In the UK, High Speed 2 (HS2) is a new railway system connecting London, Scotland, the Midlands, and the North with more than 25 stations to connect several millions of people. However, ecologists are concerned about ancient woodlands that need to be removed to make way for HS2.
At the moment, the company behind HS2 has already cut down trees between London and the north region as construction continues. They also said that it would be best for the environment if the ancient woodland soils were moved elsewhere.
In late September, the charity Woodland Trust raised concerns regarding the felled trees in Staffordshire. HS2 told the charity that they would translocate the woods elsewhere as Woodland Trust thought that the timing is wrong.
Problems with Translocation
Luci Ryan from the charity said, "[HS2] has carried out these works at the wrong time of year, not only earlier than they should but also earlier than they said they would, which will only serve to increase the damage they have done and the risk that the translocation will fail." It is impossible to replicate the complex ecosystems that these ancient woods existed in for centuries long, she said.
At the moment, nearly 3.7 acres of the South Cubbington Wood, owned by the McGregor family, is being cut down. Penny McGregor expressed how important these woodlands are to the community.
The ashes of people's loved ones are scattered in these lands, said McGregor. It is also a place where people go to de-stress. They have already appealed to government leaders on behalf of their property, but the construction efforts still prevailed. Parts of the ancient woodland are being translocated to a nearby field.
Professor David Coomes from the University of Cambridge said that the current plant of translocating the ancient woodland is like destroying "a Turner (a famous painter) masterpiece and tossing little bits of it into a new art installation and hoping people don't notice the difference". There are so many complex factors that take part in translocation such as the centuries that the natural networks took the development, the structure of the forest, and the natural habitat of hundreds of species.
Dr. Mark Everard from the University of the West of England simply said, "You can't create ancient, you can't instantly create ecosystems... At best it is gardening."
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HS2's Ecologists
Nevertheless, the developers insist that the new railroad system is "one of the most environmentally responsible infrastructure projects ever delivered in the UK." Ecologist Kat Stanhope from HS2 said that the railroad will be a major contribution to Britain's fight against climate change and help reach the 2050 goals of net-zero carbon emissions.
HS2 ecologist Sam Whittal said that the company is working on recreating the same habitat of the woods. However, there is very little scientific evidence about the success of translocating ancient woodland soils.
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