Brownfield land refers to those places that humans have developed but then left to ruin. While they might look far from ideal habitat, many species thrive here in people’s absence.
There are examples everywhere and I’m sure you can think of a derelict building nearby with weeds and fast-growing trees sprouting up around it, providing cover for all kinds of creatures.
Examples can be found in such extreme places as Chernobyl. Despite being the infamous site of a nuclear disaster, nature has reclaimed the site with roe deer, moose and even wolves thriving on the land. But most widely publicised was the introduction of the then critically endangered Przewalski’s horse, who’s numbers have increased, apparently unhindered by the nuclear radiation. The biggest threat they face here is poaching.
Where the Iron Curtain once cut through Europe, a project known in Germany as the Grünes Band (Green Belt), has turned this site of massive political tension into a conservation success story. It provides a haven for many species including nightjar, lynx and European beaver.
A smaller but significant example in the UK can be found on the Thames estuary at Canvey Island (where happen to have a reserve). The Canvey Wick site was intended as an oil refinery, but was abandoned in 1973.
It has since become one of the top three sites in the UK for insect biodiversity and has been dubbed Britain’s Rainforest (Springwatch did a great piece on this site).
Have you seen any wildlife making the most of a brownfield habitat?