Here’s an excerpt from the latest report on what the working party got up to this week – by FOGG member Phil Lee – where he looks at how ‘rewilding’ does or does not fit with what’s happening along the Glen:
Passers-by continue to appreciate our efforts. Thanks to Paul [Fealey, EDDC Horticultural Officer], we can now field questions like ‘Why not re-wild?’ with commentaries about what re-wilding really is (and it is not just to let things grow, which leads to a predominance of a small number of species, and low biodiversity) and what we are going to achieve in Glen Goyle. When we have finished (which of course will be never) the biodiversity will have leaped from ‘poor’ to ‘splendid’.
4th August 2022 – Friends of Glen Goyle
Rewilding’ is not ‘neglect’ – with some observations from another horticulturalist [Joyce Hostyn in Canada]:
As a Master Gardener, Hostyn does talks around the region about rewilding landscapes. She said there can be a misconception that rewilding means neglect. She points out that making a wild garden doesn’t mean letting it become derelict or a burden on your neighbourhood or municipality.
She said the term “wildscaping” encompasses the ideas she’s trying to help people grasp. “I like that word, because it … shows that there’s some care,” she said. “There’s a difference between that and neglect, or not caring anymore, versus wilding.
“There are cues for care you can give. Flowering plants is one of the cues for care. Having paths is a cue for care. Mowing a strip, that’s a cue for care. Birdhouses, having a sign saying you have a beescape or a wildlife habitat is a cue for care. Some of the conservation groups have sample bylaws out there that they can use for naturescaping.”