#29 Fig by Ziggy Senkans

Meet Ziggy (Michael) Senkans, Biodiversity Monitoring Officer for Sheffield City Council!

As well as his role at Sheffield City Council, Ziggy also works within the Sheffield & Barnsley Biological Records Centre. He is interested in all aspects of natural history, especially fungi and what are termed ‘invasive species’. He is the recorder for the Sorby Fungus Group, but finds himself recording whatever and wherever he is. You can contact him via email at michaelsenkans@gmail.com.

Ziggy’s chosen species is the Fig Ficus carica. A rapidly growing tree that spreads readily, Fig is thought to be native to hotter climates, most likely the Mediterranean and West Asia. However, its exact native range is obscured due to millennia of cultivation. They are widely naturalised in the UK, as in other parts of the world. This might leave you asking: so what significance does Fig hold here in Yorkshire?

One of the remaining figs on the River Don, east of the Meadowhall Shopping Centre (21.6.2019).

Ziggy chose this species for its strong link with the industrial past of Sheffield. Without the damaging industrial practices of the past, this species would not be gracing our river banks. Though it does occur in other cities such as Bristol and London, it’s Sheffield where this tree has left its unmistakeable mark. Its origins in the former Steel City are intrinsically linked with this industry and the use of its rivers as a conduit for waste products.

‘Though the ‘Flora Britannica’ introduced me to this species and its whereabouts, seeing it in the flesh, whilst exploring the River Don in the early 1990’s, was a major rekindling for me. At the time I was studying a fine art degree and found myself reconnecting with the environment, though one with an urban bias. Inspired by the works of artist’s such as Joseph Beuys, Agnes Denes, Alan Sonfist, and the like, the East End of the Don Valley seemed a fruitful location to get inspired. The fig just happened to be one of weirder elements within this strange, derelict landscape, definitely a symbol of hope.’  

Travel back in time at least a century back and rivers such as the Don and the Sheaf were seen as nothing more than a convenient dumping ground for industrial waste such as heated water (a by-product of the steel industry) and sewage. This heady cocktail seemingly destroyed all chances of life within the city's water courses but created the perfect conditions for the germination of Fig seeds. Originally a native of hotter climes (the Middle East, Syria, etc.), but with the Don running at around 20 degrees Centigrade because of the addition of heated water, conditions were optimum. Most of the larger trees located along the banks of Don, especially around the Meadowhall area, were germinated at this point in time. Though not restricted to the Don, they occur on the Sheaf, the Porter and there are even some seemingly wild specimens, well away from watery locations. The large specimens tend to be found within the 'east end' of the city. Though these trees regularly produce numerous fruit, they never reach ripeness and drop prematurely. We also lack the necessary insects capable of fertilising the 'fleshy receptacle' which conceals the multiple flowers within. Cut a wild Fig 'fruit' in half and you can see the numerous fertile and sterile flowers within the cavity.

A solitary fig, immediately upstream from Rutland Road Bridge. River Don, Neepsend, Sheffield (7.8.2020).

Where does the Fig sit in the 21st century landscape? As well as a reminder of how the city’s rivers were treated, let’s not forget that the Don was classified as ‘dead’ right up until the 1960’s, sharing this dubious accolade with the Thames and a number of other urban rivers. The Fig stands as a survivor, capable of withstanding extremes, a ‘stranger in a strange land’, definitely a useful trait when we consider the changing climate and what looms on the horizon. This species is often associated with Christian mythology and the story of the garden of Eden and the fall of Adam and Eve. At present the only protection afforded this species could come via a Tree Preservation Order (TPO). In recent years some of the older trees, especially along the Don, have gone. Development, including new road construction has served a death sentence. But strangely, Ziggy has seen some of the smaller specimens’ bounce back after suffering brutal pruning. In most cases these were cut right back to the stonework, but this form of harsh coppicing only promotes future lush growth. Flooding can rip smaller trees out of the ground, but even in these extreme situations, the phoenix can rise from the ashes, or rather, enough of the root system has remained for the tree to spring back. Branches can also take root in the right conditions (layering) especially when partially buried in river silt. They are easy to grow from cuttings, something Ziggy is keen to promote.

Monitoring

At present there are no official monitoring schemes for the Fig in Sheffield and all past interest in this species stems from the hard work of local botanical recorders, especially those of the Sorby Natural History Society (SNHS). Over the past half a century articles concerning the location, ecology and plight of this species have peppered the yearly ‘Sorby Record’. From the inspirational ‘Vegetation of the industrial River Don’ surveys, championed by Margaret Shaw, spanning the decade between 1971-1981 (with a ‘Reappraisal’ begun in 1986 through to ‘88) and further investigations by ecologists such as Oliver Gilbert and Ian Rotherham. A 2-page spread made the ‘Flora Britannica’ (edited by Richard Mabey) featuring the iconic trees gracing the Don (M1 and the sadly missed cooling towers framing the background). Since these heady days, the fig seems to have slipped out of the limelight, despite periods when the public interest in ecology and industrial heritage is on the rise. Outside of Sheffield (not including Bristol or London) the only other sites in Yorkshire that Ziggy has seen the Fig, was in nearby Rotherham and Holmfirth, in both instances the trees growing above a river (the same River Don in the Rotherham case). Ziggy would be very interested in receiving records and locations for any seemingly self – set figs.

Further information and acknowledgements

For additional information, see: The Sorby Record #17 / Sorby Natural History Society / 1979; The Sorby Record #19 / Sorby Natural History Society / 1981; The Sorby Record #25 (Sheffield’s Urban Wildlife) / Sorby Natural History Society / 1988; The Sorby Record #32 / Sorby Natural History Society / 1996; Flora Britannica / Mabey, R. & Common Ground / 1996.

NEYEDC would like to thank Ziggy for his time and expertise in helping to create this blog.