October 2020

Humans need houses. Of that there is no doubt. But what about the millions of living things that make up nature’s biodiversity with which we share the planet and which provide us with the hidden ecosystem services upon which we all depend? Do these living things need a home also? If they exist near our dwellings, does this mean we always have to sacrifice them to make way for more brick boxes and tarmac roads?

For more than 30 years, I have been privileged to expedite ecological research in a woodland of exceptional biodiversity which is part of an even larger ecological unit in the NW of Uckfield. This unit is known as Downlands and The Rocks. It was here that I collected ecological data for my University research and eventually my book called ‘The Blue Tit’. However, it seems that because it is so close to Uckfield, this land and all it contains must be considered a prime site for yet another housing estate. From Downlands, it is possible to see the South Downs National Park and the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which, in my view, Downlands should be part because of its own scenic beauty and high biodiversity. This was part of the old Streatfeild country estate preserved by this local family since about 1780 but then sold in packets of land during the 20th century. Downlands, Lake Wood and The Rocks are all that remains of this English heritage landscape. A quiet refuge for over 70 species of birds, 20 species of mammals, more than 140 species of butterflies and moths, thousands of other tiny animals and plants of all sizes from the liverworts of the ghyll valleys to mighty ancient oak trees of the woodland forest. There are 5 species of amphibians including great crested newts and 4 species of reptiles.

Nature needs a home as much as humans. We are actually part of nature because we contribute to it and take from it. Nature provides us with air, water, food, it recycles our waste and provides natural therapy for our troubled minds. I believe that we have a duty of stewardship to protect those places that are home to a rich diversity of non-human living things with which we share the planet and on which we have a mutual dependence. It is sometimes difficult to understand that we depend on some animals such as mosquitos and wasps, even rats and venomous snakes. However, each one has its place in the web of life.