Yes it’s hot outside in the United Kingdom. This is a blog on ideas of how to keep your plot cool and you cool. Whether you are a private land owner of a large garden, a site manager for a housing association, a property developer, home owner or a tenant, we have some creative design ideas of how to improve your local environment.
Do you find it increasingly hard to keep cool in the recent rising summer temperatures?

We have some tips for keeping you and your family cool.

Now

1. Stay out of the sun when it’s hot.
2. Try to keep buildings cool by keeping windows closed with curtains closed when windows receive morning or afternoon sun.
3. Open windows at night when temperate has dropped.
4. Get wet, have a quick shower, or if at work use a damp cloth on exposed skin such as face and arms and neck.
5. Wear lose fitting cotton clothing is also recommended by government in their2018 Heatwave Plan.
6. Drink plenty

For the Future

1) It’s hot now, but also in the long term, you will need to plan your plot to provide shade; by planting trees. Not only will the shade help you to live comfortably but it will also make the whole neighborhood more pleasant. Large trees are best. Plant Trees which are native if possible.

Save Exisitng Trees

2) It also goes without saying that it is sensible to conserve natural assets. In the face of climate change these will prove vital in combating effects of rising temperatures. If you have mature trees then conserve those. A mature tree for instance, brings huge benefits by cooling surrounding air, lowering temperatures for people living nearby. Considering removing a mature tree? First, stop and consider whether that felling is absolutely necessary? Nine times out of ten it will not be. Also, is your tree protected by a TPO or do you live in a Conversation Area in both these cases you will need to apply to the Local Planning Authority (LPA) for permission?

Other Benefits of Large Trees

Trees have a large number of other eco system services, including providing visual interest and a source of food and shelter for wildlife. In the very hot weather we have been increasingly experiencing, trees are above all one of our major assets in combatting adverse effects of temperatures rising. Transpiration through the trees’ leaves lowers surrounding air temperatures and cools down the air of towns and cities. They also clean help clean the air. If you are really suffering from the heat and you live near a large wood go into the wood and see how much cooler it feels.

The hard surfaces of buildings in cities and towns , reflect heat, making a heat island effect of up to 5 degrees on hottest days. By adding trees, the heat is deflected and absorbed and the temperatures are lowered. This makes places with mature trees more pleasant to live in.

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Biodiversity offsetting can be a very useful way of mitigating for new development. At Landvision, we feel that there are some cases where offsetting can be used to great effect to mitigate and to enhance landscape and ecology. Despite what the UK government say, we feel there are also some instances, however, when biodiversity offsetting cannot be used. One such instance is ancient woodland. The Woodland Trust have mounted a petition to save ancient woodlands.

Biodiversity Strategy 2011 – 2020 and UK BAP.

The Biodiversity Strategy of 2011 and UK Biodiversity Action Plan and associated Habitat Plans, enable us to protect the unique habitats of ancient woodlands. The Biodiversity Strategy of 2011 and UK BAP recognize that broad leaved, mixed woodlands support almost twice as many species of conservation concern than any other habitat, such as chalk grassland or even heath land. What in particular makes ancient woodlands special and why preserve them? Biodiversity offsetting simply cannot replace ancient woodland. Only 2% of our UK ancient woodland remains intact.

Ancient woodlands and Biodiversity Offsetting.

Frequently, ancient woodlands were located on the farthest edges of Parishes and towns, left over pieces of land, from previous activities because they were too wet or too steep to be cultivated. This has resulted in the irregular outlines and wavy edges of many ancient woodlands. In the High Weald of Kent and Sussex, they are often called ghylls or gills after the steep sided valleys that they are located in. The plants that these woods contain are characteristic of ancient woods and they also often contain bryophytes or lichens. This is due to their undisturbed nature, their management may not have changed much in hundreds of years. One of the reasons why they are irreplaceable, is because they contain a unique set of plants, soils and fauna that are characteristic of ancient woodlands. The loss of these ancient woodlands cannot be offset by planting of new woodland. It is simply impossible to offset or recreate an ancient woodland- just as it is impossible to repaint a master piece. Despite their scarcity though, some ancient woodlands are under threat. Perhaps one of the biggest threats to ancient woodlands, is through poor  management and neglect. 

Management for ancient woodlands; as an offsetting tool.

