God's Own County

This Leeds street looks comparatively clear of rubbish at least until you look closely. Ignoring the weeds growing on the kerb and in the gutters there is still a lot of detritus down the street that should be in bins.

There is a large number, by my count 20 wheelie bins that could have contained this rubbish but householders or the bin collectors haven’t bothered binning it. It is hard to say if it has been collection day or not. The bins are not overflowing and are in some order whilst my emptied bins tend to be randomly arranged after the operatives visit. By the same token the handles on the bins do not look like they are collection vehicle friendly – I have to have the handles facing the road

What is the collective noun for Wheelie Bins? Is a ‘Litter of bins’ too obvious? I have heard of a herd of bins in a poem by Les Barker but a bevvy, collection or congregation would all fit. Is a bin replacement service, a spillage or an overflow a form of collective name because one of those would get my vote. Before I get into some Barney Rubble I will trouble the editor with a look around at other bin locations.

Birmingham having overfull wheelie bins rolled out over the city. It’s what the wheels are for.

Wheelie Bins Around the Country

• Residents with missing bins in Leeds are given the following patronising information  ‘ If your bin has gone missing on collection day, please check with your neighbours to make sure it hasn’t been taken by mistake. If you don’t find it, it may have fallen into the collection wagon. If this is the case, a new bin will have been automatically ordered by our crew and will be delivered within 7 – 14 working days.’ Oh yes believe that if you will.
• In Cardiff  ‘if you live in a property that has recycling and waste collected in bins you will need to have

• • All bins​​, bags and kerbside caddies  put out before 6am on the day of collection or no earlier than 4:30pm the day before.
  • Collections run throughout the day from 6am till 10pm.
  • Please return your emptied bins and food caddies to your property boundary by 9am the day after collection. (No sleep for the wicked).
• Cambridgeshire encouraged the BBC to take a lighthearted look at the issues surrounding wheelie bins and the result can be seen here.
• In Yorkshire there are 22  local authorities collecting refuse of which 15 are also directly responsible for disposal, All but 4 have services provided in house or in partnership. Sheffield and Doncaster are notable exceptions having contracted with Veolia and Sita UK respectively
• Wakefield has the lowest recycling percentage with 65% of refuse going into landfill.
• North Yorkshire and the East Riding have the largest weight of refuse per person at 500kg per year.

Amazon tribes offer future wheelie bin content

There are contrasting views that I would like to consider by looking at Yorkshire’s approach to wild life. They are represented by the Yorkshire Wildlife Park the commercially orientated entertainment park and the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust the 70 year old members organisation managing designated nature reserves.

Grit gets you everywhere

Yorkshire Wildlife Trust

Yorkshire has a landscape second to none that is rich in the variety of flora and fauna of largely native species. We don’t need to tell Yorkshire folk about the hill farms or the fertile pastures in the Dales, Wolds & North Yorkshire national park nor the wetland and moorland, fen and bog that have been created as a result of our fine climate. Add to this the natural environment around our rivers and coast and no wonder wildlife like Yorkshire folk are happy and proud to live in the county.

This living environment and natural heritage is to be treasured and where necessary protected for future generations. It is held in trust for those future generations so it is natural for a membership led charitable trust to support the maintenance and well being of the Yorkshire wild life.

     Facts about Yorkshire Wildlife Trust

• The organisation is headquartered  in York and our trust has been operating since 1946. It is partnered with the 46 other UK wildlife trusts.
• Yorkshire Wildlife Trust now manages 97 nature reserves across the traditional county. There is bound to be a site near you and many are a treat for visitors, naturalists, bird watchers and tourists.
• The top sites with visitor centers and educational programmes include :  Living Seas Centre, Flamborough.    Pearson Park Wildlife Garden, Hull   Potteric Carr Nature Reserve, Doncaster   Spurn National Nature Reserve, Holderness  and Stirley Community Farm, Huddersfield
• Moorland, ancient woodlands, beaches and mixed wetland habitats are all areas under the protection offered by the trust.
• As a registered charity no.210807 they have an income of just over £5m per annum of which 80% is from members or the trusts own efforts. The government funded conservation and land management subsidies account for the rest.
• The Grazing Animal Project is just one of the many schemes currently in hand  ’10 years ago Yorkshire Wildlife Trust was given a small flock of about 60 black Hebridean sheep to be used for conservation grazing. Over the years this flock has been managed so that now there are over 500 sheep which are kept at three home sites and sent out in “teams” to graze more than 35 of our reserves to maintain important habitats for wildlife.’ This helps protect rare breeds and bring rare habitats back into balance.

        Facts about Yorkshire Wildlife Park

• The zoo and wildlife park was converted from a riding school and farm – Brockholes Visitor Center Doncaster in 2009
• It claims to be ‘A dynamic centre for conservation and welfare’
• There are  70+ different species of animal.
• The cost of an adult day ticket until 9th March is £15.50 and £13.50 for a child over 2
• No pets or dogs, balls, skateboards or scooters are permitted into the no smoking park.
• Daily attractions include Meerkat and Mongoose Madness and Feeding Time, Bear Facts, Deadly Bugs and Wallaby Walkabout
• There is a linked charity foundation no.152642  with income of circa £102,000 pa. The aims include to ‘continue to build and promote YWPF’s brand; To continue to implement a comprehensive fundraising strategy; To continue to identify and develop relationships with key partners and stakeholders’ and make grants or can arrange expert support in the areas of exotic species conservation and welfare. YWPF will also consider supporting research.

Conclusions

There is room for wildlife organisations of all persuasions – let us also make room for all appropriate wildlife and human endeavour. Like the Yorkshire Naturalists Union Charity No: 224018 one of the country’s oldest wildlife organisations, having celebrated the 156th anniversary last year.

In an oft quoted comment ‘charity begins at home’ so my personal preference is to enjoy and support the 90 odd nature reserves of the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust rather than exotic animals best supported in far flung climates.