Some recent comments in my local Parish Council Newsletter bother me. They relate to management of the village
green, and suggest that the moles that recently reappeared there need eradicating and that some of the 'thorn trees' may be removed, presumably for aesthetic reasons. There is also, apparently some interest
in entering a Best Kept Village contest or similar.
To my mind controlling moles is not only an unnecessary
expense, it is also inappropriate for communal space such as the village green,
where they do no harm other than offend notions of bowling green aesthetics. If
I showed the children of the local primary school a live mole and asked which of them
thinks these amazing creatures should be killed so that the grass looks tidy, what would be the answer, from minds unbefuddled by outdated
ideas of what a shared green space should be? Of course residents have the
right to an ecologically barren private lawn with neat stripes and a patio of
paved perfection unsullied by any uninvited flora. But where the shared
space of the green is concerned I think there is a clear duty to do better than
that. The green should not only look wonderful, but serve as a natural
biodiversity resource.
I’d love to see the village embark on a community project to
give the place a makeover – but absolutely not Best Kept Village or Britain in
Bloom. There is evidence that efforts to conform to this kind of ideal are damaging biodiversity - as greens are overmowed, borders sealed to hedgehogs, foxes, rabbits and badgers, beds
crowded with overbred bedding plants with little or no nectar to offer
butterflies, bees and other pollinators and all manner of wildlife
deliberately or accidentally excluded or eradicated. What I would like to propose is
something far more daring and special. How about national ‘Wild villages’ where birds, pollinators, wildflowers and yes, moles, are
welcome in areas where they do no damage to economic interests. Imagine a sign as
people drove into a village – ‘Welcome to Wild Wherever – proud to be
naturally beautiful’ – would that not be something special?

Wild shared spaces could appeal to a wide
demographic of residents and perhaps engage some not currently catered for by
existing community activities. I think it's worth a try...