I was standing, not long ago, on Marriott’s Way in the north of Norwich when I noticed hawkweeds on the steep bank of the old railway line. Now hawksbeards, I see them all the time, especially in spring and early summer. Hawkbits too, in late summer and in autumn. But hawkweeds are unusual.
I should explain. All of these are happy, yellow-flowered plants in the daisy family or Asteraceae. This doesn’t tell you much as – with some 30,000 species described to date – the Asteraceae is among the most speciose plant families on Earth.
Hawkweeds, in the genus Hieracium – with their lovely, slender stems topped by shaggy yellow inflorescences – are scarce in Norfolk and famously difficult to identify. I quickly took photos of my patch of hawkweeds and sent them to one of the county’s most respected botanists. She in turn sent them to a hawkweed specialist (I badly want such a person to be a hieraciologist) who identified them as the grand-toothed hawkweed Hieracium grandidens.
So far, so botanically geeky. But there’s more. My botanist friend urged me to submit my observation via an app called iRecord (which I regularly feed with my sightings of obscure plants and other organisms). Despite the species’ presence being mooted in the county, she said, mine turned out to be Norfolk’s first documented, verified record of grand-toothed hawkweed. With three swipes and a click on the app, I entered the annals of Norfolk botany.
Despite botanists trawling every habitat in the county over centuries, we are still just learning about the diverse and beautiful plants which surround us. And that’s only plants. How much less we know about fleas and sawflies, ants and thrips, which – unlike flowers – have never attracted a large amateur following.
Nature benefits from our interest. In one respect, as in the case of my hawkweed friends, the more eyes on the ground which are open to nature, the more we find the rare and the special, and the more power we have to protect them. And in another, the more minds, muscles and hearts we recruit to our army of nature lovers and nature advocates, the more power we have – the more political power, for want of a better word – to ensure a wild, green and healthy future for everyone. How gratifying therefore that I was standing on Marriott’s Way that day between leading walks for the opening of Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s bold new Sweet Briar Marshes reserve.
I’ve been chirping about Sweet Briar Marshes for three years now, but the reserve is finally a reality for the people of Norwich and further afield, as it was always meant to be. And everything about it is special.
I grew up with a fairly old-school attitude to nature. I was intellectually fascinated and I wanted to know the name and the habits of all the creatures I encountered. In my teens my mind was a sponge and I could soak up as many facts as more experienced naturalists threw at me. For years I have lived with this legacy of learning, which is both a wonderful blessing and a minor hindrance.
The blessing is obvious. Wherever I go, I see friends who are leafy and green, I see friends who are crawling and chitinous, I see friends who are winged and web-footed, and I learn all the time.
Knowing nature is a blessing, as there is always something to watch, some question to ponder, some new species to encounter.
But knowing can be a hindrance too, if it prevents you valuing the relationships which other people have with nature. Many people love nature – quite as intensely as I do – without the need for names. Many people love how nature makes them feel. They love being immersed in birdsong without needing to know which species makes which sound. They love the dancing colours of a wood – capturing them perhaps in paint or poetry – without needing to label the plants and animals which contribute them. Each of these relationships with nature – and countless others – is equally valid, equally precious.
The joy of opening day at Norfolk Wildlife Trust Sweet Briar Marshes in Norwich was that everyone’s relationship with nature was honoured equally. Sweet Briar Marshes has been developed – and continues to be developed – through an ongoing partnership with local community groups and stakeholders. It has begun life as a place for everyone and for everyone’s relationship with nature. It was deeply moving to see so many people who had contributed to the reserves’ design – and many others – present at its opening. Families pushed infants in buggies on the hard path which runs along the north edge of the reserve; people who use mobility scooters explored the winding, grassy trails which weave between warbler-haunted stands of hawthorn; young couples ran in the early summer sunshine; a poet shared her work, inspired by conversations with local children about what nature meant to them; and a few of us old school naturalists and conservationists were there, sharing what nature has taught us; listening to what we have yet to learn.
Nature benefits from our interest. But how that interest is expressed is unimportant. Our nature reserves are places for everyone in our diverse and wonderful community. We are honoured and proud to share them with you, to show you what we have striven for almost 100 years to protect. And – as we approach our centenary – we are keen to hear how we might best welcome your own creative ways of knowing and loving nature.
Every way of honouring nature is welcome at Norfolk Wildlife Trust. Indeed every way is vital. For the climate and biodiversity crises are accelerating and will have devastating consequences for our society unless we act as one diverse, creative and united force. Each of us – in our unique, original ways – inspired by nature.
Find out more about NWT Sweet Briar Marshes and events happening over the summer by visiting norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk/sweetbriar
