The wildflower plant ID app (Seek) that David from Sustrans told us about is really coming into its own.
The purists might say that we are cheating and should be scouring books and ID guides, but a lot of what I am seeing and recognising via the app, is actually going into my head and I am retaining it. Half the time, I am just using the app to confirm my first thoughts, so that must be a good thing…?
Today, Marcus, Aaron, Kieran and myself cut back anything trying to jump across the trail, from the underpass to Berrybanks, after Aaron buzzed any low-lying growth with a strimmer.
This is definitely the lull before the storm. In the autumn we need to cut back the overhanging trees in this section and get some sunlight onto the path.
The banks are doing a pretty good job of looking after themselves though, with a mass of wildflowers, butterflies, damselflies and bees. At some point however, we will need to establish a cutting regime on a three-year cycle, or it will all just turn to unmanaged scrub again. We can work out which 1/3 sections to clear back in September and then create five or so deep scallops across the winter season.
It’s pretty amazing when we think about the man-hours invested in this section to initially clear it. As soon as we have our benches at either end it will be ‘job done’ and another section that we can be rightly proud of, as we just manage the scrub.
Wildflowers Spotted:
There are plenty more but just no time to really get into a wildflower or insect hunt today.
Great coffee and cookie break today. There seems to be so much going on and loads to talk about, both with the greenway, the various projects that are linked to it, and the extended path to Leamington Spa and beyond.
All will be revealed as and when things start to come to fruition.
Paul
