Standing on Nature for a Better Angle

The path in this photograph of the bluebells in the National Trust’s Newton Wood is a monument to the perfect social media post. We love nature so much that we are treading it into the ground. It is so disheartening.

Bluebells are sensitive souls. Their leaves are soft and succulent. They are generally intolerant of being crushed¹National Trust. “Bluebell conservation | Our cause.” National Trust, www.nationaltrust.org.uk/our-cause/nature-climate/nature-conservation/how-we-care-for-bluebells.. One heavy season of human visitors can reduce the number of flowers to a tiny remnant of their original density²My notes actually say 4% but I’ve no idea where that came from — probably some Facebook post.. It takes up to seven years for a seed to become a bloom, but it takes only one heavy boot to end the cycle. After five hundred passes by people, these plants fail to produce seeds for years³Littlemore, J., and S. Barker. “The ecological response of forest ground flora and soils to experimental trampling in British urban woodlands.” Urban Ecosystems, vol. 5, no. 4, 2001, pp. 257-276. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025639828427.. We are effectively loving our woodlands to death. It is all a bit sad.

There is a strange idea that a thick carpet of blue is the only sign of a healthy wood. It is probably just a sign that we killed all the wild boar centuries ago. These ancient beasts were the original forest managers. Their rooting looked like a battlefield, but it was actually a form of natural rotovation⁴Fair, James. “Wild boar guide: benefits, dangers and where to see them in Britain.” Countryfile.com, 23 Sept. 2020, www.countryfile.com/wildlife/mammals/wild-boar-guide-benefits-dangers-and-where-to-see-them-in-britain/.⁵Sims, Natasha K., et al. “Short-term response and recovery of bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) after rooting by wild boar (Sus scrofa).” Plant Ecology, vol. 215, no. 12, 2014, pp. 1409–1416. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/24557249..

Bluebells evolved in this chaos. Prehistoric plants grew up with tusks and snouts. Research shows that germination success is higher in soil that has been turned over by boar than in soil that is left alone. The pigs stop aggressive species like bracken from taking over the shop. Without the boar, we have a monoculture. If they returned, we might have a “rainbow palette” of different flowers instead of just one colour⁶Cooper, Pete. “Wildlife Photography | Pete Cooper Wildlife.” Pete Cooper Wildlife, 24 June 2013, petecooperwildlife.com/category/wildlife-photography/..

Bluebells are made of sturdier stuff than they look. They can recover from a pig in two years if we leave them alone. They do not recover from us. We compact the soil and crush the bulbs until the ground is as hard as a motorway⁷National Trust. “Bluebell conservation | Our cause.” National Trust, www.nationaltrust.org.uk/our-cause/nature-climate/nature-conservation/how-we-care-for-bluebells.⁸Lowen, J., Liley, D., Underhill-Day, J. & Whitehouse, A. (2008). Access and Nature Conservation Reconciliation: supplementary guidance for England. Unpublished report by Footprint Ecology. Commissioned by Natural England.. Perhaps the “pristine” carpet we want to photograph is just a garden for the bored.

Are we protecting a natural legacy, or are we just standing on its neck for a better camera angle?

• 1
  National Trust. “Bluebell conservation | Our cause.” National Trust, www.nationaltrust.org.uk/our-cause/nature-climate/nature-conservation/how-we-care-for-bluebells.
• 2
  My notes actually say 4% but I’ve no idea where that came from — probably some Facebook post.
• 3
  Littlemore, J., and S. Barker. “The ecological response of forest ground flora and soils to experimental trampling in British urban woodlands.” Urban Ecosystems, vol. 5, no. 4, 2001, pp. 257-276. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025639828427.
• 4
  Fair, James. “Wild boar guide: benefits, dangers and where to see them in Britain.” Countryfile.com, 23 Sept. 2020, www.countryfile.com/wildlife/mammals/wild-boar-guide-benefits-dangers-and-where-to-see-them-in-britain/.
• 5
  Sims, Natasha K., et al. “Short-term response and recovery of bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) after rooting by wild boar (Sus scrofa).” Plant Ecology, vol. 215, no. 12, 2014, pp. 1409–1416. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/24557249.
• 6
  Cooper, Pete. “Wildlife Photography | Pete Cooper Wildlife.” Pete Cooper Wildlife, 24 June 2013, petecooperwildlife.com/category/wildlife-photography/.
• 7
  National Trust. “Bluebell conservation | Our cause.” National Trust, www.nationaltrust.org.uk/our-cause/nature-climate/nature-conservation/how-we-care-for-bluebells.
• 8
  Lowen, J., Liley, D., Underhill-Day, J. & Whitehouse, A. (2008). Access and Nature Conservation Reconciliation: supplementary guidance for England. Unpublished report by Footprint Ecology. Commissioned by Natural England.