South West Metropolitan Mayor Elections 4 May 2017 - the relevance to the environment

On 4th May 2017, people in Bristol, South Gloustershire, Bath & North East Somerset Council areas will be voting for a new West of England Metro Mayor. Whether you agree with the creation of another layer of bureaucracy or not, the elections are important.

The new Metro Mayor will have overall responsibility for housing, transport and skills for the whole area, giving a sewn up approach to policy across the region. These issues impact massively on environmental issues. 

On 18th March 2017, on my way into Bristol to pick up my Grandmother (Nanu) and leave for our holiday to France we picked up Misty Hutton from Avon Wildlife Trust so she could film a video of my and also my Mum. We went to Victoria Park in Totterdown, where I talked about the upcoming elections and my thoughts about which issues were important and why.

I talked about how transport policy would impact on pollution and without better public transport traffic and pollution would not improve in Bristol. In relation to housing, we have to avoid building on all brown field sites, as these are the green spaces that are accessible to people living in areas of deprivation within the cities. Skills are important because Bristol is a hub for nature and environmental organisations including media and yet there is no training available enabling people who live in the area to get those jobs. So mostly jobs were being filled by those from outside. We need training for young people living here to enter these sectors.

I also urged people to vote. After the environmental hustings, which I listened to on Ujima Radio, I recommended Darren Hall (Green Party) 1st choice and John Savage 2nd choice based on what they said. The environmental issues are very important. The Tory candidate (Tim Bowles) won, who to me seemed to have very little real interest in the environment and was more focussed on business and homes. 

I also thought that he was arrogate and rude to the other candidates, which to me is not a positive attribute. He showed no cohesive plan that would make any difference to major issues such as pollution resulting from traffic. This is something that used to be a city issue, but the residue from traffic pollution on the main roads through the Chew Valley is a big issue in the countryside now. He seemed to have no real interest in the environment which is demonstrated by his manifesto. This is what he says about himself in the Evening Post:


Tim Bowles, Conservative - Age: 57

Occupation: Business development manager in the exhibitions and events industry and councillor

Message to voters: “I will continue to improve our economy to ensure we offer long-term and sustainable futures for everyone."

“I will use my business experience to help provide the skilled workforce our businesses need and use my professional expertise to promote our region within the UK and worldwide."

“I will adopt a better approach to development so homes are built in the right places, protecting our green spaces and prioritising urban regeneration."

“I’m determined to make real improvements to transport by improving our region’s rail system, providing new stations and increasing existing services."

“Our region covers a large area, we must ensure our rural economies are given the support they need and provide the broadband and other infrastructure they require to continue to succeed."

“We need a strong local voice to champion our region. I will be a Mayor who can work with today’s Government, our local MPs and Councils and who will get things done.” 

He did not mention the environment once, did not talk about pollution or any other huge environmental concerns for those living in this greater Metro Mayor area. I think his focus is on money, homes etc. Where he talks about protecting green spaces, there is no backbone to the comment, it is meaningless without it. When he was talking at the hustings I felt that he had nothing much to say about the environment and his was pretty poor. That is my view and I am sad that he won the election, as it means that important issues relating to the environment will not be tackled whilst he is in office in relation to transport, housing and skills.

These are the links to the videos for Avon Wildlife Trust that I made and am at 26 seconds in the 1st and at the start of the 2nd: http://bit.ly/2qgclVs and http://bit.ly/2qGvfG8.

About the Author

Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig in Antarctica
Photograph copyright Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig

Mya-Rose Craig is a 14-year-old young British Bangladeshi birder, naturalist, conservationist, environmentalist, activist, writer and speaker. She is based near Bristol and writes the successful Birdgirl Blog, with posts about birding and conservation from around the world. She loved seeing Mountain Gorillas in East Africa and Penguins in Antarctica over Christmas 2015, her 7th continent.

Mya-Rose was a Bristol European Green Capital Ambassador along with Kevin McCloud, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Tony Juniper, Simon King, Miranda Krestovnikoff and Shaun the Sheep! See the full list of Bristol Ambassadors. She has also been listed with the singer-songwriter George Ezra and actress Maisie Williams from Game of Thrones as one of Bristol's most influential young people. She is an Ambassador for World Shorebirds Day, See It Her Way and a Charter Champion for The Charter for Woods, Trees and People. She organised a conference, Race Equality in Nature, in June 2016 aiming to increase the ethnic diversity in nature and plans to run her third Camp Avalon camp in 2017. She has also set up Black2Nature with the aim of working with organisations to increase the access to nature of Black Asian Minority Ethnic people. Please connect with her on LinkedIn (Mya-Rose Birdgirl Craig) so that she can invite you to join the Race Equality in Nature LinkedIn Group and be part of the change. She has been awarded the Bath and West Show Environmental Youth Award 2017 for Bristol for her Black2Nature work EYA 2017. Please also like her Birdgirl Facebook Page and follow her on Birdgirl Twitter.

Birdgirl's 30 Days Wild - for diverse communities

These are a few of my photographs from my 30 Days Wild last year.

30 Days Wild 2015 - Enjoying the plants in my garden but could be a park

30 Days Wild 2015 - Enjoying local woods but could be in a park

30 Days Wild 2015 - Enjoying the pond-life in my garden but could be a park

30 Days Wild 2015 - Smelling the flowers in my garden but could be in a park

30 Days Wild 2015 - Noticing a bumblebee in my garden but could be in a park

30 Days Wild 2015 - Enjoying a nature reserve but could be a place in the city

Today is the first day of 30 Days Wild 2016, an initiative of The Wildlife Trusts who state "This June, can you do something wild everyday for a month?"

