Environment is our number one priority and one of our aims is to create far more wildflower and wildlife friendly areas across the town. The issue of “rewilding” often divides opinion, but we believe that there is plenty of room for both wildflower areas and more formal planting to co-exist and complement each other. Our first step was almost accidental. During lockdown when the verges along the A6 were left to grow, we spotted bee orchids in the verges at the junction of Parkway and, to cut a long story short, we have removed the formal beds and the area will be included in the Derbyshire Dales District Council’s (DDDC) rewilding project. Rewilding can take years to really take hold but when it does the results can be amazing. DDDC approach was to cut the grass in April and remove the clippings then leave the area to see what grows naturally. It will be cut again in September and a decision taken on whether the area should be scarified and planted with wildflower seeds. There will be times it doesn’t look it’s best, particularly if we get a prolonged dry spell, but it’s important to remember that even then it will be a small refuge for thousands of bees, butterflies and beetles.
We want to do much more though and would like to help form and support a community group with the aim of finding more sites around the town and working together with DDDC and other environmental organisations to create lots of wildlife havens both in public areas and in gardens across Darley Dale. If you’d like to get involved then email townclerk@darleydale.gov.uk or call us on 01629 735248.