Day 28 of UK lock down: Ecology begins at home

After Munch, via Ise & Conaglen Estate

The pandemic is showing the need for all of us to be responsible custodians of our environment, and not just the pretty, cuddly or tasty bits but the whole biome.

Custodianship means guardianship – ie looking after something, nurturing it, and keeping it safe. What it doesn’t mean, in the case of land, is creating a barren wasteland, whether in pursuit of some biocidal ideal of “garden tidiness”, “sport”, or industrialised monoculture. Nor does it mean disrupting delicately balanced ecosystems for commercial gain.

If we ignore the biodiversity in our own backyards and gardens, it’s an easy step to ignoring the entire ecosystem, and to being prepared to trash it in pursuit of commodity and easy gratification. Conversely, if we engage with and respect that local diversity, so it becomes easier to apply the same perspective to the whole planet at a societal level as well as individual.

Regardless of what our title deeds say, we don’t own the land we occupy, any more than we own air, water or sunlight. We simply have a legally enshrined right of access, and what we need to move towards is an equally enshrined legal obligation to protect and regenerate.

A common dispute is between governments claiming that an action is the responsibility of individuals, and individuals claiming that the same action is the responsibility of the government, in an endless circle of us-ing and them-ing. What we should be learning from this pandemic is that there isn't a them, just an us, and the responsibility is shared by  all.