A little Bird Told Me…#4 :

Edition: Oceans by Joe Wilkins

At time of writing, many people around the country are heading to the coast. 

Why do we flock to the coast? Is it the open space? The cooling sea breeze? The sounds? I guess everybody has their own reasons for wanting to be beside the sea (we’d love to hear yours – @ukyouthfornature on social media!)

When I started planning this blog, I thought I would know exactly the direction it was going to take. But as I started writing, I realised there were so many topics and issues I wanted to cover. Did I want to focus on my personal love of the sea? Marine biodiversity? Access to the coast and the ocean? The ocean is such an important part of my life that I wanted to be sure that this blog did it justice.

So, I decided to use this blog as a chance to introduce a few different themes and areas of interest and serve a conversation starter for myself and you, the readers.

The State of the Ocean

“How inappropriate to call this planet Earth when it is quite clearly Ocean.”

Arthur C. Clarke

The ocean covers nearly three-quarters of our planet’s surface and was long thought to be too large for human activities to impact. But this is no longer the case (Pink, 2018). We are seeing large-scale changes in ocean chemistry, biology, and dynamics globally (Gattuso et al., 2015). With the threats of sea level rise, ocean warming, and acidification set to impact many countries worldwide, governments worldwide must begin looking to humanities future relationship with the ocean (IUCN, 2017). This will involve creating and implementing policy and management strategies that, firstly, reduce the impact of human activities on the sea and, secondly, reduce the effects of ocean change on coastal socio-ecological systems, particularly those increasingly vulnerable to said change. 

But what is actually being done? In a word: nothing.

It’s been nearly two months since World Ocean Day (June 8th), when businesses and world leaders were making big promises to protect the ocean. But shockingly, they haven’t followed through on any of these commitments.

Let’s do a roundup of the last month in ocean conservation:

  • The High Seas/BBNJ Treaty signing has been delayed.
  • The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity COP15 has been delayed to 2022.
  • The Gulf of Mexico was on FIRE from a ruptured pipeline.
  • The UK Government is likely to approve the drilling of massive oil field in the North Sea. Seriously? We need to #stopcambo
  • The MV X-Press Pearl Disaster has caused unknown damage to marine ecosystems in Sri Lanka.
  • Seas continue to warm.
  • It’s looking likely that Deep Sea Mining will be entering the exploitation phase in the near future. We still know so little about the deep sea and the impacts of DSM but in my opinion, it’s a disaster waiting to happen. 
What needs to be done?

This is question could be answered in a variety of different ways, depending on your area of interest. Here’s some things that spring to my mind straight away, beyond the simple “we need to protect our seas” statement often heard.

Building a love for the sea

Education is an extremely valuable tool in the fight against ocean destruction. Ocean science and conservation can be an incredibly gate-kept sector, even in comparison to other environmental studies and activism. The ocean itself can seem very distant for many people, with them feeling extremely far removed from the ocean.

Governments need to invest in nature- and ocean-based education, with funding for hands-on experiences for children and young people. Speaking from personal experience, these are extremely important to building a love and appreciation of our natural world and in this case the ocean. This is especially true for those in marginalised communities, who may not have the opportunity to otherwise.

“People protect what they love.”

Jacques-Yves Cousteau, Renowned Oceanographer

Allowing people to act on this love

Governments need to be put in place mechanisms that enable people to act upon their values. This is an issue that extends beyond the individual. Mainly this should be targeted at large businesses and corporations who have the audacity to charge extra for ‘sustainable’ options. Create a system where it doesn’t cost extra to be environmentally friendly. We need to hold companies to account and, as our representatives, governments should be acting in our best interests, not those of FTSE100 companies

Realising that technology forms only a part of the solution

This is a recurring problem globally. Many governments, particularly those who prioritise economic growth and business, look for technological development and solutions to allow business to continue to grow, often at the expense of communities and the environment. This solution is further pushed by businesspeople and industrialists globally. The most recent example was billionaire founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates, suggesting that the spraying of chalk dust into the atmosphere could be the solution to climate change (Ramirez, 2021). Another ocean-based example is the pre-eminence of the plastic pollution problem among those facing the oceans and technological ‘clean-up’ solutions (Stanton, Johnson & Kay, 2020). A recent study by Hohn et al. (2020) found that clean-up technology alone will not tackle the issue of plastic pollution, but that behavioural change in our consumption and production patterns are required. Yet, this receives less prominence than ‘tech’ solutions and start-ups.

