We have just been for a walk around Brumby Woods and Central Park in Scunthorpe. An area that up until 10 years ago, Simon was the head gardener, forester and area foreman. It was very upsetting to see it all today, totally run-down and unkept and strewn with litter. The sports grounds were a disgrace. There was once a full cricket wicket and a bowls green that were used often by many clubs. These have long gone, infact the bowls turf had been cut out, pieces being taken to patch up other grass. The cricket wickets had long gone. The local Sunday league had just played and the sidelines were strewn with plastic bottles, takeaways and general dropped rubbish. I did ask the groundsman that was taking the nets down if he would pick up the rubbish aswell. He said yes but on our return the litter was still strewn around the pitch and the groundsman had long gone. So the answer there should have been "No, I don't pick it up, I leave it all for someone else because I don't give a sh*t"
Brumby Woods, now with a stone path through it that resembles a road, is now used as a general dumping ground by the gardeners. Piles and piles of leaf mould was heaped up against the trees and further up concrete had also been dumped in the woods, obviously by the gardeners. Many trees had been felled and not tidied up, just left. Why not brash up and make wildlife piles......too much like hard work probably. The trees that had been felled looked healthy and looked to have been felled to make way for vehicles to drive through the woods. The vehicles have driven on and totally destroyed masses of wildflowers. Brumby Woods is classed as an Ancient semi-natural woodland. It's a pity that it isn't maintained to the standard that it deserves.
Simon made and put up many nestboxes and many birds bred within the woods and park each year. Tawny owls used to breed on a regular basis and they could be heard early most mornings calling. Their nest box has long since been taken down and the owls have gone. It was sad to see most of the nestboxes now smashed to the floor or hanging from the trees. It wouldn't take much to repair these boxes or simply put them back up. The staff and managers there simply do not care, and are definitely not bothered about wildlife and its habitat. That is very obvious.
Many years ago, the park was planted with huge swathes of wildflowers that cost £1000's. These have gone under the mower every year before they had time to even sprout. What an absolute waste of money.
I have put a few pics below to show you:
A beautiful woodland glade strewn with litter. Simon designed and planted this woodland, a continuation of Brumby Woods into Central Park. It was once coppiced and scalloped, planted in wildflowers. Now rank and full of rubbish - it hasn't been litter picked for years.
There is a dog bin near to this rubbish that seems to be emptied regularly. It's a pity that the litter isn't picked up at the same time.......there's logic there somewhere yet North Lincolnshire Council don't seem to have grasped it.
A once thriving and very successful nest and bat box scheme with all boxes being used. Now most simply hang upside down from the trees, just missing their top nail, or have the bottom or lid missing. It's not a big job to maintain these, yet North Lincolnshire Council seem incapable.
Most of the conifers were felled in Central Park when it was 'restored'. Restored to what you may ask? Nowadays its a field with a few trees, no shrub beds, no nice bedding schemes and certainly no wildlife. Who thought it was a good idea to fell the conifers to plant some more.....words fail me!
Brumby Wood dumping. Piles of leaf mould, felled trees dumped and now we have litter and concrete that the grounds staff are adding. A total disgrace.
This path was once planted with £1000's worth of wild flower plugs. Its a pity they were never allowed to grow, simply went under the mower the first year. Isn't anyone at North Lincolnshire Council ever held accountable to the thousands of pounds that they waste each year. This is supposed to be an 'oak avenue', recon there are a couple that are alive. The rest long dead yet they remain as if they will come back to life one day. The surface of the path had been replaced twice, it is like glass and treacherous on a wet day. If they can't get a simple path right then there is no hope.
What a sad state of affairs when a park and ancient wood are managed by people that don't know and simply don't care.
Simon made and put up many nestboxes and many birds bred within the woods and park each year. Tawny owls used to breed on a regular basis and they could be heard early most mornings calling. Their nest box has long since been taken down and the owls have gone. It was sad to see most of the nestboxes now smashed to the floor or hanging from the trees. It wouldn't take much to repair these boxes or simply put them back up. The staff and managers there simply do not care, and are definitely not bothered about wildlife and its habitat. That is very obvious.
Many years ago, the park was planted with huge swathes of wildflowers that cost £1000's. These have gone under the mower every year before they had time to even sprout. What an absolute waste of money.
I have put a few pics below to show you:
What a sad state of affairs when a park and ancient wood are managed by people that don't know and simply don't care.
No comments:
Post a Comment