Garish and Proud

How vulgar can you get? Is this really any worse than the relentless purple of over-managed and treeless heather moorland in August?

A lot of people get this wrong. It is possible for rhododendron to have wildlife value even rarely. The unthinking conservation industry workforce accept without question what they are told. Dalek fashion they repeat the dogma: this shrub is alien, exterminate.

But extermination is what they promote elsewhere on Blacka. Heathland would never get past the inclusivity regulators. Only certain species are tolerated; our managers promote ethnic species-cleansing and no non approved residents can feel safe. They don't know why. "We do as we're told, mate"

In this very spot the rhododendron has created a walled garden of great value to wildlife and natural beauty. It has circled a piece of woodland where splendid trees have been protected from hostile winds by the dense evergreen shrub. It just needs to be kept in check, but the robotic managers know their manuals. "It's rhododendron so it must go - and we get lovely grant money for doing it and tasks for our underemployed chainsaw operators."

The birds love this special habitat. Those with eyes to see and ears to hear their songs can see this every day. But there's none so blind and deaf as those who don't want to see and hear.