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From a Guardian article on how locally indigenous flowers are reappearing with reduced and more tactical mowing - even after hundreds of years of mowing. "People increasingly understand the need to share our cities with wildlife".. "From Peckham to Plymouth, wildflowers are thriving in urban areas as councils let the grass grow to create ‘managed messiness’ for wildlife to thrive" ......the obsession for well-cut grass harms biodiversity.The simple act of leaving your lawn unmown is something that we can do for the wildlife crisis." Download a range of articles below the Rooiels section to learn more.
Rooiels – supporting biodiversity. Rewilding what is it?
(See articles in REWild Bulletin 1.1 for more information)
The world has recognised the urgency of enhancing biodiversity and reclaiming areas for locally indigenous plant species that will encourage the sustainability of local insect and animal populations and strengthen the ecosystem. Rewilding in its dictionary definition means allowing the land to go back to totally natural processes. However this concept has evolved to refer to encouraging more natural landscapes and ecosystems that will allow the local biodiversity of an area to thrive. Initially applied only to large areas and large mammal reintroduction, "rewilding" has now become the goal of parts of many urban and peri-urban areas globally. Local efforts focus on encouraging people to retain some part of their gardens to remain wild, reducing mowing and leaving roads and some street verges to be allowed to revert to native plants ------- which Cape Town has started in some areas.
“Rewilding is about adding nature everywhere (not just in parks) by using nature-based solutions or green infrastructure at the edges of our streets, in leftover spaces and on and within our buildings.” Amanda Sturgeon “Rewilding our cities:"Rewilding city areas is a powerful strategy to bring back butterflies, insects, birds, and wildlife. In contrast to highly managed parks and gardens, these rewilding initiatives are leaving allotted spaces mostly uncultivated and self-regulated…… Contact to nature is essential for human existence, urban wellbeing, and good quality of life.” (emphasis added) Lehmann, S. 2021 Growing Biodiverse Urban Futures: Renaturalization and Rewilding as Strategies to Strengthen Urban Resilience. Sustainability 13:2932
(See articles in REWild Bulletin 1.1 for more information)
The world has recognised the urgency of enhancing biodiversity and reclaiming areas for locally indigenous plant species that will encourage the sustainability of local insect and animal populations and strengthen the ecosystem. Rewilding in its dictionary definition means allowing the land to go back to totally natural processes. However this concept has evolved to refer to encouraging more natural landscapes and ecosystems that will allow the local biodiversity of an area to thrive. Initially applied only to large areas and large mammal reintroduction, "rewilding" has now become the goal of parts of many urban and peri-urban areas globally. Local efforts focus on encouraging people to retain some part of their gardens to remain wild, reducing mowing and leaving roads and some street verges to be allowed to revert to native plants ------- which Cape Town has started in some areas.
“Rewilding is about adding nature everywhere (not just in parks) by using nature-based solutions or green infrastructure at the edges of our streets, in leftover spaces and on and within our buildings.” Amanda Sturgeon “Rewilding our cities:"Rewilding city areas is a powerful strategy to bring back butterflies, insects, birds, and wildlife. In contrast to highly managed parks and gardens, these rewilding initiatives are leaving allotted spaces mostly uncultivated and self-regulated…… Contact to nature is essential for human existence, urban wellbeing, and good quality of life.” (emphasis added) Lehmann, S. 2021 Growing Biodiverse Urban Futures: Renaturalization and Rewilding as Strategies to Strengthen Urban Resilience. Sustainability 13:2932
What does this Mean for Rooiels
Simply keeping what we have
We already have a very natural environment – and as the 2021 Survey reflected - almost all Rooielsers are committed to nature and love being surrounded by a natural Rooiels. Essentially all we need to do to is to continue to support the Vision and to make as much effort as we can to promote retention of the natural, locally indigenous fynbos so that it contributes habitat and seedbanks important to our ecosystem. In addition to supporting biodiversity, the wild, un-manicured character or Rooiels is what lends it its charm. It also adds significantly to the current and future value of property and, furthermore, natural spaces are documented to contribute to our well-being. Natural areas within which people can exist are increasingly scarce and sought after.. It is what attracted so many of us to Rooiels.
What do we need to do – not that much.
