I find many people still think it's strange to talk about managing for nature. Surely if we leave things well alone, Nature will take over? But the problem with that is, will it be the “right sort of nature”? In the UK almost everywhere has been affected by humans, and what we think of as natural is usually the result of management. Coppiced woodlands or the species-rich grasslands dependent on grazing are obvious examples. Foxcombe Hall brings this home very strongly. Because it was deliberately created as a garden, much of its apparently natural beauty is artificial, and the more “natural” areas may be less attractive. Hear Dick's first impressions of the site:






Take the patch of regenerating sycamores. They represent natural regeneration, but do we want them to spread over the whole area or should we control them? The Rhododendrons may be less contentious. They were introduced from Himalayan regions in the 19th century, so they could go and something more natural be allowed to take their place. But what might that be? More sycamore seedlings or a dense stand of brambles? Those may be natural, but are they the nature we want. So some management is going to be essential. That means we will have to plan what is to be done, and for this, we'll need to know more about the site. That's probably the easy bit; we can check out the soil, weather records and look at the surrounding area to get some ideas of what might grow here “naturally”.



Surveying the grounds can identify any particularly interesting organisms and using available scientific knowledge and expertise, we can begin to work out what needs to be done to encourage desirable species. We can also experiment with small areas to see what actually happens. But to me, there are some more difficult questions. WHY should we want to encourage certain species, and discourage others? Should we, as the ones taking an active interest in managing the area, say that “we know what is natural here”, and try to recreate it? Or should we consult with all those affected by what happens in the grounds and get their opinions? Since there will certainly be differences of opinion on this, whose views should prevail? These are some of the big issues in making space for nature, and I'd like to see us address them over the coming months.