First Biodiversity Park Forum Meeting

The Forum contains representatives from the 4Bs Parish and neighbourhood Councils, Mole Valley District Council, Surrey County Council, Surrey Wildlife Trust, National Trust Surrey Hills Society, major Landowners and Buglife. It is an important group for offering perspectives on the value, pros and cons, opportunities, concerns and challenges of establishing a Community Biodiversity Park.

The first meeting of the Forum was held on May 8th at Surrey Wildlife Trust Education Centre Nower Wood. The meeting was conducted in a positive spirit with participants recognising opportunities and offering many ideas which help to give meaning to the idea of a Community Biodiversity Park. The group also identified concerns and challenges that would need to be addressed.
 
Defining the entity that is provisionally called a Community Biodiversity Park (CBP), is a key challenge, requiring the consideration of many perspectives and considerations. The use of ‘park’ to describe the area of interest was considered problematic by some participants. Other terms considered were Biodiversity Forum, Biodiversity Network and Biodiversity Landscape but no consensus emerged. It was agreed that decisions about the name would be deferred until the meaning of the entity had been defined.
 
The working aims are broadly accepted as being appropriate but they will be kept under review and modified as, and when, the definition of the entity is more clearly established. It was felt that people need a vision in which they can see that what they do in their gardens or when they volunteer, is contributing to something bigger. A link to key biodiversity policies was suggested.
 
The question of what resources are needed was a constant theme throughout the discussion. But there is recognition that much can be achieved with relatively little financial resource by people who are motivated and resourceful. Finding the advocates and enthusiasts who are willing to invest time and energy is often the biggest challenge, rather than funding.
 
The opportunity for new forms of collaboration that benefit nature, between the residents of local communities, landowners, Parish Councils and ENGO’s is a major benefit from this initiative, together with the campaigning power of whole community action aimed at protecting the environment.
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Education and learning are essential to developing a culture in which people are more aware of the needs of nature and how they might help nature. Alongside a programme of activities to enable people to develop their understanding and skills, their needs to be the structures that enable people to share their learning and experiences of nature. In addition to using existing channels of communication like Parish Magazines more immediate forms of communication like dedicated Whatsapp Nature Groups provide one solution.

It was suggested that an Inventory of existing activities and projects relating to biodiversity across the 4Bs area would be a useful asset. It would inform and educate the 4Bs community and also provide important information when new projects are being planned. It would help mitigate concerns for interference of one project with another and also enable opportunities for understanding the potential for connectivity.
 
The Forum demonstrated the value in bringing people together to enable participants to learn from each other, stimulate ideas and create new working relationshps. Within days of the meeting two Parish Councils began discussing the possibility of a collaborative biodiversity garden project.

Norman Jackson

In the interests of public transparency here is the report of the meeting.

report_of_may_8_forum_meeting.pdf
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