A Labour of Love.

The management of verges which flank the footpaths on Radipole is the biggest single summer-long pursuit for reserve staff and volunteers. Quite understandably from certain perspectives it is a fairly contentious issue. The sight of ‘conservationists’ cutting what is in most cases indigenous herbage, during the peak growing season will quite rightly spark interest from anybody with an interest in conservation and/or our indigenous herbage.

Hemp Agrimony with Red Admiral.

It is an unequivocal fact however that the verges do require cutting to maintain public rights of way. By now certain paths on both reserves would be impassable had we not been carefully and selectively removing particular plants in particular places. Through the course of the season, certain vigorous plants, (hemlock water dropwort in particular being a victim of its own vigour) grow to a great height and then collapse. Not only will this inhibit access but will bring down or shade out less robust plants growing beneath or waiting in the wings, to the detriment of the floral diversity of the site. By selective cutting we are able to prevent the most vigorous plants from dominating, allowing more delicate flowers some space and light to grow into. In doing this, great pains are taken to ensure damage is not sustained by other plants possibly growing through by cutting high and then progressively lower.

Meadow Sweet - Queen Elizabeth's favorite 'strewing herb'.

It is the sort of task which requires pragmatism and a constant evaluation and assessment of requirements from an access and botanical points of view. Certainly we are operating brush cutters with far more thought and finesse than it may appear. There will of course be odd occasions when errors are made - managing the paths in this fashion over the course of the summer amounts to +/- 40km of brush cutting (the equivalent to brush cutting from Weymouth to Yeovil) but these are very, very occasional.

Flea Bane with Small Tortoiseshell.

Our plant recorder Naomi is on site each Friday of the spring and summer surveying and GPS marking orchids and the like to further insure their safety. It is true to say that if the footpaths were sufficiently wide that we could to leave the vegetation to look after itself the botanical diversity would undoubtedly suffer. The ultra vigorous few out competing and blotting out the less competitive many. There are exceptions to the rule such as the shallow calcareous soil near the Viewing Shelter at Lodmoor which doesn't allow the moisture loving behemoths to flourish and so bee and common spotted orchid, clovers and vetches and many other diminutive gems flourish in their stead with little or no intervention – but these areas are in a tiny minority.

Angelica.

We apply science and a great deal of concentration and care to preserve and enhance botanical diversity when maintaining verges in summer - wherever possible allowing flowering before cutting. Certain plants however will flower again when cut, thus providing a pollen and nectar source for bees and butterflies for a longer period than they otherwise would. Until fairly recently the verges here were managed solely to maintain access but with little thought for the fauna. Cutting the way we do now is very labour intensive but enormously satisfying when able to see the colours and textures of the vast floral array which would not otherwise flourish.