Many scholars in risk and resilience theory question the ability of technology to solve a problem caused by technology itself. Technology will play a role but there is a greater need for behavioural and systemic change rather than focusing solely on technological solutions. 

So, in short, world leaders and policymakers have a long way to go on our journey towards protecting the world’s ocean.

A personal note…

As you may have gathered, I’m extremely passionate about protecting marine environments.
The ocean is possibly the most important component of Earth’s life support system, impacting every inhabitant of this planet, even those thousands of miles from the nearest coast.

But on a personal level, I’m happiest when in the sea and that is a big reason I want to see our seas healthy and thriving. The world beneath the waves has always called me (Moana who?)! So, my desire for ocean protection may not be completely altruistic (don’t @ me).

References

Gattuso, J., Magnan, A., Billé, R., Cheung, W. W. L., Howes, E. L., Joos, F., Allemand, D., Bopp, L., Cooley, S. R., Eakin, C. M., Hoegh-Guldberg, O., Kelly, R. P., Pörtner, H. o., Rogers, A. D., Baxter, J. M., Laffoley, D., Osborn, D., Rankovic, A., Rochette, J., Sumaila, U. R., Treyer, S. & Turley, C. (2015) Contrasting Futures for Ocean and Society from Different Anthropogenic CO 2 Emissions Scenarios. Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science). 349 (6243), aac4722. Available from: https://hal.sorbonne-universite.fr/hal-01176217. Available from: doi: 10.1126/science.aac4722.

Pink, J. (2018) 5 ways that climate change affects the ocean. The Conversation.

Stanton, T., Johnson, M. & Kay, P. (2020) The war against plastic is distracting us from pollution that cannot be seen. The Conversation. Available from: https://theconversation.com/the-war-against-plastic-is-distracting-us-from-pollution-that-cannot-be-seen-147161 [Accessed 29/04/2021].

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August 2, 2021 brendenbeckett A little bird told me, Nature Nearby, Newsletter, Oceans, Our member! No Comments  

A little bird told me… #3

Edition: Hedge of Glory

By Glesni & Alanna

Farming is a way of cultivating a relationship with the more-than-human world. It connects us to our own web of life and joins up the dots on how our harvesting and cultivation impacts those around us – for better or for worse. When done with respect to other natural systems we can create more biodiversity, better health and even redirect floods/alleviate drought and capture carbon. 

Commercial large scale farms that run on fossil fuels, mono-crops and subsidies are failing us. When farms consist of large fields of one crop, and one crop only, these require huge amounts of artificial fertilizers and additives that are systematically conforming to processes of machinery. This conformity not only results in quick run-off of nutrients from the fields into the nearest waterways, but also means that any ‘product’ unconforming to shape or size gets rejected from ever leaving the farm – thus creating wasted food.

Out of the over 300,000 edible plant species out there, only 200 of these on average are eaten by the majority of people, even less so in commercially monopolised countries like the UK. If the way we farmed reflected these other species, we could create farms that reflect the landscape and dance with their own niches.

More often than not, we associate our behaviour as an ethical consumer with the impact our spending habits have on the environment and on the treatment of the workers. Whilst these are incredibly important factors to consider, there are additional questions we should be asking ourselves that feed into these. How does how we shop affect ourselves and our community?

During the pandemic, more people have been shopping locally and supporting small businesses, which has been linked to an increased feeling of community spirit. This has given people the opportunity to connect with where their food comes from, build relationships with people in their community and has given both the consumer and the business owner a chance to help each other during a time of uncertainty. 

A practice that applies similar values, includes a method of food production called Community-supported agriculture (CSA). CSA enables people in the community to form a direct partnership with the farmers. This includes sharing the responsibility and rewards of farming and enabling them to take control of their food supply. There is no one strict method or definition for CSA. Examples can include local people investing in a farm, whereby they receive a share of the produce whilst the food production is still farmer-led. There are also other groups where local people lead the farm, by sourcing a piece of land and using it to produce their own food – recruiting other members of the community to help. 

CSA schemes have been found to provide a variety of benefits to individuals, the community, the local economy and the environment. 

It has changed people’s eating habits, often leading to eating healthier and organic food, supporting better overall health and happiness. Eating seasonal fruit and vegetables has provided people with the opportunity to experiment with the different food that is available that particular season and become more connected with nature and the process of growing food. Eating seasonal local foods also means there is very little transport or plastic involved, reducing an individual’s carbon footprint. 

