Anna’s sustainability pledge: To save water

The recent searing heatwave that saw airport runways melting and train tracks buckling was challenging both physically and emotionally for many. Wild fires sparked up in built up areas as well as on heaths and moorland, whilst severely depleted reservoirs prompted warnings of future water shortages. Meteorologists showed us astonishing temperature maps and spoke about records being broken daily.  

Reconnecting with nature

Having moved to the South East earlier this year I would have experienced the temperature peak but for an impulse response to help a vet friend in much need of a break. I never imagined the relief that the few acres of rural Pembrokeshire that I found myself in ‘only’ reached 32 degrees.

I had anticipated the companionship of two friendly collies and the delight of fresh eggs for breakfast. I’d been told to expect a request for an evening head rub by Curly the ewe on being given freshly cut willow, and I’d seen photos of the new log cabin and hammock near the pond on which there was also a canoe to take for a spin should I fancy.

As if that was not captivating enough, the stunning variety of wildlife that the site has attracted was how I imagined Narnia as a child. The huge pond with its island centre was dug in a natural hollow in an otherwise uniform field and largely left to ‘do its thing’. That, combined with 15-20 years of some strategic and diverse tree planting and well-timed meadow mowing, has resulted in a wonderful, biodiverse haven.

My friend’s few acres were helping me recharge my batteries as much as I hoped her break was recharging hers. I pottered about tending to animals and wandered the land, but the pond kept drawing me back. Sitting among the trees and bushes of the pond margins the air felt cooler and the bright blue damselflies flitting above the water were a vision of delight. I felt lucky in those 2 weeks to be spared the worst of the scorching temperatures. We even had 2 days of rain. Who could possibly want for more?

A worrying future

Well, actually, I do. For during those magical two weeks, I also had moments of despair about the climatic future we face and the havoc it will wreak. I want a tomorrow where the many can delight in wildlife as I did. Where nature is accessible. A world that is not so detached from the living world that words such as ‘acorn’ and ‘buttercup’ are removed from children’s dictionaries in favour of ‘broadband’ and ‘cut and paste’.

As I made my way back home, the relative green of the Pembrokeshire countryside made way to the parched appearance of the southern and eastern counties. I resumed walking my dog along our familiar routes and looked across at stunted barley and fields of beans half blackened by the sun’s power. The soil cracks are now many inches wide, enough to make me wonder if small paws might slip down them and be caused injury. The noisy, turbulent streams of the spring are now barely a trickle.

My pledge to save water

I’ve been watching the ongoing excellent and empowering Greener Veterinary Practice Webinar series, the second of which focused on using water and energy responsibly. BVA have also been encouraging us all to make sustainability pledges, so I’ve opted for a personal pledge to actively review and reduce my water usage.

I will find ways to conserve water with butts and dig a pond in the new and blank canvas garden that awaits me in a few months’ time. I’ve joined the Facebook group Wildlife Ponds where the passion and creativity for ponds of all shapes and sizes is shared, along with photos of the wildlife they support in UK gardens. I’ll research wildlife friendly drought resistant planting that will cope with a changing climate, provide shade and avoid the need for frequent, high-volume watering to stay alive.

The British Bee Veterinary Association has been encouraging us to think about ‘bee friendly’ planting on practice sites and in our gardens. Shall we add water in some way to enhance these spaces further? Maybe you already are, veterinary teams are nothing if not inventive! If so, please do share your ingenious ideas for wildlife watering stations as well as any practical day to day water saving tips in practice that will inspire others to do likewise.

For more inspiration, take a look at BVA’s Greener profession campaign page and make sure you make your own sustainability pledge. To share your own tips and ideas, please tag @BritishVets and use #GreenTeamVet on social media – we’d love to hear from you.