At Landvision, we understand how to manage your sites to enhance biodiversity. This management can also help to increase the CO2 take up of the woodland We can help and advise you on how to offset biodiversity loss from some habitats. These habitats may be scrub or secondary woodlands; these woods differ from ancient woodlands, which must be protected. We will also be able to come to site to advise you on how to maximise the biodiversity of an ancient woodland, by sensitive management, saving you both time and money.

Knowing when to undertake biodiversity offsetting and when to do certain woodland operations can help to keep you on the right side of Wildlife & Countryside Law by taking care of protected species. It will also mean that you can program works in to an appropriate time of year, avoiding costly delays. For advice on how to make the most of your woodland and natural habitats on your site, contact Landvision.

A rare and rich resource under threat.

Protecting and managing ancient woodland is a vital part of our role. Keeping woods safe as a resource, by restoring and maintaining levels of biodiversity means that we can’t afford to lose these woods. Ancient woodland is under threat on a daily basis from man’s activities; fly tipping, dumping and neglect, plus lack of sustainable woodland management. So why can’t ancient woodland loss be offset? Ancient woodland  has unique plant and animal assemblages. These communities cannot be recreated by the mitigation schemes of planting of new trees or the creation of new habitats from scratch. Ancient woodlands are timeless places of great antiquity and are not commonly found or widespread as habitats. Instead, they are becoming more fragmented and more vulnerable to pressures from man’s activities. What other characteristics do these woods have?

Bluebells, Wood Anemone and Ransoms; ancient woodland indicators.

Ancient woodland is home to more threatened species than any other habitat. One of the things that is so special about ancient woodlands is their plant communities. These are unique, as the plants which are characteristic of these ancient woods are slow colonisers. Often the woods have a highly distinctive character, with unusual distributions of wild flowers, which can be traced back to woodlands on these sites hundreds of years ago. These plants might include wood anemone, yellow archangel and wild garlic or ransoms. Bluebells are an ancient woodland indicator. These species are protected and should not be dug up or removed from ancient woodlands.

Other signs of ancient woodlands, include Bronze and Iron Age earthworks, ancient park boundaries, ridge and furrow, park pales and wood banks. Often, mossy old coppice stools, large mature Oak standards are found in ancient woodlands. Archaeological remains of ancient activities, such as smelting and charcoal burning, have left hollows and lime kilns as round pits in these unique woodlands. The communities of plants, trees and bryophyes/lichens growing within ancient woodland are unique to each wood. They vary according to the different soils and conditions such as the micro climates within and between ancient woodlands. This is why each ancient woodland is impossible to offset as each individual woodland is irreplaceable. Biodiversity levels are extremely high and the species composition of these woods is unique; for this reason and for their archaeological and historical value as links to the past management of the woods, they cannot be offset and need to be preserved.

For advice on how to make the most of your woodland or the natural habitats on your site, contact Landvision.

If you need to discuss a project, give us a call on 01892 782200 or visit our Contact page

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Working within the confines of a specific development scheme, landscape architects can be limited in their scope of operation. However, Landvision landscape architects know that through a strong understanding of ecology, the prognosis of their final schemes will be better. They will be working together to produce pragmatic solutions for improving the environment and biodiversity.

Habitat design, Ecological landscape design and landscape management mitigation for South East England in East Sussex.

Landvision habitat design and landscape management in East Sussex aims to redress species loss and biodiversity and habitat loss. Designing habitats to offset the effects of development, Landvision landscape architects, draw on their strong ecological background. They undertake habitat designs which are often specific to a protected species or special habitat. Landvision’s landscape management on each site seeks to offset any biodiversity loss, whether of habitat or of a particular species due to development.

What is Biodiversity Offsetting?

Biodiversity Offsetting can be partly achieved through landscape design with a strong ecological bias, which seeks to deliver biodiversity benefits on one site, to compensate for any loss of biodiversity on another site.

Case studies.

For example, Landvision have recently designed ecological habitats through landscape plans, habitat creation and landscape management work. Landscape management and landscape design plans with a strong ecological bias, have been recently created for new residential and commercial developments, including mining. So, for example, landscapes have been restored after mining activity; the habitats created will include heathland, woodland and grassland adjoining wetland. The species present on site are safeguarded and encouraged using specific landscape management drawn up for their protection in the landscape management plan.