Concerns that we might have when buying from larger supermarkets, including excess plastic packaging and limited transparency in the food trade and production, are reduced when buying food from CSA schemes. Consumers are able to be proactive in how their food is produced, are able to get involved as much or as little as they wish to. 

People have gained new skills, connected with others in their community and according to research from the Soil Association, CSA has also improved local employment. In comparison to UK agriculture as a whole, CSA has shown higher levels of employment relative to the land available. 

If you’re looking for hands-on experience and an element of adventure, have a look at Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF). WWOOFing involves learning about sustainable and argo-ecological farming whilst working and living with a host family. During your time as a WWOOFer, you are not paid by being given money. Instead, the host family pay you by providing you accommodation and food for the time that you spend on their farm. 

Alternative farming is a great example of how food production can work in harmony with nature and the community. We hope you find a way to get involved!

To read the full Newsletter – Click the link below

A little bird told me…
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June 24, 2021 brendenbeckett A little bird told me, Blog, Nature Nearby, Our member! No Comments  

A little bird told me… #2

Edition: Connect to Roaming

Land. It’s all around us. But what comes to mind when you think of ‘land’? There is a tendency for our minds to wander to the familiar portrayal of it as large swathes of farmed fields that exist autonomously and seperate from the spaces we live in; far from towns and cities. But land is everywhere. Issues that include land include us. Everywhere we are allowed to relax, socialise,  work: – whilst not in the air or in the sea, of course, is land. Something we all bear our weight on each day, trusting the ground below us to support and cradle us, holding us close, preventing us from falling out into distant galaxies… 

And land is around us for our whole lives. Everywhere we occupy, wherever we are. 

Yet, our experiences of what type of land we each are able to access varies so vastly from person to person – from inner city parks where pigeons coo; to disused tennis courts full of dandelions and grasses sneaking up through the cracks; to vast wetlands and mountains adorned with flowering heather and the quiet buzz of bees… The type of land we can each access not only affects where we are, but also who we are and how we are. 

It has been said countless times already that the type of spaces we have been able to reach during national lockdowns have been incredibly important for our health. But just how important is it?  Research by the University Of Surrey[1] found that some birdsong were able to offer relief from stress and mental fatigue, depending on the participants’ upbringing. Studies[2] have also shown a correlation between noise pollution and exacerbation of detrimental physical and mental health issues, as well as hindering the ability to have primary socialization and develop crucial early learning skills. Chronic exposure to noise keeps your stress receptors active for longer than is healthy- wearing down your immunity and making you more vulnerable to health problems. The effects that noise pollution has on communities and families further deepens the pre-existing disparity that exists in society. 

Ensuring that we have better access to land would be a chance for us to better the health of those that we share the land with. Lepidopterist (butterfly collector!), Robert Micheal Pyle, once wrote “What is the extinction of a Condor to a child who doesn’t know a Wren?”. The strength of our connection to the life around us is reflective and shows up as reciprocal acts of care. When we understand the ecological systems around us we can find our place within them, and be a naturally equal asset to the biomes we inhabit, belonging here as much as any other species. We all have gifts that we can share. 

In the UK we have a long history with land rights. I’d recommend Three Acres and a Cow (and Gafael Tir) for a full and fun way to absorb it all (via some catchy folk songs and poems). However, I’d like to talk about our recent history. Only 24 years ago the Right To Roam  legislation was made law, and due to actions such as the Kinder Scout Mass Trespass in 1938 were the first National Parks created only 70 years ago. Currently, the Right To Roam only covers areas that equals approx 8% of England’s land (in contrast to 100% of land in Scotland). However, these areas (such as The New Forest, Dartmoor and The Peak District) are often too far away to be part of people’s daily life. Currently, the Right To Roam campaign is working on ways to further our ability to access more of these vital spaces. Emerging work such as Who Owns England and Mapping The Lost Rainforests of England is really taking strides at mapping out the unseen and unspoken. So if you are able to, do enjoy the areas that we can access in the UK, either by footpaths, rights of way or the right to roam – and be sure to check out the countryside code guidelines.

