This kind of local conflict is often incredibly complex and in my experience there can be a lot to understand about it before any changes can successfully be made. There can be a class element, which needs to be treated carefully (order and neatness can signify respectability/integration/pride/moral character in some communities; greater social/economic confidence are often required before people are comfortable with their homes and gardens (which represent them publicly, which are their public 'face') to appear 'disordered'. There can also be an element of loyalty to parents' way of doing things and the sense that by admitting that weedkiller/tidiness are damaging we are implicitly criticising the environment in which we were brought up: people have varying degrees of comfort with that. And then there can be the sense that change is being imposed by newcomers/outsiders, which (understandably) creates resistance. Overcoming all that takes communication and patience and humour and compromise. The pro-nature argument isn't enough; there's often too much else going on under the surface.
I've found that sometimes what works is to work with the sense of local/personal pride instead of against it by replacing one set of targets with another. Even to go as far as creating a sense of competition, ie 'how many types of bird has our street got compared to the next one along?'
These are interesting insights! I think the issues might differ between countries, but I've come across the aspect of "representation" in Germany and other places for sure as well. I think in that sense putting up signs ("We care about bees!" etc.) explaining what's going on might be really helpful - they signal that it isn't an "embarrassingly messy" place but instead a place with people who do something good.
I think explanatory signs can be really useful if the complaints are coming from visitors/passers-by, but if the community itself isn’t all on board, signs risk being just another change some people are imposing on others :-/
I think your estate looks lovely. So sad that people are not prepared to put up with a bit of untidiness and a few bird droppings - being surrounded by nature is so worth it!
This kind of local conflict is often incredibly complex and in my experience there can be a lot to understand about it before any changes can successfully be made. There can be a class element, which needs to be treated carefully (order and neatness can signify respectability/integration/pride/moral character in some communities; greater social/economic confidence are often required before people are comfortable with their homes and gardens (which represent them publicly, which are their public 'face') to appear 'disordered'. There can also be an element of loyalty to parents' way of doing things and the sense that by admitting that weedkiller/tidiness are damaging we are implicitly criticising the environment in which we were brought up: people have varying degrees of comfort with that. And then there can be the sense that change is being imposed by newcomers/outsiders, which (understandably) creates resistance. Overcoming all that takes communication and patience and humour and compromise. The pro-nature argument isn't enough; there's often too much else going on under the surface.
I've found that sometimes what works is to work with the sense of local/personal pride instead of against it by replacing one set of targets with another. Even to go as far as creating a sense of competition, ie 'how many types of bird has our street got compared to the next one along?'
Wonderful explanation! I reckon you’re bang on.
These are interesting insights! I think the issues might differ between countries, but I've come across the aspect of "representation" in Germany and other places for sure as well. I think in that sense putting up signs ("We care about bees!" etc.) explaining what's going on might be really helpful - they signal that it isn't an "embarrassingly messy" place but instead a place with people who do something good.
I think explanatory signs can be really useful if the complaints are coming from visitors/passers-by, but if the community itself isn’t all on board, signs risk being just another change some people are imposing on others :-/
Hmm okay, fair enough... I guess it's not so easy...
How can someone hate having that in their backyard?!
Then again, I saw people that moved from their flat to a house only to pour cement in every corner of the garden.
I think your estate looks lovely. So sad that people are not prepared to put up with a bit of untidiness and a few bird droppings - being surrounded by nature is so worth it!
It's like those people moving out to the countryside to be closer with nature and then cut down all the trees and pour concrete everywhere 🫥
“Needed to be cut back to ‘stop birds nesting’” 😩🙄
You couldn’t make it up!