Habitat plans by Landvision are also frequently drawn up as part of the ecology recommendations and landscape design remit.

Woodland management is specified in Woodland Management Plans; in order to maximize biodiversity gains.

If these plans are carried out then biodiversity gains will be made and the developments will have been truly sustainable. Landscape conditions and section 106 agreements will have been discharged successfully.

Breeam ecology, plus habitat designs and landscape design of mitigation schemes.

Breeam ecology reports by Landvision and management plans are a vital part of biodiversity offsetting by developers. Mitigation design; habitats specific to certain protected species. Their management is an ecological and landscape specialism which Landvision offers to clients such as builders, developers, local authorities and private estates managers in the south east. Landscape plans and garden design by Landvision can also incorporate habitat creation through tree and wildflower grassland creation and landscape management for ecology.

Conservation credits.

Credits for conservation can be bought by the developer, improving other sites in a way that achieves a biodiversity gain elsewhere. These conservation credits are useful where it is recognized that a site may have only limited chances for biodiversity offsetting due perhaps to its size, or the density of a proposed development on a restricted site this is  where ecological landscape design can help .

Climate change and Biodiversity offsetting.

It is important to use landscape architects like Landvision, who have a deep ecological understanding. Habitat design and landscape management work can help to combat the side effects of agricultural intensification and development. The latter have led to some of the most dramatic loss of habitats since the 1960s. As population distribution patterns change, with economic migration; movement of the jet stream and other global factors such as changing wind patterns and changing ocean currents, habitat landscape design and ecology are vital fields.

Recent research shows that the geographic ranges of plants and animals could be reduced by climate change. A study, in Nature on Climatic Change, has found that more than half of plants and more than a third of animals could lose half of their climatic range by 2080 if the current greenhouse emissions are not reduced. The role of Landvision and its landscape architects, with a strong ecological design ethos has never been more important than it is now; to stem the loss of our common species.

Effective ecological design, biodiversity offsetting and habitat mitigation projects in East Sussex, are now even more important. In Making Space for Nature, John Lawton indicates that we need to place design of landscapes within the wider ecology that they are connected to and thus, within a wider landscape context. Landvision landscape design and landscape management, link green space and ecology, so that habitats are less isolated and species are less threatened. This is done through creating a network of ecologically stable areas.

Retaining biodiversity.

The economic value of biodiversity services has recently been placed on the political agenda too. This work does require continuing commitment to environment and investment in the creation and management of natural habitats in East Sussex. Nature has a cost, but ignoring nature has a greater price. Flooding and other climate change effects such as landslides, soil erosion, pollution of water courses, low agricultural yields, and increasing storm events’ frequencies are all prices which we may have to pay if we ignore the needs to safeguard our landscapes, our biodiversity and to slow down climate change. For more details on Landvision landscape ecology, landscape design and landscape management, with specialist habitat design and landscape management in East Sussex, go to contact page and ring our landscape architects now on 01892 782200.

Save

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 Hedgehogs

When we first moved here, hedgehogs were a frequent visitor to our garden. They used to breed in our garden and congregate on our patio in the Summer months. However, hedgehogs are here no longer; they are no longer animals that are sighted by anyone in our neighbourhood. They have effectively vanished. The number of hedges that have been grubbed out locally, plus the development of gardens is probably as much a factor as the continuing cold weather. Fewer places to hide and forage, plus harsher temperatures and this very long, winter weather, with a wind chill of less than 4 degrees below zero and this late snow is no doubt a factor in why hibernating animals simply can’t cope.

Cold weather kills livestock

The late snows and cold temperatures are also having devastating effects on farmers’ stock, especially in Wales and the uplands; the latest National Farmer’s Union (NFU) report that 25,000 lambs have been buried in snow drifts and have perished as a result this year. The effects of the cold weather are having a major impact on livestock farmers’ incomes. So, not only has this been a very severe winter for wild animals but it also has serious repercussions for man.

Bees

In the last 5 years bee keepers have reported that their hives have died; the result? Some bee keepers have given up bee keeping as hives are too expensive to replace every year. This is especially the case with amateurs, who do bee keeping as a hobby. This means less bee keepers, fewer bees to act as pollinators and then fewer apples and pears; in the south east last year was a poor year for apple production in the UK. largely due to the late frosts and also to the lack of bees.

