Friday 15 July 2016

Pollinators need Pollen

We've drawn attention to it often enough. The local wildlife trust put so much of their time into office-based self-promotion that knowing or understanding what's happening on the land they've been trusted to manage takes a very low priority. In fact their publicity department, charged with giving SWT a high profile in the media seems in a different world to their nature reserves.

For instance  -  bees. Social media output from SRWT/SWT lately has been telling people like me  how important it is that there are plenty of flowers around to encourage bees and other pollinators. I have now received their advice several times, via Twitter.  So I ought to respond.

Dear SRWT

Well it's good of you, SRWT. I'm grateful,  but I already knew, and most of us did, that flowers are good for bees. I'm glad that you have discovered that too. Perhaps somebody told you and now you can't resist telling everyone else. I might mention that there is something you can do yourselves now that you're up to speed on this. Flowers, you see, are easily destroyed and they are then useless to bees and other insects. Cows and sheep are worth watching because they are especially efficient destructive agents. All their effort is dedicated to making life challenging for those who like flowers and the nectar and pollen in them. They do this by eating the plants and trampling on them. It is within your own power SRWT to make a difference here which might not have occured to you.
Come along with me almost any time and I will show you what the cows and sheep do on your 'nature reserve'.  They've about 80 acres to practice their flower destruction and what a fine job they've made of it. Now the cows have come onto the part you proudly call the heathland, and my word they've started well. Much still to do of course and being late there's need for a lot of catching up, but those great heavy feet are a real advantage when it comes to savaging the local vegetation.
Having dealt with the dear old melancholy thistle they're now homing in on one of the colonies of bog asphodel. The jaws have already been busy. We may have to wait for the trampling.


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