Our friends electric

Tuesday 7 June 2022

Climate and wildlife

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With both ecological and climate crises unfolding before us, our climate and wildlife blog will explore aspects of this as well as the difference that organisations and individuals can achieve.

Electric chainsaw by Sean Webber

Sean goes electric and advises how to make gardens more sustainable and wildlife-friendly...

We’ve had an exciting delivery recently as we have begun the switch to electric tools! With the help of funding from Worcestershire County Council’s Businesses Energy Efficiency Programme we have replaced some of our old petrol chainsaws and brushcutters with energy efficient electric models. One of the main reasons we are switching to electric tools is because they have no exhaust emissions and produce less carbon dioxide over their lifecycles than petrol-powered tools. Electric tools are also quieter and create fewer vibrations than the old internal-combustion engine machines – making them more pleasant for our staff and volunteers to use. They also turn on with the press of a button so there’s no need for pull-starting!

The technology and quality of battery-powered electric tools has increased rapidly in the last decade and market-leading manufacturers are now producing ranges of professional quality equipment. Several of the Trust’s forestry and tree surgery contractors have already adopted electric chainsaws and many other Wildlife Trusts, organisations and contractors are making the switch too. The first set of tools will be out with our teams soon and we plan to continue the transition to electric tools in the future.

Why use power tools at all?

Chainsaws and other power tools are vital pieces of equipment for managing our nature reserves because they allow us to keep paths and tracks open and safe as well as to maintain diversity of habitat structures, such as woodland rides, glades and coppice plots. These open, sunny woodland edge habitats provide lots of niches for different species, from wildflowers to butterflies and birds to dormice. In fact, more species are thought to live within the first 10 metres of a woodland edge than the entire rest of the wood!

A light bulb moment

Another thing we have done to reduce our energy demand and emissions is to switch our office lights to LEDs. LEDs are a great piece of technology – they’re more energy efficient and longer lasting than florescent lights and far better than the old incandescent bulbs. LED lights are also better for our eyes as they have less ‘flicker’ - which is particularly important in offices where people are doing lots of reading and writing – and they don’t contain toxic chemicals. The increase in energy efficiency also means that they are cheaper to run and their longevity means they shouldn’t need replacing for many years.

These changes are part of our journey to a sustainable, energy efficient future where fossil fuels have been relegated to the past.

Helping wildlife at home

You may not need power tools to make your patch better for wildlife but there are plenty of things you can try to do that will make your garden or community greenspace more sustainable and wildlife-friendly. Here’s a few tips:

Manicured lawns can be both resource-intensive to maintain and poor habitat for wildlife. Leaving lawns (or patches of lawn) to grow a bit longer - especially during the spring – will provide flowers and structure for wildlife and can cut down on the amount of energy being used. ‘No Mow May’ is a great campaign to improve the habitat value of lawns across the country - watch our video below for more info

We really need to move away from petrol-powered tools so if there is a real need for a new lawn mower, good-quality electric models should be considered. Both corded and battery-powered models are now available. Better yet, try a push-powered mower if your lawn is suitable.
Peat is an incredibly important carbon store and forms a crucial part of delicate ecosystems. Unfortunately though, peat is still being dug up to be used in compost and to grow bedding plants. This really must stop and products containing peat and plants grown using peat should be avoided wherever possible. We have a list of local peat-free nurseries on our wildlife gardening pages to help you.
Pollinator-friendly perennial species are often better for wildlife and for the wider environment than annual bedding plants. Growing your own plants can be enjoyable, rewarding and better value – and it’s nice to be able to trade plants with family and neighbours.
Artificial fertiliser and pesticides can be damaging to our environment - and often our health – and the production of these compounds is very carbon intensive. Using compost and encouraging beneficial species that can eat garden pests – like ladybirds, earwigs and hoverflies – by planting lots of open simple flowers and providing shelter in the form of habitat piles and bug hotels is a much more suitable approach.
Reduce, reuse, recycle - make do and mend – waste not, want not. These adages are as true in the garden as anywhere else! Reusing and repairing where possible, and buying secondhand where not, all helps to improve sustainability. I’ve also found that poor-quality tools are a false-economy – better to get good-quality equipment that lasts longer!