Hedges - create a wildlife highway connecting, maintaining and improving the local hedges, radiating out of the park.

Allestree Park could be the "Spaghetti Junction" of hedge wildlife routes across this part of the city. There are so many poorly maintained hedges across this area along roadsides and in gardens. People are digging them up but they provide such an important habitat for wildlife. As part of the re-wilding of Allestree Park, plant and improve some hedgerows.

Use this initiative as a springboard to encourage locals to plant and maintain their own hedgerows and get work parties across the community to improve existing hedges across this part of the city. Educate locals about their importance and how to maintain them, rather than digging them up and replacing with solid fences that are not bird or hedgehog friendly. Encourage locals to re-wild their gardens and avoid pesticides and slug pellets. Show people how easy it can be and help them appreciate the beauty and benefits.

Think about incentivising this process. For example, providing free natural hedging plants and advice about maintenance or providing free bird feeders/ cat collars with bells to protect birds and give people media praise when they participate in the initiative. Create a culture of restoration and support for nature instead of the dig- up and artificial turf/tarmac/fence one.

True re-wilding of Allestree Park, rather than exploitation of its natural assets can be used to spearhead a change in the way we think about nature. Nature supports us enough by providing us with the air we breathe and support for our mental health. It does not need to give us more by us exploiting the space for extreme leisure purposes. If we are true to the re-wilding ethos, we can use this exercise to re-engage people with their role in supporting and restoring the natural environment and to gain pleasure from this alone. That will be the true measure of success of this initiative, not how many compromises we can make to please everyone. Compromise will not achieve a stable base for nature or carbon capture. Please do not allow Allestree Park to become a "Jack of all trades" park but a master of none. We need to be strong for our park and its wildlife and speak up for what is right.