We’re using Felt to develop ideas for improving the environment in our locality (Ward 6 and beyond). The initial focus is in East Lammermuir, but we know that nature needs space to expand and administrative boundaries are no barrier to new thinking around here.
East Lammermuir has had its fair share of industrial development since the 1960s, and with new developments coming on stream there is no better time to think the impossible: landscape scale restoration of nature.
The Local Place was the starting point for the above map, a confluence of locally grown ideas coming out a short consultation with local communities for LDP2 process, they focus on the emerging idea of nature networks that reconnect river valleys, which are the obvious natural places to start our restoration journey: see our River Restoration thought starter proposal.
There were some gaps in the LPP map, which we have begun to colour in, e.g.
- the headwaters of the coastal burns are critical links to the river corridors in the upper reaches – few of which are afforded strong legal protection and positive management
- at the other end – with active coastal erosion, there’s little chance that we can accept the historic boundaries of the coast and therefore we should accomodate the shifting dunes where we can
- the coastal strip has great opportunities to accomodate nature and people (accepting some restrictions and keep our beloved hounds on a shorter leash!) perhaps we can extend the coastal meadowland, create new wetlands, small islands and more imaginative tree plantings
- the long history of agriculture use is challenge for nature, as semi natural field boundaries are relatively few and far between and the margins often as sterile as the fields themselves … but some regenerative practices (e.g. to reduce soil erosion, conserve fertility) could help things along, with a denser network of connecting corridors made up of e.g. new hedgerows, shelterbelts and buffer strips
- And when we get to the moorland summit and the grassland fringes there’s much to be re-imagined to revitalitise these uplands
That is just for starters … so where next?
