, collaborating and learning.

This post is dedicated to the five 🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳

We meet at the City Puzzle Garden in Plymouth. It’s situated next to a busy shopping centre; but why, we wondered, is it so named…A puzzle indeed, until we read the sign.

That bottom left red piece tells the tale. This little urban green space is only temporary and earmarked for development, it seems. The layout has been designed in 9 sections, we presume, as the sign illustrates, with the idea that each section will be relocated elsewhere when, or if, building work starts. We consider if this would actually happen in practice, but rather hope that development does not take hold and swallow up yet another wild patch.

Cranesbill

And then it was our turn… Scrumptious tahini vegan biscuits and custard cookies, yummy 😋 Happy Christmas.