Bet you didn’t know that there’s a rare native plant living at Dove Stone that eats insects.
It’s called the Sundew.
As mentioned it’s an insectivorous plant. The Sundew supplements the nutrients it takes from the poor peaty soils by catching and absorbing insects. Passing insects are attracted to the plant. Once on the Sundew the insect gets stuck by sticky globules on the plant's leaves. Trapped with no place to escape the Sundew curls its leaf around it and the insect is slowly digested by the plant and the nutrients are absorbed back into the plant which feeds it. Cool !
As far as we know there is only one colony of Sundews at Dove Stone and this would have been destroyed by essential dam infrastructure maintenance.
However, RSPB staff and volunteers teamed up with United Utilities staff and the Sundew has now been moved to two different, suitably boggy sites above Dove Stone reservoir. Using two different parts of the estate will encourage the plants to establish across as wide an area as possible.
We hope that the Sundew will establish successfully and in the fullness of time spread across much of the estate.
If you’re interested in RSPB’s regular weekly work tasks where you can get involved in activities like saving the Sundew then please contact kate.hanley@rspb.org.uk