My local patch - The Forest of Marston Vale
Not being particularly close to an RSPB reserve, my favourite place to enjoy nature is the Forest of Marston Vale, located between Bedford and Milton Keynes. My interest in nature and conservation largely stems from childhood experiences of planting trees to develop the Millennium Country park - long days spent interacting directly with the natural world.
Dappled sunlight in the Forest of Marston Vale by Fabio Veronesi Flickr CC
Since then, I’ve enjoyed a lot more of what the Forest of Marston Vale has to offer. My birding skills have charitably been described as ‘basic’, so I particularly appreciate the frequent wildlife walks on offer - experts are on hand to offer identification advice and share their scopes. On the most recent evening walk, I saw sand martins enjoying their purpose-built ‘hotel’ (replete with 88 pipes), a green woodpecker, field mice, shrews and bats. Sadly, we didn’t see any bitterns, but they are definitely about; mum returned ecstatic from one of the dawn chorus walks - she’d spotted one. Living up to teenage stereotypes, I had slept in instead of joining her, something I’ll eternally regret!
It’s also a great place to visit with unconverted friends - after a quick geocaching session or bikeride, the forest centre provides a haven from the rain where friends can admit they ‘can kind of see why you’re into that eco-stuff’ over tea and (most importantly!) cake.
The Forest of Marston Vale, and surrounding woodlands, stand testament to the importance of conservation and environmental legislation. Throughout most of the 19th and 20th century, this area of Bedfordshire was scarred with large pits - the result of clay extraction. In more recent years, many of these pits have been filled with either landfill or water - to create lakes with a variety of new functions, such as wildlife habitats, and rowing. Under the 1991 Forestry act, in an attempt to improve the area, the Forest of Marston Vale was designated one of twelve new community forests in England. Without this legislation, and the conservation work completed by hundreds of volunteers in the intervening years, the Forest would not be such a sanctuary for wildlife (including the endangered bittern) and wildlife-lovers alike. On a personal level, without the connections made with nature in the Forest, I would have missed out on some of the best experiences of my life, and would not have been inspired to fight for environmental protection.
If you’re ever in Bedfordshire, I urge you to visit the Forest (you can find out more here) - hopefully we’ll bump into each other!