Saving England's most threatened species from extinction
Archive:
2nd December 2019
Saving Seed for the Future – How Farmers in Cornwall are Helping Scarce Species Two advisers from FWAG South West in Cornwall spent a drizzly but fascinating day on the north Cornwall coast, helping staff from Plantlife and Kew collect thousands of seeds from a rare arable plant, to become part of the vast genetic...
Read more11th November 2019
The Healing Power of the Poppy Two of the c. 70 species of the poppy within the genus Papaver have been responsible for two very influential but different tasks during the past century; Papaver rhoeas and Papaversomniferum (Opium Poppy). They have a rich history of medical, scientific and economic importance. The flowers of the...
Read more31st October 2019
Red-hemp Nettle It’s a cool blustery day at the end of September and whilst there’s still no immediate sign of colour change in the trees, there is an autumnal feel in the air. We’ve had a good long season of surveying this year, as we started early with such a dry and bright spring....
Read more28th October 2019
Colour in the Margins is one of the many projects that is running under Back from the Brink, and whilst we are primarily focusing on 10 plant species, there are many secondary species that will benefit from our work with rare arable species, including 5 UK bat species - from the Soprano Pipistrelle to the...
Read more15th October 2019
Helping the Hedgehog Whilst Colour in the Margins is focusing on 10 primary arable plant species, there are many more familiar species that we are aiming to help with our project including the brown hare, harvest mouse and the hedgehog. The hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) is generally common across Europe, with populations currently stable across...
Read more4th October 2019
Small Flowered Catchfly Primarily focused on attracting dog walkers to enjoy acres of space where dogs can run free, Dawlish Countryside Park has begun its mission to combat increasing pressure from visitors at nearby sensitive wildlife sites. Some may think of it as a sacrificial site, but look closer and you will discover there is...
Read more3rd October 2019
Arable plants: weeds, or the key to the survival of our farmland wildlife? Arable land cultivated for crops like cereals, potatoes, broccoli or daffodils is part of the farming landscape, but what does the term arable conjure up for you? Whether you picture a romantic vision of scarlet Poppies and bright blue Cornflowers dotted about...
Read more30th September 2019
Working with Arable Plants – Guest Blog Walking along a footpath through a typical cornfield, it is easy to see why someone may be rather nonplussed by arable plants. An occasional creeping thistle or bindweed that has missed the spray boom, may be all that is visible amongst a mono-culture of wheat or barley. Even...
Read more24th September 2019
COLOUR IN THE MARGINS - Ryedale Farm Museum Porcelain Flowers with Sian Hughes This was a rolling activity open to families and adults. On arrival, families were encouraged to research and explore the wild flowers and plants on site accompanied by Lizzie Cooke from Plantlife, and the Creative Activity Journal we had devised and printed. Back...
Read more20th September 2019
Did you know that if you are out in the field and come across a rare, or interesting arable plant, you can record your finding with an app? The rare arable plant app is available for free to download on iTunes or on Android. Arable wildflowers represent an important part of our cultural heritage...
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