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Life on the Verge: wildflowers at the Bowd

  • by JW

The Sid Valley Biodiversity Group is linking with the Devon ‘Life on the Verge’ project.

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The County Council have become quite keen on wild flowers on our grass road-side verges:

Life on the Verge in Devon – Environment

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As County Cllr Claire Wright observes, however, it has taken several years to get this far:

Devon County Council launches wildflower verge policy and calls for champions – Claire Wright

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Indeed, the campaign has been a long one:

Futures Forum: Devonshire hedgerows and verges – and national guidance on cutting (2013)

Futures Forum: Devonshire verges >>> extending wildflower projects across the county (2015)

Futures Forum: “Roadside verges are helping some of the rarest wildflowers in the UK survive, but are under siege, thanks to a combination of mismanagement and pollution” (2017)

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The County Council finally launched things in a big way last year, following trials in East and North Devon:

On the verge of success – communities called on transform verges into wildlife bastions – News centre

Boost for Devon’s roadside verges | Midweek Herald

Futures Forum: Life on the Verge in Devon > help manage roadside verges for their wildlife and wildflowers

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The District Council and the Sid Valley Biodiversity Group have taken up the challenge – and have got involved with their own projects…

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This is the latest from the SVBG’s website – together with some photos:

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Life on the Verge

We are linking with the Devon ‘Life on the Verge’ project.

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.

Bowd Plant List – October 2020 

Group member Stefan Drew has analysed what is growing – October 2020

Life on the Verge – Sid Valley Biodiversity Group