Fifty years ago the North Wessex Downs area was designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. On Friday of last week – 25 November – almost one hundred people attended the half-centenary anniversary celebration at Marlborough’s Golf Club.
The audience heard of the challenges that face the area in second half of its first century, and were asked to consider issues such as biodiversity loss, food security, human access to green spaces and climate change.
Speakers included: Nicola Chester, award-winning local author; Natalie Ganpatsingh, founding Director of Nature Nurture CIC; Roger Kerr, CEO of Organic Farmers and Growers CIC; and Professor Tom Oliver from the University of Reading.
Tom Oliver spoke of the devastating loss of biodiversity recorded over the last 50 years, pointing out that protected species are still declining and that we only have 40% of the biodiversity we had 50 years ago. He said that protected areas, such as the AONB, meant that there were important controls over development but that agri-environment schemes hadn’t delivered the desired conservation of our habitats and species. He spoke of his concern that the approach the government was taking might have unintended negative consequences, whereby ‘doing the right thing’ would become merely a transactional process and lead to ‘an ebay for ecosystems services’.
Natalie Ganpatsingh talked about access to green spaces and asked, ‘are we all invited?’ She highlighted a recent successful project working with Henry Scutt, who wanted to see a more diverse audience accessing his Sulham Estate near Reading on the eastern edge of the AONB. The project, in partnership with the British Islamic Gardens and Reading Refugee Support, resulted in a diverse group of women experiencing the health and wellbeing benefits of being in a beautiful green space.
Roger Kerr’s presentation focussed on food – our methods of production and our food security – stating that ‘there was something fundamentally wrong with our food system’ which is a driving force for dangerous climate change, nature loss and societal inequality.
Nicola Chester celebrated the beauty of the landscape with her presentation, speaking lyrically about wildlife and landscape and also reading from her book On Gallows Down.
After a thought-provoking afternoon Danny Kruger MP for Devizes proposed a toast to the North Wessex Downs followed by the Chair of the North Wessex Downs AONB Partnership, Sarah Nichols, cutting an anniversary cake emblazoned with the AONB logo. Many delegates then took the opportunity to go outside for a stargazing session with local astronomer and Director of Marlborough’s Blackett Observatory, Gavin James.
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