Meadow saxifrage at Ghyll Brow Welcome to the Lake District National Park, including Scout Scar- a Site of Special Scientific Interest. What's special, what might I find ? A local man who walks there daily asked me that very question. There is nothing to tell the diversity of flora and fauna. Where does the Park begin and what might visitors see? Coming to a new place, it's good to find a welcome and to learn what the highlights are. Of course, you may read my books and this blog but we also need welcoming information boards to set the scene for everyone, for locals and tourists alike.
In August 2016 the Lake District National Park boundary will shift south to take in all of Scout Scar and Helsington Barrows, all of Kendal Race Course. I want to know how this will benefit habitat and wildlife, will it afford endangered species more protection? I’m very much hoping there will be practical and positive benefits. And quickly too.
Urban encroachment makes this issue topical, and urgent. Those meadow saxifrage at Ghyll Brow came into bloom in mid-May, and a JCB ploughed a course into those steep pastures- to dig a trench and test for ‘percolation’, so I was told when I asked . It’s preparatory to building extensive housing estates at Stainbank Green and south of Underbarrow Road. The original plan was turned down because the environmental impact was judged too harsh. An appeal sees the plan active again. I talked to the men and pointed out that these precious meadow saxifrage were shown on maps we saw with development briefs. ‘ Mind the flowers,’ the man in charge advises the driver who must be struggling with the aspect of slope- it’s steep. How can he mind the flowers on such a steep slope?
Urban encroachment makes this issue topical, and urgent. Those meadow saxifrage at Ghyll Brow came into bloom in mid-May, and a JCB ploughed a course into those steep pastures- to dig a trench and test for ‘percolation’, so I was told when I asked . It’s preparatory to building extensive housing estates at Stainbank Green and south of Underbarrow Road. The original plan was turned down because the environmental impact was judged too harsh. An appeal sees the plan active again. I talked to the men and pointed out that these precious meadow saxifrage were shown on maps we saw with development briefs. ‘ Mind the flowers,’ the man in charge advises the driver who must be struggling with the aspect of slope- it’s steep. How can he mind the flowers on such a steep slope?
The extension of the National Park and the extension westward of housing estates brings the two very close indeed. So how will the conservation community prepare for change? This dilemma was the genesis of Cumbrian Contrasts: a vision of countryside. There is no welcome for visitors to Scout Scar, no interpretive boards, no highlighting of what’s special. No sign of visitor management. It can be done. Last week at Wharfe Wood we saw it done unobtrusively and cleverly: a natural barrier of brashings, branches gathered after coppicing, formed a long arc that protected sensitive habitat. Inexpensive and effective. A welcoming information board told us why the wood was special. Visitor management was well thought out.
The topic is much bigger than Scout Scar. All over the UK there is urban encroachment, extensive building programmes. So how does the conservation community respond to all that increasing pressure on the countryside? Visitor management is key. Scout Scar is important because it’s glorious, it’s a Site of Special Scientific Interest and it’s in the Lake District National Park. So how do we tell what it is? How do we create a culture that respects sensitive habitat and protects endangered species?
Here, and in Cumbrian Contrasts I’m asking the conservation community and I’m asking everyone.
The topic is much bigger than Scout Scar. All over the UK there is urban encroachment, extensive building programmes. So how does the conservation community respond to all that increasing pressure on the countryside? Visitor management is key. Scout Scar is important because it’s glorious, it’s a Site of Special Scientific Interest and it’s in the Lake District National Park. So how do we tell what it is? How do we create a culture that respects sensitive habitat and protects endangered species?
Here, and in Cumbrian Contrasts I’m asking the conservation community and I’m asking everyone.
Friends in the locality want to know who is overseeing conservation on these three pastures at Ghyll Brow. And the wayside verge on the Brigsteer Road, directly to the north of them. The roadside verge is a precious national resource for biodiversity. Go to the gallery and you'll see a series of images from 19 May 2016 of flora and a couple of pollinators. You will know from previous blogs of mine that I keep species lists for these locations and I've sent them to all the conservation organisations, so everyone should know what is here. I've written about them in About Scout Scar and in Cumbrian Contrasts.
RSS Feed