This is the time of year when hibernating animals should normally begin to wake up and begin to forage. If they can’t wake up and then they can’t feed, their body fat will be used up and if there is no longer any food for them, they will die. The forecasts are for the cold weather to continue until the end of this week, that is to 7th April 2013. So what can we do to help our wildlife and ourselves?

To do list

Be aware of your carbon footprint and take action now to reduce it or offset it. “Think globally, act locally.”

Look at your locality and what you could do to minimise your impact on the environment.

What habitats could you try to recreate in your own garden space and neighbourhood? See our blog for ideas.

Could you start to grow your own food, in a garden, in tubs, a window box or on an allotment?

Try to think how you can make a difference to the ecology of your area?

Perhaps there is an underused public open space where you could garden with others to grow herbs for your kitchen?

If everyone took responsibility for their own part of the world; the world would instantly become a better place for all of us…and that includes the smaller animals amongst us too.

For more information on landscape and biodiversity matters, if you would like Landvision’s experts to draw up a BAP (Biodiversity Action Plan ), a landscape plan to enhance your own special part of the world or your site’s ecological sustainability, contact us via Contact us page.

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Increasing unpredictability of floods, droughts, heat waves, and storms.

The current unpredictable weather patterns and climate shifts are related to events 25 years ago! It has taken 25 years for people to begin to listen and accept that climate change is something that they will have to deal with. Why has it taken so long? How do we know that climate is changing? Well, climate sceptics have done such an excellent job of maintaining that the release of Co2 into the atmosphere is a myth, that most people have chosen to believe in their own myth, that is a myth! The increasing incidence of storm events is beginning to prove them incorrect. Prof Sir John Beddington sees that there is a “need for urgency” in tackling climate change. At long last the government is taking notice of science and findings.

Whatever we were doing in 1988 is affecting the climate we are experiencing now. Climate reacts in a rather slow way, like a very long oil tanker, it takes time to show some of the effects of man’s actions. Following the weather this year, people like the retiring Chief Scientist of the UK Prof Beddington are fearful that events like catastrophic flooding and associated landslides, causing death and destruction, will be more common, unless we make massive changes now!

We really do need to take urgent action now. By lowering our carbon footprints immediately we will only be affecting climate in 25 years, (there is already enough CO2 in the atmosphere for there to be more floods and droughts over the next 25 years;)if we do nothing, these events will become commonplace.

So, what has the UK government’s retiring chief scientist said?

“the later governments (leave) it, the harder it (will) be to combat. The [current] variation we are seeing in temperature or rainfall is double the rate of the average. That suggests that we are going to have more droughts, we are going to have more floods, we are going to have more sea surges and we are going to have more storms. These are the sort of changes that are going to affect us in quite a short time scale.”

Prof Beddington’s words are a stark warning to us all. So what should we do?

Looking after the natural environment should be priority and landscape really needs to be put at the top of any government agenda- Breeam, CSH and other initiatives are all a start in the right direction, but this all needs to be continued to “retrofit” all spaces so that they deliver the maximum ecosystem benefits and services in the short term and also bring us the long term time climate change slow down benefit too. Win, win.

Planting more trees; Land vision have planted thousands of trees in the last 25 years through their designs and schemes for large and small projects throughout South East England; these are all on school and college sites, public land such as Parks, highways and on private estates, Care Homes grounds, recreation areas, road verges and in large and small woodlands. We need to continue this.

By replenishing planting in local communities, flooding such as flash flood rates will be slowed, causing less damage to property and saving lives. Trees and leaf litter slow water flows and allow people time to act when flash floods strike. SUDS design of drainage, ponds and lakes will help.

Ecosystem services and Landscape services provided by all the projects Landvision work on are vital in combating climate change; by carbon capture – to slow rates of climate change.

Projects which boost local health by adding greenery, bird song strengthen health of our communities. Planting trees raises house prices by at least 10%. Leafy suburbs are desirable places to live in but also we can create better urban environments by judicious tree and planting schemes which boost everyone’s sense of well being, whether they live in a city or a large town. For help and advice to start your own local project, saving you time and money, fill out the contact page or phone 01892 782200.

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