View from The Top

JOHN PINEL COUNCIL MEMBER - NATIONAL TRUST FOR JERSEY

Walking quietly along a sandy path, hidden from view by tall shrubs and grass clad banks, searching the undergrowth for sheltered, sunny spots - I suddenly see it. Over a metre long, it lies motionless, basking in the sunshine, dark green with faint black markings, its resplendent yellow collar, the colour of buttercups.

I stop and stand silently, unmoving, drinking in the sight of one of our rarest wild animals, the magnificent grass snake.

After just a few minutes, it flicks its tongue at me and silently glides away, inch by inch, into the undergrowth until it disappears from my view and I can't stop myself laughing in delight.

St Ouen's Bay is Jersey's last stronghold for our only native species of snake which testifies to the fact that the area is one of Jersey's greatest success stories. Restored from open rubbish tips in the 1980's, Les Mielles de Morville in the north of the bay is now home to a myriad species of wildlife, from insects to birds and from flowers to mammals, the areas' wildlife clings on to one of our island's last areas of open landscape.

To the south, the magnificent system of sand dunes harbours a wealth of plants and insects and is recognised internationally for its rich diversity of these small and usually overlooked species of wildlife.

Carved out by higher sea levels in the distant past, the largely unspoilt escarpment forms the perfect backdrop to this intimate landscape. On a sunny August afternoon the long sandy beach attracts half of the island's population, whilst (it seems) the other half are exploring the network of paths and tracks which lead inland and up to the escarpment where the views across the bay and out to sea are outstanding.

The area provides a carpet of small fields, a network of refuges for nature, standing water which attracts thousands of birds, cafes, places to learn about wildlife and an almost endless set of historic features to explore, from ancient dolmens to the remnants of past wars.

Nestled within Jersey's National Park, St Ouen's Bay is highly protected by legislation and policy. Its wildlife is cared for by the National Trust for Jersey, the Environment Department and a number of other thoughtful landowners. Despite inappropriate developments marring the open landscape, all looks well in St Ouen's Bay, but without our care, this may not last.

Open quarrying, providing sand for our construction industry scars the landscape and continues to grow in scale. Pollution has poisoned the groundwater. Animals are increasingly isolated in small islands of habitat amongst the intensively farmed fields as the hedgerows fall into decay. Traffic fouls the roads and SUV's erode the grasslands.

The National Trust for Jersey has the vision to protect St Ouen's Bay so that generations of people can take as much pleasure there as we do today. We should not be idle, we should stand up to protect those places which we hold most dear.

Jersey's iconic grass snake is our only native snake. Despite its impressive size - It reaches over a metre in length - it is entirely harmless to humans. Its last stronghold in Jersey is in the dune landscape of St Ouen's Bay, but with a population estimated to be under one hundred individuals, it may not be long before it joins the ever-growing list of Jersey's wildlife which have become extinct in recent decades.

They are so rare that I am only lucky enough to see one every few years. Though even when I don't, I am happy in the knowledge that they still exist here. If we were to implement a plan to conserve Jersey's largest surviving native predator, we would also be protecting this outstanding landscape. As well as enhancing the health of our environment and our own health, we would be passing on to the children of the future the opportunity to pause in amazement at the sight of phenomenal wildlife, right here in our island home.