In addition to limiting the impact of developments, in Rooiels, we need to ensure that the roads are kept narrow, the road reserves are kept natural, and that the municipal policies on plot clearing are not misinterpreted to mean clearing all the vegetation. The focus on clearing should be on removing alien plants and judicious removal of dead wood, or better still cutting and mulching the deadwood to breakdown more quickly. Some dead wood is needed for the ecosystem. The role of deadwood in the ecosystem is recognised and supported by the environmental department in the OM. We need to continue to support service provision that takes into account the sensitive nature of this environment and of the importance of retaining it as natural as possible. We also need to find a way to ensure that new owners understand what they are buying into and to appeal to them, not only to adhere to both the regulations in place and the spirit behind them. Encourage nature, reduce your impact, enjoy this precious resource and leave a legacy for the future.
What could it mean for the Overstrand?
It would be really useful for the Overstrand Municipality to consider incorporating some of these elements into their planning process. It would need to be simple and straight-forward to avoid making the planning process more complex. It would help to raise awareness and be one of the first South African municipalities to start incorporating these new global goals into planning. This would put it into a good position to leverage resources from global movements for biodiversity conservation as well as those supporting climate change mitigation and adaptation.
How can we ensure that Rooiels retains its wild heritage?
Rooiels provides an example of a village which is already a living example of what can be achieved. The Rooiels Vision is framed around supporting nature and it is valuable as a flagship of how nature and people can coexist. To retain this strong sense of place it is important that we are able to get a specific Overlay to ensure that the retention of the wild heritage is put firmly into the planning and services profile for Rooiels. This includes the road reserves, the plot clearing, the speed calming, and the waste management in addition to specific policies on lighting etc. to all be included. In addition it requires commitment to ensuring that new development limits the urban footprint and is in line with the natural and scenic heritage. The proposed Rooiels Conservation Overlay Zone (RECOZ) for planning was developed based on the already Gazetted Heritage Protection Overlay Zone that applies only to those areas along the R44. The RECOZ was accepted in principle by Rooiels in 2019. Covid-19 put back these efforts. We need to take steps to see that it is included in future planning efforts. The draft is currently being circulated within the Overstrand Municipality. We will need to be sure that these principles are incorporated into the New Five year Overstrand Municipality Spatial Development Plan
Simply keeping what we have
We already have a very natural environment – and as the 2021 Survey reflected - almost all Rooielsers are committed to nature and love being surrounded by a natural Rooiels. Essentially all we need to do to is to continue to support the Vision and to make as much effort as we can to promote retention of the natural, locally indigenous fynbos so that it contributes habitat and seedbanks important to our ecosystem. In addition to supporting biodiversity, the wild, un-manicured character or Rooiels is what lends it its charm. It also adds significantly to the current and future value of property and, furthermore, natural spaces are documented to contribute to our well-being. Natural areas within which people can exist are increasingly scarce and sought after.. It is what attracted so many of us to Rooiels.
What do we need to do – not that much.
In addition to limiting the impact of developments, in Rooiels, we need to ensure that the roads are kept narrow, the road reserves are kept natural, and that the municipal policies on plot clearing are not misinterpreted to mean clearing all the vegetation. The focus on clearing should be on removing alien plants and judicious removal of dead wood, or better still cutting and mulching the deadwood to breakdown more quickly. Some dead wood is needed for the ecosystem. The role of deadwood in the ecosystem is recognised and supported by the environmental department in the OM. We need to continue to support service provision that takes into account the sensitive nature of this environment and of the importance of retaining it as natural as possible. We also need to find a way to ensure that new owners understand what they are buying into and to appeal to them, not only to adhere to both the regulations in place and the spirit behind them. Encourage nature, reduce your impact, enjoy this precious resource and leave a legacy for the future.
What could it mean for the Overstrand?
It would be really useful for the Overstrand Municipality to consider incorporating some of these elements into their planning process. It would need to be simple and straight-forward to avoid making the planning process more complex. It would help to raise awareness and be one of the first South African municipalities to start incorporating these new global goals into planning. This would put it into a good position to leverage resources from global movements for biodiversity conservation as well as those supporting climate change mitigation and adaptation.
How can we ensure that Rooiels retains its wild heritage?
