Positive biodiversity steps being taken but genuine conversion still required

The crisis in biodiversity does at last seem to be registering across the popular consciousness. The recent Chelsea Flower Show was notable for the biodiverse theme. Rewilding and re-use were at the heart of many of the designs. Locally, it has been great to see biodiversity taking a greater hold over the daily fabric of people's lives. More and more people have adopted tree pits and planters. The work of the community gardeners from the high street beds to the work around the tube stations and on Cambridge Park at the approach from the Green Man are fantastic to behold. The beds around the top of Draycot Road could warrant a place at the Chelsea Flower Show on their own.The move toward a genuine Greenway through Wanstead via Cambridge Park Road seems underway. Many shops along Wanstead High Street and Leytonstone High Road are doing their bit for biodiversity with some great planters. The Growzones on Christchurch and George Greens are bringing forward all sorts of natural surprises. There is also the start of a community orchard on Christchurch Green. The Growzone at the Roding Valley Park, neighbouring Elmcroft Avenue, has been supplemented with a tree planting program earlier in the year. All of these developments are positive but there needs to be more. And more means a human conversion to nature. The human being still seems determined to dominate rather than partner nature. Rewilding is the essence of living with nature. A walk across Wanstead Flats or in the park reveals wild flowers a plenty - if areas are left to grow. The Growzones epitomise the let nature breath approach. Yet move into the private sphere and what I call the window box mentality abounds. The human wants total control. This can involve concreting over areas, using artificial grass or simply regimenting everything rather than letting it go a bit. There is probably some deep psychological reasons for how people manage their open (and closed) spaces. A sign of the need to control and lack of conversion is evident in some of the objections to Growzones, such as the long grass etc. Some are desperate to control, others happy to let go a little. The best is when humans and nature work in unison, then the real natural creative spirit takes hold. But there needs to be a real change in lifestyles. Recycling a couple of yogurt pots is not going to save the planet, though recycling ofcourse should be encouraged. There needs to be substantial change in the way we all live. Far less waste far more preservation and sustainable growth. It is great that in so many ways things do seem to be changing for the better but there is no room for complacency. The world is in a biodiversity and climate emergency. Bold steps are urgently needed if the situation is to be saved. All is not lost and there are signs of recovery but everyone has a role to play. We can all do our bit for nature, whether in the domestic or public space, helping with tree pits, Growzones, tree and shrub planting. So let's double down on the conversion to an ever greener more biodiverse world.