Here’s how Sheffield’s nature is flourishing in lockdown

Only a few weeks ago Sheffield was vibrant and lively, but it has now fallen silent under the restrictions of the lockdown. The city that not so long ago was characterised by constant hustle and bustle has reached a stand-still.

But amidst all the doom and gloom, there is one huge positive: Sheffield’s nature has had a breath of fresh air.

In the silence of the city, the needs of the environment can easily be heard. With fewer cars on the road and a reduced bus and tram service, the skies have taken a break from the smog which has lingered since its industrial past.

The lockdown has also seen the return of wildlife to the city centre, with a badger outside the train station and even a deer near Moor Market.

Honeybees have got off to a flying start this season, and there are a higher number of bumblebee queens too. Badgers in the Peaks have also been spotted for the first time in years. In the botanical gardens and parks, squirrels and hedgehogs are ever more common.

Hedgehogs are loving the empty botanical gardens

Sheffield shares a third of its city with the Peak District, which has been closed to visitors during the lockdown. The air is now much clearer and cleaner following the reduction in exhaust pollution.

Since the industrial revolution, the city has always had unhealthy readings of Nitrogen Dioxide in the air, but now experts say it is a lot cleaner.

PHD student Rohit Chakraborty, who has been monitoring the impacts of the lockdown on the local air quality, said that there have been improvements in Nitrogen Dioxide levels.

He told The Tab Sheffield: “There was a drop of 40% in the week after the lockdown announcement, compared to the previous week -since then it has more or less remained the same.”

The deserted streets of Sheff

On a global level, the natural world has blossomed in the absence of people and industry. While a third of the world’s population are confined to their homes and economic activity has paused, carbon emissions have reduced to unthinkably low levels. The drop of 28 million tonnes is the equivalent of taking six million cars off the road for a year.

But we shouldn’t be too quick to celebrate these changes in the environment as a cost-free climate victory – the destruction of the disease will be felt for decades to come.

So whilst it’s important to remember this has come at a huge cost to world health and created a less liveable planet, we love the way nature has taken to the streets and we certainly hope that Sheffield’s new lease of life remains in a post-lockdown world.