4.0 Knowing your green space

4.0.1) Assessing your green space

Sites vary considerably in size and potential for human recreation and wildlife activity. You are sure to find at least one in your area. Disused railway lines and embankments, ponds, hedges, waste ground, small woods, informal areas of parks, derelict factories, cemeteries, abandoned garden plots, and wet, marshy areas can all be mini-nature reserves teaming with plant and animal species. You can identify these areas and help look after them for your community. Your first task is to identify it, establish its precise location and measure its area. These details are important for filling in applications for grants, for planning permission, etc but more of this later.

There may already be existing species and habitat records from surveys done in the past. Sheffield City Ecology Unit, the Sorby Natural History Society or Sheffield Wildlife Trust may all have data relevant to your site. Contact:

Sheffield Wildlife Trust 52 Wood Lane Sheffield S6 5HE

Do a simple survey -recording your observations. A basic survey will simply comprise a species list of birds, plants, insects, and animals written down in a diary or logbook. The Wildlife Trusts’ ‘Wildlife Action Pack’ has helpful information on conducting simple surveys. To obtain a pack write to;

If you want to organise a more detailed survey, you can use what is known as Phase One and Phase Two methods of survey which the Wildlife Trust can provide advice on. These look at the general types of habitat and land use in your green space, for example amenity grassland, scrub or urban wasteland. They can go into more detail by describing and listing the plant and animal species contained within your green space. It is easier to monitor the effect of any work you do on the green space if you know what kind of plants and animals were there in the first place and it also provides a basis for any applications you make to the owner of the land and/or the City Council.

4.0.3) What wildlife lives there?

It is surprising how much wildlife can be discovered at even the most seemingly unlikely sites. Very often mammals and birds use these areas when humans are not around but they always leave telltale signs that they have been around.

If you look, you may find tracks and remnants of meals that help to identify species such as owls, rabbits, and field mice, which could be living in your green space. Foxes leave distinct musky odours which let you know they have been around; owl pellets not only identify the type of owl on site but can also tell you what the owl has been feeding on. Any good book on tracking animals will illustrate the differences between different owl pellets and the type of bones to look out for. Try Animals:tracks, trails and signs (1984); by Brown,Lawrence & Pope. Published by Hamlyn.

4.0.4) Sheffield Biodiversity Action Plan

priorities

Your green space might be lucky enough to be home to some of Sheffield’s Biodiversity Action Plan, priority species or habitats. If your green space contains a river, stream or pond you may find a host of dragonflies, the water vole or the beautiful kingfisher. The song thrush is a bird which is listed as a national priority in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan, finding it in your green space would be very important. Hay meadows are an example of a priority habitat, important for insects and birds.

If your site has any of these important species or habitats, it will strengthen your case against planning applications or for future site designation. If your surveys show that you do have a Biodiversity Action Plan species or habitat in your area, you should get copies of their action plans and get advice on how to protect them from Sheffield Wildlife Trust or Sheffield City Ecology Unit.

4.0.5) Regular monitoring

After your initial survey you should continue to monitor your site. This is important, as your site will be changing constantly. Try to involve other experienced and knowledgeable people in your site reconnaissance and ask local people for information. This will help you establish new contacts who may want to get more involved at a later stage of the project, and it may avoid re-inventing the wheel.

4.0.6) What is your green space used for?

Have a good look round. Assess its condition and how it looks. Find out if it is used for anything (e.g. it may be used as an informal children’s play area or it may serve as a football park at lunch-time) and who uses it. As well as benefiting wild creatures and a host of fascinating plants, green spaces provide leisure and education opportunities for the people of your neighbourhood.

4.0.7) User surveys

Carry out a survey of people using your site. This will give you a good idea of what your site is used for and the kind of things that local people would like to see in the green space. This will ensure that you are working with the community and not against them.

4.0.8) Planning for real

Hold a ‘planning for real’ day. Build a paper, card and polystyrene model of your green space and make flags, out of cocktail sticks. These flags contain messages such as ‘footpath here’ or ‘plant more trees’ and can be stuck into the model by locals. Leave some flags blank so that people can add their own ideas. Planning for real is a fun, visual event that makes people really think about the value of their local open space and gives you an excellent idea of what people would like to see and where.

Don’t be put off by the thought of getting involved with officialdom. Local government employees are there to help people like yourself to get the information you are looking for.

They will tell you if there are any planning applications pending for housing, roads, or any other type of development in the area you are interested in. They will also let you know the role of your green space in the council’s Unitary Development Plan (see section 5 on Planning and Development).

Ask questions, write letters, and use the telephone. If you live to the north or west of the city, you can find out about your local Parish or Town Council at your nearest library.