What they are saying is that nature is everywhere, so by looking for it through your normal day, you should start to notice it and enjoy it.

This month is 30 Days Wild 2016, an initiative of The Wildlife Trusts who say "This June, can you do something wild each day for a month?" 

They say that they don't want you to give anything up for June, just give yourself time in the wild with your family, to reconnect with nature. 26,000 people have already signed up, but it would be great if you signed up to taking part at http://bit.ly/1WZnYKW.

This Friday, 3rd June 2016, is also the date of my conference, Race Equality in Nature. This is about getting Black Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) people out into nature http://bit.ly/1TnYiE1  

The idea for the conference came after I organised a nature camp last year, Camp Avalon, when five BAME teenagers came along.  The all found it hard to engage with nature in the ways that others did and we had to find a way that made a connection.  Chris Griffin who was leading a birding walk talked to the boys about Peregrine Falcons and how when they dropped to catch their prey, they travelled faster than a Formula 1 car, then comparing both speeds.  The boys were mesmerised - by nature.

I could see that everyone could feel connected to nature, however unlikely by their appearance and background.

So why are there so few BAME people out in nature?  Our reserves, whether they are in the countryside or in the city, have few BAME people visiting.  A recent Government Report shows that BAME children are far less likely to be taken to a even park or playground. There seem to be a huge number of factors effecting BAME people and their ability to go outdoors in the UK (even compared to home countries where maybe people are working outdoors). We hope that the conference will highlight some of these and what can be done to help.

So, for my 30 Days Wild, I have decided to connect with nature each day in a different way, that could feel relevant to BAME communities and practical if you live in an inner city area. Things that they can identify with and so might find it easier to try.  I have been asking for suggestions from a range of communities, so that I can hopefully be inclusive.  It would be brilliant to hear from you with your ideas.

Some of my ideas are: 

• Visiting an open space in a large family group, play rounders and make lots of noise
• Sit in a park or garden for 10 minutes practicing mindfulness/meditation/using prayer beads
• For Muslims taking part in Ramadan throughout June, break your fast in a group in a garden or open greenspace (check where's open in the evening), followed by doing your prayers outside
• Reading your religious book outside (use a bench as a prop if you need one)

Student Islamic Society on a trip out

A child with autism

Ideas on The Wildlife Trust website include "feel nature through the soles of your feet".  That sounds pretty universal and so I thought I'd start with that, though of course most BAME people in the inner city might have to go to a park to feel grass in their toes.

Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig - 30 days wild day 1

Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig - 30 days wild day 1

About the Writer

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig on Scilly

Photograph taken by and copyright Chris Craig 

Mya-Rose Craig is a 14 year old young British Bangladesh birder, naturalist, conservationist, environmentalist, activist, writer and speaker. She is based near Bristol and writes the successful Birdgirl Blog, with posts about birding and conservation from around the world. She loved seeing Mountain Gorillas in East Africa and Penguins in Antarctica over Christmas 2015, her 7th continent. 

Mya-Rose was a Bristol European Green Capital Ambassador along with Kevin McCloud, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Tony Juniper, Simon King, Miranda Krestovnikoff and Shaun the Sheep! See the full list of Bristol Ambassadors. She has also been listed with the singer songwriter George Ezra and actress Maisie Williams from Game of Thrones as one of Bristol's most influential young people. Please like her Birdgirl Facebook Page and follow her on Birdgirl Twitter

B-Lines

I have already written about the massive problem we have with bees disappearing.

Things are so bad, our bees are going to be wiped out like in America where 1/3 of bees have died.

The way that most farmers manage their land now is not compatible with the nature around them.

The Wildlife Trusts have launched B-Lines which is the idea of bee corridors connecting places.  The Avon Wildlife Trust have set up The West of England B-Lines Project which will create rivers of wildflowers across the countryside connecting the regions best wildlife sites.

The cross is where I live in Compton Martin on a B-Line

A map has been drawn up of our area and where I live in Compton Martin in the middle of a proposed insect corridor. My next door neighbour is a farmer and he and his family have been heavily involved in this project.

Farmers would have to maybe leave part of their fields through the summer and not spreading manure, which encourages  the grass to grow rather than the wild flowers. The B-Lines are wide strips of wildflower rich grasslands, linking existing wildlife area.

Bees and other pollinators are disappearing from our countryside because of a lack of wildflower rich habitats.  97% of the UK's grasslands have been lost since the 1930's.  The B-Lines will help wildlife move across our countryside, saving threatened species.

The project will work with landowners, giving advice and training with them already working with 37 landowners (including next door).

About the Writer

Young Birder Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig on Scilly

Photograph taken by and copyright Chris Craig 

Mya-Rose Craig is a 13 year old young birder, conservationist, writer and speaker. She is based near Bristol and writes the successful Birdgirl Blog, with posts about birding and conservation from around the world. She is looking forward to going Mountain Gorilla Trekking in East Africa in the summer and watching Penguins in Antarctica in December 2015, which will be her 7th continent. She has recently been listed with the singer songwriter George Ezra and actress Maisie Williams from Game of Thrones as one of Bristol's most influential young people. Please like her Birdgirl Facebook Page and follow her on Birdgirl Twitter