Ep. 018: Rewilding in Semi-Urban Environments with Stephen Mason

As the majority of the UK population lives within an urban environment, it’s critical that ‘wilder nature’ is not the privilege of the rural landscape. Stephen Mason, Community Parks Officer at Cheltenham Borough Council, shares practical examples of what rewilding can look like in a semi-urban context, how to bring people along with the journey and the benefits for people, places and nature alike. 

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Your Hosts

• Tom Constable: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-constable/
• Chloe Constable: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chloe-constable-24155821b/

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• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grange.project/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/grangeproject
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GrangeProject
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-constable/

Our Guest

Stephen Mason is the Community Parks Officer for Cheltenham Borough Council. He is passionate about nature, rewilding, volunteering and engaging communities, and is delighted to be paid for doing the work he loves!

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-mason-926893259/
• https://www.facebook.com/cheltenhamparks

Listen out for:

[00:00:00] Tom and Chloe share a lengthy update on the Grange Project, discussing the plan for the volunteers day, the dilemmas of health and safety, and what they’ve learnt about native trees and tree protection.

[00:] Stephen introduces himself and the role of a Community Parks Officer.

[00:] We discuss the importance of context and what ‘rewilding’ means in a semi-urban to Cheltenham Borough Council, for example the creation of a wild-flower meadow in a heritage park within the town.

[00:] Stephen shares the consultation process involved with making changes to community green spaces and how the council are working to engage and educate people.

[00:] We then talk about a community orchard project, including a scrape, and the benefits for nature and the local residents.

[00:] Chloe talks about her experiences working in mental health and the value of green prescribing and engaging young people with nature. 

[00:] Stephen shares more examples including veternising a mature sycamore tree in order to create wildlife habitats and the importance of a mosaic of habitats. 

[00:] We end the interview with Stephen by discussing the challenges of dispersal and wildlife corridors within a semi-urban environment.

[00] Chloe and Tom reflect on the interview and what resonated most for them.

Keen for more:

https://www.cheltenham.gov.uk/info/33/parks_and_open_spaces/1816/weavers_field - the link for Weavers Field, Community Orchard Project

Mentioned in this episode:

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