Earlier this month, I had the pleasure, alongside colleagues, of leading dozens of Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust members on an urban safari which culminated at the ‘Green Heart’ created on part of the old Broadmarsh site off Listergate in the centre of Nottingham.

The walk started from our offices adjacent to Sneinton Market. Here, we briefly outlined our vision that people living and working in urban areas across Nottinghamshire have a right to better access to nature – a vision that reflects Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust’s longstanding dedication to promoting and protecting wildlife in towns and cities, as well as in the wider countryside.  From Brook Street we headed to the ‘Island Quarter’ on the old Boots Island site. Here we pointed out the Sneinton Green Way and Tom Huggon, our former chairman who served as the City’s greenspace champion for many years, outlined the long-held ambition to create a green link between the canal basin off London Road and the Greenway – completing a pedestrian route from Colwick to Beeston.   

Whilst onsite, I reflected that whilst my involvement with this site dates back to the early 2000s when the Trust was advising previous owners and developers on ways to retain and enhance the site’s wildlife value – only for the plans to fall due to the global financial crash – Tom and others had been helping steer and shape decision affecting this and other parts of our city since the 1970s. Whilst at the Island Quarter we updated members on developer Conygar’s ambitious and exciting vision for this huge site and pointed out the temporary wildflower meadows that had already brightened the area and provided a welcome boost for pollinators whilst the development takes shape.   

Along the canal we pointed out various efforts to encourage wildlife and make space for nature such as floating pontoons planted with marginal plants installed by the Canal & River Trust, bird nestboxes installed on established trees and new trees and other planting secured as part of new canal side development. As we exited the canal, we pointed out the lovely Green Hustle Community Garden adjacent to the Wilford Street Ramp – where volunteers will be busy today (and the 2^nd Saturday of each month) tidying litter and tending planting alongside the stunning sculpture of a heron created from recycled Raleigh bikes.  

On reaching the Green Heart we updated members on the Trust’s involvement with the project, triggered when INTU handed back the Broadmarsh keys to the City Council. We referenced our positive lobbying supported by our members and the public and input to the designs and planting schemes to make sure wildlife would thrive.  

The past four years have seen significant change for the Broadmarsh, but as we had Tom Huggon, now our Executive Vice President, amongst us, I was keen to ensure that Members were aware that Tom’s and the Trust’s aspirations for this site stretched back much, much further.  On joining the Trust to work for the Nottingham Urban Wildlife Scheme back in 1993, I soon became aware of Tom’s vision that one day, the area covered by the Broadmarsh would be opened up to create access and greenspace linking Collin Street with Nottingham Castle. At the time this seemed fanciful, but over the years, it informed various proposals for redevelopments of the Broadmarsh including rooftop gardens – and definitely provided the inspiration for our ambitious vision for the future of the site when the City Council launched its consultation on the future of the Broadmarsh site.  

Tom outlined his long-held vision and recounted the little-known story of how one of our early members, Miss E.M Palmer, ensured that the original plans for the Broadmarsh were altered to accommodate a wildflower, the Ascerina procumbens, which thrived on a nearby rockface.   Having known the formidable Miss Palmer and working alongside Tom for over 30 years played no small part in my contribution to efforts to secure a better, wilder, future for the Broadmarsh site. Miss Palmer and Tom also embody the power of positive thinking and a never say die attitude.  

When faced with seemingly insurmountable challenges - such as we know nature is facing today, it can be all too easy to throw up one’s hands in despair. But the vision and dedication of people like Tom, and the sheer brass neck of people like Miss Palmer are what give us the confidence to carry on, safe in the knowledge that together we can make a difference.