The second meeting of the 2025/26 Season again had a good audience. The Chairman, Nicola Bashforth welcomed the members, visitors, and the guest James O’Brien, Team Manager for Environment Policy & Strategy at Leicestershire County Council, standing in for the advertised speaker Paul Killip, Local Nature Recovery Strategy Project Manager for Leicestershire, Leicester City, and Rutland. This was designated the Sowter lecture, Sowter having been extremely active and influential in the developing field of conservation. More can be found about Frederick Sowter, F.L.S. (1899-1972), one of our early members, as a downloadable PDF.
Nicola reiterated her appeal for a member or members to volunteer to take responsibility for the refreshments following the meeting each month.
We are all encouraged to bring in articles to show and discuss, or information to exchange.
Judith Egan brought in a display of lichens which she had obtained from a local orchard. Some had been identified but Judith asked for help with ID of others from the membership. It would have been interesting if our local expert Ivan Pedley had been there to comment if the display was typical of that found on apple trees with a neutral to alkaline pH.
Hazel Graves brought in some plant galls. These had been collected for a Plant Gall stall at DANES, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Entomological Society, on the following Saturday, which Hazel manned jointly with Chris Leach, both British Plant Gall Society members. The display for the Section showed a range of galls on narrow leaved willows, probably Crack Willow, and on a range on Alder leaves. The event at DANES was a great success with several hundred people through the doors to visit a wide range of stalls, including large insect pets, and listen to the many talks. Several of the Natural History Section members visited. There is a general fascination with galls when this little know subject is explained, and discussing them with young people is especially rewarding. Some Leicestershire people attended and went home clutching the Section’s leaflets.
Nicola then introduced James O’Brien who used the presentation prepared by Paul Killip entitled “Local Nature Recovery Strategy”. James explained that he had lived in Leicestershire for 24 years and worked for the County Council for 19 years and had a Climate Change Background.
He explained that the Local Nature Recovery Strategy originated in the Environment Act of 2021 “which was introduced to address the need for a robust environmental framework following the UK’s exit from the European Union. It aims to enshrine environmental protections into law and sets out clear statutory targets for improving the natural environment. The Act is designed to tackle key issues such as air quality, biodiversity loss, and waste management, reflecting a commitment to sustainable development and environmental stewardship.”
The plan was to map and establish priorities in each of the 48 LNRS areas in England. The Leicestershire Strategy is the 5th to be published, summer 2025, with a launch at Brooksby College. Unusually Geology was also taken into consideration with input from Jack Matthews, Charnwood Geopark. Many people in Leicestershire were consulted, such as farmers, naturalists, local councils etc. One main focus was on species at risk form extinction, taking note of the decline of pollinators and eels for example.
There are eight strategic aims and eight landscape priorities and measures, which have all been built into overlaying maps. The Local Nature Recovery Strategy for our counties, a 141 page document, can be examined at Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland Local Nature Recovery Strategy. This document is now enshrined in law and there is a duty for public authorities to conserve and enhance the environment.
The next steps will be to develop a delivery plan, such as finding funding, recruiting staff etc. The government has promised £50,000 but other sources of finance will be needed. At least one bid is already in for the initial grant. It was suggested that people interested in nature recovery keep a careful watch on the website to keep abreast of developments.
A question was asked about the timescale and James explained that there is an obligation to report every five years.
Another question was about monitoring – how disappearing species and newly-arrived species would be monitored. James recounted that Leicestershire has a significant track record of species monitoring by its expert naturalist volunteer community. Some organisations also have recording naturalists on their staff.
There was a good deal of uneasiness that the Local Nature Recovery Strategy appeared to have very little finance to support it and would be relying on obtaining grant money.
A final question was asked about the willingness of all major political parties to support the LNRS. Currently it would seem so. The law would need to be changed to unpick it. The lead member for the environment at the County Council supports it.
It was a great evening, but the sheer complexity of this so-important task left some members of the audience with their heads reeling, me being one. It was obvious that an enormous amount of detailed work had gone into this endeavour and Paul Killip and James are to be congratulated. However, I think we would all have liked to see a hint of at least one concrete action. As usual the evening was rounded off by discussions and further questions over refreshments.
Report by Hazel Graves
