"Imagine a Cornwall where nature thrives, with our wildlife and wild places valued and enjoyed by all...where healthy oceans, soils, rivers, wetlands, woodlands, moors, grasslands, sand dunes and other ecosystems are valued for the vital role they play. Where every child in Cornwall grows up with access to clean beaches and green spaces..."
That's a great set of hopes and it lies at the core of the Cornwall Wildlife Trust's Strategy for Nature Recovery. This month saw the release of their first Impact Review, an annual assessment of what is being achieved in Cornwall and future plans for the county. There are a number of success stories from Seagrass planting in the Fal Estuary, Beaver introduction at Helman Tor, buying 53 acres of land at Bartinney secured for nature and the appearance of Choughs on this piece of land, and many more. But with the insane push for 'growth' by our present government and their ambition to ride roughshod over planning regulations and ignore local needs like social housing and concerns over sewage infrastructure and food sustainability, it will be a fight to keep the environment and climate at the core of decision making.
Meanwhile back on the Lizard, a dynamic set of weather conditions dominated our lives. Wet weather was already a big presence before Storm Darragh hit the shores of Cornwall between the 6th and 8th of this month. The county was given a fully deserved red alert by the MET office. We were hit by winds of up to 96 miles an hour, sand and seawater were thrown up into the streets in coastal towns and thousands were left without power for more than 24 hours. Roofs of seafront hotels were ripped off, trees were down, rail travel stopped at Exeter and power lines were seen with sparks spitting out of them. And then it all calmed down, dull but milder than usual, only to move back into a colder front with fog and drizzle - the Christmas day swim was a bit breezy and the Boxing day swim was wild and bitterly cold but still we dipped in and swam a few strokes.
The field here finally gave into the weather and temperature and went into a Winter sleep. Everything was still and quiet. Apart from the daily rush hour performed by the Rooks, most of the birds went into hiding and only rarely in the early evening was any singing heard. The grass remained green and soft underfoot but the thistles became a mass of blackened tangles, could that be the frosts? It hasn't been a noticeable feature in previous years.
Most of the hedgerows lost their leaves and the trees became skeletons adorned with pale green and rust lichens. A few brave Lamb's Tails (Hazel catkins), appeared and Gorse provided a small offering of early bright yellow blossom. But the prize for energy and vitality went to the Atlantic Ivy covering the trees, a lush explosion of glossy green leaves greeted us, with clusters of small black fruits covering the hedge. There is an ongoing debate as to whether Ivy is a force for good or bad when it covers various buildings and large trees. English Heritage states that in some cases it will preserve old stonework, but others point out that the extra weight that it places on trunks and branches of trees can increase the chance of bringing it down in high winds. However, there is no dispute as to the wealth of nutrients it brings to all sorts of wildlife, providing nectar in the late Autumn for all sorts of pollinating insects and the Berries in Winter at a critical time for hungry birds like the Thrush and Blackbird. It is also a place of safety and shelter from the weather and from predators for bats, moths and butterflies. (woodlandtrust.org.uk)
But the best news is that Ivy growing near or on a house is said to protect the occupants from witchcraft. One less thing for us to worry about - I count that as a win. (thehazeltree.co.uk)
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