Country diary: A wild place that should be treasured, not bulldozed | Mark Cocker

Macclesfield, Cheshire: Such biodiversity packed into Danes Moss, with micro moths, groundhoppers and countless other species - and yet it is under acute threatOur field club recently visited this area of wild ground on the edge of town called Danes Moss. The trip was inspired by local naturalists who have logged more than 1,600 plant and animal species there in short order.That urgency to record its wildlife has been driven, in turn, by Cheshire East council, which has earmarked Danes Moss for 900 new houses. Not only does this decision ride roughshod over all the implications entailed in that biodiversity, it follows decades of encroachment that has already consumed half the site for human use. Continue reading...