If we only conjure up images of big farms and far away forests when we think of land, we run the risk of removing ourselves from it – losing our innate connection with it and the knowledge of how to live in symbiosis. If we don’t take time to imagine the future, we will get what is already being planned – and there’s a lot of inspiration coming in our next newsletter…

Additional links: 

Slow Ways – https://beta.slowways.org 

Groundwork ‘Out Of Bounds’ report: https://www.groundwork.org.uk/about-groundwork/reports/outofbounds/?fbclid=IwAR1znEn5LgRyEEg4jmP_-FZch_sqplP7iVKdjKU9ThGgFloEOBDRyq7ABHA

The Lost Rainforests of England – https://lostrainforestsofengland.org/2021/03/16/mapping-the-lost-rainforests-of-england/

Three Acres and a Cow – history of land rights – https://threeacresandacow.co.uk

Countryside Code Infographics – https://www.nfuonline.com/news/latest-news/use-our-free-countryside-code-resources-to-spread-the-word-with-walkers/

Who Owns England – https://whoownsengland.org

Gafael Tir – http://gafaeltir.cymru/en/home/

Study citation [2] – https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/jul/03/sonic-doom-noise-pollution-kills-heart-disease-diabetes

Study citation [1] – https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/how-listening-to-bird-song-can-transform-our-mental-health.html

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May 27, 2021 brendenbeckett A little bird told me, Blog, Nature Nearby, Our member! No Comments  

A little bird told me…

Edition: Restore Our Rivers

Newsletter blog by Joshua Harris

You can really immerse yourself in a river. Both literally of course, but also by observing the physical and biological activity which is taking place there. Rivers, and aquatic environments in general, have an extra dimension of living space for organisms to occupy – the water. So you have these three kinds of living space in close proximity: the trees and other plants along the river banks; the aquatic world of algae, aquatic plants, and riverbed life; and the air in the river channel along which the kingfishers and dippers zoom. 

Then there are the connections between these different realms: the caddisfly larvae under the rocks on the bottom of the stream which feed aerial dippers; the bats which roost under the bark of the dead trees and feast on the emerging midges; the kingfishers which zoom up and down the tunnel of air between the riverbanks and the overhanging vegetation; the deer, foxes, and badgers which come from land to drink at the river. 

In lockdown, as many people have got to know their local areas more intimately, rivers are the perfect way to explore a landscape. And since the UK has 200,000km of rivers and streams, you are never too far away from the opportunity. In last year’s lockdown, I spent many days exploring my local network of rivers and streams to search for evidence of a certain elusive mammal. Often dragging my kayak through streams little wider than ditches, clambering over weirs and woody debris, and keeping undercover of the overhanging vegetation, I was really immersed in the environment, seeing it from the perspective of the creatures which live there. In small streams with high banks, you can’t see anything either side; on one day, I travelled for about 10 miles barely encountering any signs of human activity. On other occasions I have spent hours sitting half submerged in the river to photograph dippers from the water level, passing the time by watching the minnows congregating around my legs and the kingfishers zooming past my head. 

Rivers are amazing, and you can get lost in exploring the diversity of life they hold, but our rivers today are a shadow of their former selves. The river which I spent my summer exploring is polluted on a near weekly basis in winter by sewage discharges whenever there is heavy rain, as well as slurry and fertiliser pollution from farming. A report last year found that just 14% of English rivers were classified as being in “good” ecological condition, and none any better than that. It’s often said that wildlife populations are nearing a cliff edge, but in the case of British migratory fish, they’ve pretty much already fallen off. The 8 foot long sturgeon which once migrated up our rivers are long gone, eels are critically endangered, and salmon are almost extinct in most rivers. Medieval records tell us of the almost inconceivable abundance of migratory fish which once thronged our river systems and marshlands, in numbers which would once have rivalled those we see in western north America today.

To restore our rivers we’ll need a variety of approaches. Removing dams and weirs would allow migratory fish to journey unimpeded from sea to source, and reinstate some of the natural hydrology – meanders, gravel banks, eroded river cliffs, etc. At the same time, reintroducing beavers (whose dams are porous and often have side channels, allowing migratory fish to pass) could kickstart interesting hydrological processes and create wildlife habitats in our headwater streams, as well as holding back the flow of water after heavy rain. We urgently need proper regulation of the farming industry and water companies, as well as the adoption of better farming techniques (zero till farming, buffer strips, and the reduction of livestock numbers adjacent to watercourses), and better infrastructure for dealing with sewage.

We should also allow more public access to rivers so that people can engage with them. Currently a shocking 97% of rivers are off limits to wild swimming and kayaking. If we could implement a 20m buffer zone either side of our rivers and streams with no cultivation or chemical applications, and then allow public access to these areas, then this could form corridors for people and wildlife through the landscape. 

River restoration provides huge benefits for both nature and people – diverse wildlife habitats, recreation, flood alleviation, and ecological connectivity. With some fairly simple changes we could all enjoy living rivers. 

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April 28, 2021 brendenbeckett A little bird told me, Blog, Newsletter, Our member! No Comments