Life on the Verge
We are linking with the Devon ‘Life on the Verge’ project – click the icon to find out more. The DCC site has useful downloads at the foot of the page.
The term rewilding comes with caveats and we are not overly keen on using it. For us it is about sensitively managing our environment, not just ‘letting it go’. We need to work with nature, not against it.
Forgive the use of the term ‘rewilding’ here, but the sentiment is what we agree with… https://www.rewildingbritain.org.uk/about-us/the-world-we-want-to-see
We are consulting various sources for advice on how to operate the verge project, and Plantlife’s website is incredibly useful: https://plantlife.love-wildflowers.org.uk/roadvergecampaign/management-guidelines
Project #1: Land opposite The Bowd, started November 2020
This land has been left for several years but has become mainly course grass. There are other plants growing and the list is extensive but the grass definitely overshadows. As at writing, the grass is being cut for its end of year ‘tidy’; now the grass is being taken away, the land scarified and yellow rattle is being sown.
Group member Stefan Drew has analysed what is growing – October 2020
Bowd Plant List – October 2020
Weather dry after showers.
The grass was about 4 inches high following a previous cut. Therefore many potentially flowering plants were not in flower.
There was evidence of soil mixing (turbation) in various places, presumably caused by earthworms and moles (Talpa europaea).
Photos were taken of all specimens and where there was doubt the ID was confirmed using the PictureThis app (which I find 95% accurate!)
Red Clover Heracleum sphondylium
Common Hogweed / Cow Parsley Heracleum sphondylium
Mouse Eared Chickweed
Ribwort Plantain Heracleum sphondylium
Autumn Hawkbit Scorzoneroides autumnalis
Buckler Mustard? Biscutella laevigata
Lesser Knapweed Centaurea nigra
Common Selfheal Prunella vulgaris
Meadow ButtercupRanunculus acris
Yarrow Achillea millefolium
Sorrel Rumex acetosa
Meadow Pea Lathyrus pratensis
Dandelion Taraxacum officinale
Schreber’s Big Red Stem Moss Pleurozium schreberi
Creeping Buttercup Ranunculus repens
Bush Vetch Vicia sepium
Eastern Cottonwood? Populus deltoides Ed any thoughts on this ID?
Texas Madrone? Arbutus xalapensis DITTO
Wild Angelica Angelica sylvestris
Spear thistle Cirsium vulgare
Ragwort Senecio jacobaea
Fringed Willowherb Epilobium ciliatum
Wood Avens Geum urbanum
Ground Ivy Glechoma hederacea
Oxeye Daisy Leucanthemum vulgare
Broad Leafed Dock Rumex obtusifoliu
Curly Dock Rumex Crispus
Bramble Rubus
Red Campion Silene dioica
Himalayan Balsam Impatiens glandulifera
Black Bryony Dioscorea communis
Common Comfrey Symphytum officinale
Cleavers Galium aparine
Hedge Bindweed Calystegia sepium
Common Ivy Hedera helix
Ribwort Plantain Plantago lanceolata
Holly Ilex aquifolium
Fungi
Earthstars
Boletes
Calvulinaceae
Omphalotaceae
