Therese Hagland, BelSoc Member, writes:
Conrad Blakemore has been with Heath Hands for an amazing 25 years and a pivotal contributor of the team. His insightful understanding of all aspects of Hampstead Heath captivated my interest to dive deeper into this extraordinary character.
A conservation volunteer since 1994 with the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers who also did work on the Heath, Conrad shared, “I heard about Heath Hands in 2000 and decided that it would be a good thing to do.”
The predominant appeal for Conrad is being able to work outdoors. He describes, besides being more physically fit, “the positive and beneficial effects to your mental health are intangible. When I’ve had dark moments and done a bit of Heath Hands work, wielding a mattock and digging up brambles really works out tension and relieves stress.”
Conrad believes a huge challenge facing Hampstead Heath is the numbers of people and dogs that have increased, especially since Lockdown. “Areas that were previously isolated and undiscovered now have desire lines, tracks. Leaving designated paths cause significant harm to protected vegetation and habitats. Finding dog poo bags in bushes and trees left by irresponsible dog owners is a big problem too. There needs to be more public awareness of these issues”.
One of his favourite activities is facing large areas to be cleared of saplings, undergrowth and invasive species, “by the end of the session you can see what you’ve done. It’s satisfying”. Although some aspects are challenging, “I disagree with digging up healthy oak saplings in some areas of the Heath because I want them to live, but the conservation team would probably disagree.”
When asked if Heath Hands are working to secure the conservation of Hampstead Heath to a level that is having a long-lasting and positive impact, he responded that generally it does but he added, “I’ve past sites I did back in the 90’s, now overgrown again; it’s an ongoing battle. Nature’s always growing and changing”. He noted “the Conservation Team are getting different ideas about how to conserve the Heath, and it’s usually down to them what work we do”.
We discussed whether he felt the City of London is dedicated to the preservation of Hampstead Heath and what can they do to improve their governance. He believes, “the conservation team are trying their best, but there are certain aspects of governance that are more for commercial interests. Cutting out the existing cafés and cutting the budget for community events last year was a huge mistake”. He believes the City of London should be working for the community, not against them, and finds their recent actions kicking out the D’Oria family is a devastating move, saying, “the powers of commerce have taken priority over community”.
As a creative person he feels, “the very act of being in nature is truly inspiring and it’s very important to have areas like this for everyone”. He continues volunteering for the social value it brings, and which has now become an integral part of his life and routine.
