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Don't mow down this vital habitat
Wildlife artist Robert Fuller says it's time to take a new look at our roadside verges and give them the protection they deserve.
Roadside verges have long been seen as a maintenance problem. But with 200,000 hectares of verge running along 96,000 miles of UK roads, maybe it's time to look at them in a different way.
Un-cut, these areas are potentially the biggest interlinked nature reserve in the country. And yet most of us drive by without giving them much thought. Some even think these verges look smarter if they are mown all "neat and tidy".
To date, we have lost 97 per cent of our wildlife-rich traditional hay meadows. These have been mostly replaced with arable crops or rye grasses.
Perhaps our roadside verges should begin to take some of the strain. These verges cover a wide range of habitats – full sun, shade; acid and alkaline; up-hill, down-dale; wet, dry; high and low. I think it's important to realise their potential as a green corridor that connects all these areas together. If these verges are left as nature intended – or managed correctly with road safety in mind – what can these last vestiges of native grassland hold? The answer, quite frankly, is a lot.
Grass verges are made up of a tapestry of different plant species of all different shapes, colours and sizes. Near me, most of the verges are on chalk, which are famous for the diversity of species. I really enjoy seeing thyme, knapweed, marjoram, clover and scabious, as well as the abundant wildlife that these plants support.
Each June, I look forward to seeing the carpet of spotted and pyramidal orchid on top of Garrowby Hill opposite the picnic area, which has rightly been left untouched. This is a natural show which would rival any gold at Chelsea.
But, it's not just the rare show-stoppers which are so good for wildlife, even our most "undesirable weeds" are crucial to the survival of some of our most beautiful species.
January and February are tough months for wildlife since most of the berries and fruits have either been eaten or spoilt by frost. At this time, birds turn to plants with long lasting seed heads, like dock, nettle and burdock.
I must admit that until quite recently I was a dock and nettle "hater", on a mission to eradicate them from my garden. But since I've noticed bullfinches feeding off their seeds each winter I look at both with a more sympathetic eye. Tree sparrows seem to have cottoned on to this natural bounty and, goldfinches depend on the sticky buds of burdock and on teasel. But to have this food available in the winter, we need to leave these plants to grow now and set seed in autumn.
Butterflies are considered to be an indicator species, which means they alert us to underlying problems with the environment.
Three-quarters of our butterfly species have suffered rapid declines. Fifteen per cent of our total number of species has declined by a more than a third and the population of six species has halved.
Another insect in trouble is the bee. It is thought that parasites and new diseases are to blame and systemic pesticides seem to weaken them further. I am an amateur bee-keeper myself, but it's not just honey bees we need to worry about. There are some 260 different bees in the UK and they are our most important pollinators. Without bees, we would have virtually no fruit or vegetables. And of course, the bees pollinate flowers that in turn provide food for our wildlife too. Bees contribute 165m per year to British agricultural output and it is thought that a third of our food is directly pollinated by them.
Bees work tirelessly on the flowers of seasonal crops like oil seed rape or beans. But when they've finished flowering, bees need an ongoing supply of natural forage. For honey bees the solution is simple; beekeepers move their hives. But resident bees can't do this. It's only fair that, after they've pollinated our crops, we give them some flowers on grass verges to work on next.
Predators too rely on roadside verges. Barn owls are a personal favourite of mine and I'm always looking for ways to help them out. Over the last few years, I've put up 130 nest boxes for them in East and North Yorkshire. It has given me enormous satisfaction to see these birds making a comeback. But at times there is deep sadness and frustration too.
The last two years have been difficult for barn owls due to wet weather. I have watched helplessly as 50 per cent or more of a brood dies of starvation in the nest box, or the owl simply abandons eggs due to hunger. No-one would deliberately kill a barn owl, but inadvertently this is happening due to habitat destruction.
Now, we all need to eat and crops need to be grown efficiently – but do roadside verges need to be cut to the ground? When I see acres of "tidy" verges all I see is potential habitat lost under the mower.
While it is not ideal to have barn owls hunting along busy roads, quieter roads can keep many pairs and their chicks going. An example of this was brought home by a friend of mine who lives in a nearby village. She'd rung to tell me that she'd seen a barn owl flying along the beck and green which runs through the centre of the village in the middle of the afternoon.
The following day a less animated message was left on my phone, the green had been cut and the barn owl hasn't been seen hunting there again.
We worry about deforestation, and quite rightly so. But if you're a vole, a shrew or butterfly, cutting down verges is not dissimilar. Traditional grassland is one of England's most important habitats and I say let it grow.
Robert Fuller's summer exhibition runs from today, to June 28 at his gallery at Fotherdale Farm, Thixendale. This year he focuses on biodiversity.
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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