People’s Park is oasis for ordinary workers of Waterford - it needs to be an oasis for nature too
You can see the ring of brown dirt around this tree in Waterford's People's Park.
If you have ever walked around the 16.3 acres of the People's Park, you may never have noticed that the grass does not reach a single tree trunk. I certainly hadn't and if I had, I probably would have presumed that the shade from the trees prevented the grass from growing directly underneath.
Actually, the private company hired by Waterford City and County Council have been spraying herbicides around the base of trees to ensure nothing grows there. Why? Because it’s easier to mow the grass if you don’t have to manoeuvre around trees.
Biodiversity collapse in pursuit of convenience. I’ve read this story before.
I’m going to make an assumption now. Fair or unfair, you can decide. I believe that a lot of the people who work for the council don’t live in a small flat in the city centre, like I do. I’d be willing to bet that most of them own cars, which I don’t.
By having access to a car or living outside the city centre, these good people, who have dedicated their lives to the public service, probably see plenty of dandelions, bees and long grass. They can drive to the beautiful Crough Woods or the Dunmore East cliff walk, where they will be amongst butterflies, ferns and bluebells.
Those of us who live in the city centre have no such luck. The People’s Park is often the only green space I will encounter all week.
In 2023, the council signed onto the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, along with every other local authority in the country. Since then, Dublin City Council have stopped mowing the grass in large parts of all the public parks to allow native plants and insects to thrive. They have also eliminated all use of the chemical glyphosate. On their website, they say they are moving away from a "scorched earth policy".
There is no area dedicated for native plants to thrive in the People’s Park. It is the only green space thousands of people will encounter during their week, and I’m glad that 169 years ago, the council decided to dedicate a large area of land for the people of Waterford to enjoy. Now, it is time to extend that same courtesy to nature herself.
It might seem like a very small thing, but it's something we’re doing wrong. And if we did it right, who knows what knock-on effect that would have? The sight of ladybirds, butterflies and gorgeous wildflowers might inspire others not to mow their lawns. Imagine, bluebells underneath the trees rather than a ring of fried grass.
Waterford City and County Council has a budget of €107,000 for its biodiversity programme. A good way to start would be to stop using taxpayers' money to pay for pesticides that prevent the People's Park from being a safe haven for everyone - nature included.
