Biodiversity

 

 

Why biodiversity is important

Biodiversity is essential to humans as much as to plants and animals: in fact it is crucial to life on earth. We live in and depend on large and small, inter-dependent, ecosystems. Plants need insects (not just bees) for pollination. They in turn need different plants to feed on. Humans and animals need trees to give us air to breath and plants to eat. Birds and other creatures need them for a safe place to live and breed as well as food to eat.

Having a range of plants improves resilience, e.g. to diseases and other threats, which can sometimes wipe out a single species - e.g. Dutch Elm Diseases, Ash Die-Back, etc. There is growing appreciation that diversity is much better for us than mono-cultures. In recent centuries, the natural environment and bio-diversity have been badly damaged, e.g. by insecticides, weedkillers, pollution, the removal of trees and hedgerows, the paving over of front and back gardens and other green spaces and a (previous) trend to manicure public parks.

 
The good news is that the biodiversity of Stoke Newington Common has improved dramatically over the past 26 years, not least because of our extensive tree and hedge planting, the now mature, deep, native, hedgerows and the wildflower patches. Pipistrelle bats are frequently seen on the Common. The railway embankment provides a natural corridor, linking the Common with Hackney downs and other local green spaces. This helps creatures such as birds and butterflies in many ways.

Hackney Council's Parks and Tree Departments actively promote bio-diversity in parks, e.g. by tree planting and care, periods of 'relaxed mowing' (leaving areas and edges to grow wild), dead hedges and collaborating with local green groups like SNUG. To some people this may look a bit 'untidy', but it provides food, shelter and hiding places for insects and other small creatures.

SNUG has conducted audits on on the Common to record the types and numbers of plants and birds over recent years. This helps monitor any changes over time, particularly to check if the number or types of plants increase or decrease, and, if the latter, try to find out why.

Creating more habitats

The hedges and trees we've planted over the past 2 decades provides a place for birds and other creatures to nest and live safely and find food to eat. In addition SNUG created nesting boxes for birds and 'bug hotels'.

'Bug hotels' were created on the Rectory Road strip of the Common, to give beetles and others a home. Boys from the local Sunshine after-school group helped us dig the (very deep) holes to plant the logs. Over time these rot overground -which is for perfect for beetles. They and other creatures love a bit of rotten wood to munch and live in. In 2013, we spotted some stag beetles (pictured). These are now listed by GIGI (link opens in new window/tab).

 

 

 

If you see anything which you think might be interesting or unusual, contact us, or GIGI (link opens in new window/tab).

Creating 'green corridors'

The Common is an important green link for creatures. It helps birds, insects and small mammals, including hedgehogs, to move between areas safely, feed and rest. This further enhances bio-diversity.

Our local green corridor links Abney Cemetery, Clissold Park, and the East and West Reservoirs, with Hackney Downs and London Fields.

It is greatly assisted by the railway embankments, street trees as well as local gardens (when there's something growing in them).