Joanne Bradley started as the Sevenoaks Greensand Commons Project Officer at the beginning of April this year and is loving the role as it provides the perfect mix of “people and wildlife”.
CommunityAd had the joy of speaking to Joanne Bradley who delighted in telling us about her admiration of the Sevenoaks community; “the fact that people seem to really care about their local area and are keen to get involved and play their part in helping to sustain and improve it. Everyone I have met has been very friendly and very willing to share their skills and knowledge. There is also so much history and heritage in the area, something I particularly enjoy hearing about through the people I meet”. Adding her and the team’s admiration to the amazing volunteers who never fail to turn up without a big smile on their faces, Joanna is “always very grateful for their efforts, knowledge, enthusiasm, and energy!”
For those readers who are unaware, what is the Greensand Commons Project all about?
The Sevenoaks Greensand Commons Project began its development stage in September 2016 and has been active since August 2018. It is a 4-year project funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) and other partners.
The project covers 8 sites in total including Hosey Common, Farley Common, Crockhamhill Common, Bitchet Common, Fawke Common, Seal Chart and Redhill Wood, Sevenoaks Common, and Sevenoaks Weald Common.
The Commons contain some unusual and rare habitats for Kent and while much of the area is dominated by woodland, there are significant sections of acid grassland and heath habitat which is of high biodiversity value. The aim of the project is to protect and restore these rare habitats which were once widespread in this area. As well as being in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), many of the Commons are Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and/or Local Nature Reserves (LNR) mainly for their areas of ancient woodland and open heathland. In addition, Hosey Common’s tunnelled quarry workings are important for bat species such as Daubenton’s, Natterer’s, whiskered/Brandt’s and brown long-eared bats.
The vision of the project is for local people to have worked together to restore the landscape, social and natural heritage of the Sevenoaks Greensand Commons. We also want to increase our community’s capacity to value, manage and protect this same heritage by building and sustaining skills, knowledge and resources, now and into the future.
Sevenoaks is truly blessed with greenery and open spaces, isn’t it? Do you think the events of the last 16 months or so have led to more appreciation of local green spaces?
Absolutely, those who live in and around Sevenoaks are very lucky to have so much green, open space on their doorstep. I think the last 16 months have played a part in shifting people’s priorities and made some of us reflect on what is truly important to us. We have all spent more time outside than normal because we have had the time to and because many of our other usual options have not been available to us. For some, that has opened up a whole new world that they didn’t know existed before.
From a conservation point of view I think we now have a window of opportunity to capture and harness that new enthusiasm and appreciation and get more people on board with the notion of how important it is for us all to play our part and take responsibility for caring for both our local and global environment. I think it has evoked a sense of ownership too which has led to people taking more interest and care of their local green spaces, which can only be a good thing for wildlife. There are always those who don’t behave in the most responsible of ways of course, but in my experience, they make up the minority thankfully.
What would you say to readers who have got a bit of time on their hands, why should they consider attending a task day?
Come and join us! Task days are a great way to get out for a bit of fresh air, meet new people and gain new skills. You will get to work in some beautiful locations and be part of a lasting legacy in terms of the habitat that we are working to protect and restore. You don’t have to have prior experience or knowledge; everyone is welcome, and all tools and PPE are provided. We meet for task days every Wednesday and Friday across the 8 sites, so you may even end up seeing a part of Sevenoaks you have never seen before! If you have any questions or queries, please don’t hesitate to contact me on [email protected] or 07710 143711.