Rooiels provides an example of a village which is already a living example of what can be achieved. The Rooiels Vision is framed around supporting nature and it is valuable as a flagship of how nature and people can coexist. To retain this strong sense of place it is important that we are able to get a specific Overlay to ensure that the retention of the wild heritage is put firmly into the planning and services profile for Rooiels. This includes the road reserves, the plot clearing, the speed calming, and the waste management in addition to specific policies on lighting etc. to all be included. In addition it requires commitment to ensuring that new development limits the urban footprint and is in line with the natural and scenic heritage. The proposed Rooiels Conservation Overlay Zone (RECOZ) for planning was developed based on the already Gazetted Heritage Protection Overlay Zone that applies only to those areas along the R44. The RECOZ was accepted in principle by Rooiels in 2019. Covid-19 put back these efforts. We need to take steps to see that it is included in future planning efforts. The draft is currently being circulated within the Overstrand Municipality. We will need to be sure that these principles are incorporated into the New Five year Overstrand Municipality Spatial Development Plan
Actions to Support Rewilding (adapted from extracts mainly from The Guardian which has an environment section)
It may seem daunting but there are some simple steps we can all take to help boost local and global biodiversity.
It may seem daunting but there are some simple steps we can all take to help boost local and global biodiversity.
- Rewild your own garden: choosing to have native wildflowers in your garden will attract a range of species, providing them with habitats as well as being a source of food for species. Learn more on how to rewild your garden and enjoy nature from the comfort of your own home. You can also set aside areas of your garden and allow native plants (often referred to as weeds) to come back. You do need to continue weeding out alien invasive plants - those ubiquitous weeds from South America, Australasia and occasionally Europe. If you do not know which is native and which is alien - rather keep what is there and consult a neighbour or friend, or check on the internet. See for more on rewilding your garden https://www.gardeningetc.com/advice/rewilding-your-garden
- Contact your local council: make your voice heard and matter by informing local authorities of your views on rewilding topics. Whether they are large or small-scale rewilding interventions, such as the reintroduction of keystone species or simply requesting roadside verges to be left uncut, your concern raises awareness between policymakers. Find out why writing to your local representative is an effective method plus more strategies for change in our Climate Action guide. Managing roadside verges for wildlife will make a difference.
- Volunteer/Support your local wildlife trust or conservation organisations: become involved in community initiatives that invest in native plants and trees to encourage local wildlife to return. Further afield, you can contribute to organisations fighting to protect and restore areas of habitation loss for wildlife
Extracts taken from various other sources to give more examples
Nature, Sustainability Times, the Economist
Rewilding is not only beneficial to the land and the animals that live on it; it is also good for humans.
Rewilding is a way of siting ourselves as just one part of a larger, complex natural ecosystem, rather than as the domineering, destructive species we too often become. By deliberately creating truly wild areas we get in touch with a more elemental part of ourselves. It gives us a chance to interact with nature on its terms, and escape the sanitized, unnatural environments that we have overwhelmingly built for ourselves.
Yes Magazine – https://www.yesmagazine.org/environment/2021/02/24/europe-cities-nature-rewild documents how Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust is hoping to make Nottingham the country’s first “rewilded city,”.
The article also considers more modest rewilding efforts in other cities in Europe and North America. German cities rewilding project called Städte wagen Wildnis (Cities Dare Wilderness) has a focus “on creating wildflower meadows to increase plant diversity and attract pollinators, as well as making cities more livable for human residents. The project has reported increases in the numbers of birds, hedgehogs, butterflies, and bees, and authorities say the meadows are more drought-tolerant than the short lawns they replaced. As the project comes to a close this year, organizers hope the spaces will be largely self-sufficient, with established plants no longer requiring active management such as watering and weeding………..
Dublin city council reduced mowing and herbicide use in its parks and roadside verges (2015-20 Biodiversity Action Plan) to allow native plants to flourish. Though some public resistance has been reported, with claims that the areas look untidy or that it’s an excuse to save money, the council says that 80% of its green spaces are now pollinator-friendly, which it hopes will help the one-third of native bee species that are at risk of extinction in Ireland……..
....The rewilding movement is making its way across the pond as well. “I believe the best examples of true urban rewilding are occurring in European cities, but there are U.S. cities moving in this direction,” says Frank La Sorte, a research ecologist at Cornell University, who has studied the role of urban areas in bird migrations. La Sorte argues that the High Line in New York could be considered an early urban rewilding project. Since 2009, the once-abandoned elevated railway has been transformed into a park designed to mimic a wild landscape, with dead plant stems now home to carpenter bees and areas of open grassland inhabited by butterflies….. Chicago too is embracing aspects of rewilding……”
Lehman (2021 cited above) states that many cities have established a range of systems to incorporate this into planning e.g. the Green Factor Points system to encourage biodiversity into building and development plans. “Cities adapt the core GSF system to give different values to specific types of green space, for example, giving a higher value to ponds and areas for stormwater runoff in neighbourhoods with poor drainage. The formula allows city governments to integrate biodiversity-focused incentives for anything from animal habitats to native planting.”
“What is the specific detailing you need to do on that development that provides a stepping stone for wildlife? Can you create some wetland features so it allows dragonflies from Walthamstow Marshes to forage more widely in the urban environment? Or does it provide a corridor of trees which allows bats to go from the Regent’s Canal to a nearby park, adding in those little links that just give wildlife a chance to thrive beyond the boundaries of the protected areas.”
The integration of nature-based solutions (NBS) is a strategy in urban planning with the aim to strengthen urban resilience and to slow down the biodiversity decline (Lehman 2021)
Nature, Sustainability Times, the Economist
Rewilding is not only beneficial to the land and the animals that live on it; it is also good for humans.
Rewilding is a way of siting ourselves as just one part of a larger, complex natural ecosystem, rather than as the domineering, destructive species we too often become. By deliberately creating truly wild areas we get in touch with a more elemental part of ourselves. It gives us a chance to interact with nature on its terms, and escape the sanitized, unnatural environments that we have overwhelmingly built for ourselves.
Yes Magazine – https://www.yesmagazine.org/environment/2021/02/24/europe-cities-nature-rewild documents how Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust is hoping to make Nottingham the country’s first “rewilded city,”.
The article also considers more modest rewilding efforts in other cities in Europe and North America. German cities rewilding project called Städte wagen Wildnis (Cities Dare Wilderness) has a focus “on creating wildflower meadows to increase plant diversity and attract pollinators, as well as making cities more livable for human residents. The project has reported increases in the numbers of birds, hedgehogs, butterflies, and bees, and authorities say the meadows are more drought-tolerant than the short lawns they replaced. As the project comes to a close this year, organizers hope the spaces will be largely self-sufficient, with established plants no longer requiring active management such as watering and weeding………..
Dublin city council reduced mowing and herbicide use in its parks and roadside verges (2015-20 Biodiversity Action Plan) to allow native plants to flourish. Though some public resistance has been reported, with claims that the areas look untidy or that it’s an excuse to save money, the council says that 80% of its green spaces are now pollinator-friendly, which it hopes will help the one-third of native bee species that are at risk of extinction in Ireland……..
....The rewilding movement is making its way across the pond as well. “I believe the best examples of true urban rewilding are occurring in European cities, but there are U.S. cities moving in this direction,” says Frank La Sorte, a research ecologist at Cornell University, who has studied the role of urban areas in bird migrations. La Sorte argues that the High Line in New York could be considered an early urban rewilding project. Since 2009, the once-abandoned elevated railway has been transformed into a park designed to mimic a wild landscape, with dead plant stems now home to carpenter bees and areas of open grassland inhabited by butterflies….. Chicago too is embracing aspects of rewilding……”
Lehman (2021 cited above) states that many cities have established a range of systems to incorporate this into planning e.g. the Green Factor Points system to encourage biodiversity into building and development plans. “Cities adapt the core GSF system to give different values to specific types of green space, for example, giving a higher value to ponds and areas for stormwater runoff in neighbourhoods with poor drainage. The formula allows city governments to integrate biodiversity-focused incentives for anything from animal habitats to native planting.”
“What is the specific detailing you need to do on that development that provides a stepping stone for wildlife? Can you create some wetland features so it allows dragonflies from Walthamstow Marshes to forage more widely in the urban environment? Or does it provide a corridor of trees which allows bats to go from the Regent’s Canal to a nearby park, adding in those little links that just give wildlife a chance to thrive beyond the boundaries of the protected areas.”
The integration of nature-based solutions (NBS) is a strategy in urban planning with the aim to strengthen urban resilience and to slow down the biodiversity decline (Lehman 2021)
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