Public Places
Colourful prairie-style planting on a highway
flower are particularly worthwhile and they can be mown later, before they set their seed heads. Tussocky grass, which is not attractive or useful for sports or picnic areas, greatly increases the number of species supported, and is crucial for many bee species including endangered species, such as the Great Yellow Bumblebee (Bombus distinguendus) - this is one of a group of seven bumblebees that the UK Biodiversity Action Plan says require management of sward height to maintain optimum flower levels for their survival.* In addition, many bird species, including some declining and endangered ones, rely on long grass, especially on field and hedge margins. These include the skylark, meadow pipit, spotted flycatcher, yellowhammer, twite, song thrush and even the barn owl. An increased insect and invertebrate population then supports an enriched food chain to promote amphibians, reptiles, rodents, birds and mammals. And it’s not just grassland; hedges,
hedgerows, trees, woodland, shrub borders and field margins can be managed and maintained completely differently for the benefit of wildlife. This requires more carefully considered maintenance specifications and local biodiversity action plans which could look to creating, enhancing or restoring declining habitats, such as acid heathland, wet meadows, hazel, alder and willow coppice, hedgerow and ditch etc. wherever appropriate. Long grass regimes, however, do have
disadvantages which must be considered before making wholesale changes. Long grass can be a fire risk in dry conditions and vigilance and timeliness of cutting are essential; it can trap litter and, if areas appear abandoned, then fly-tipping can occur, and there are the inevitable complaints about pollen, allergens and hay fever. A large proportion of the population see long grass as an ‘untidy mess’ rather
54 I PC JUNE/JULY 2015
Native wildflowers sown in a natural open space
than an interesting habitat. If the change process is not managed well, and a poor PR story is told, there will be little public support and a great deal of complaint. But can the public be persuaded that such new maintenance regimes are not merely budget cuts or poor practice in disguise? Will people be convinced by the drive to protect nature and will they be inspired to copy what they see in public parks and green spaces and maintain their own gardens in a more wildlife-friendly way? Native wildflower plantings next to natural and semi-natural open space areas and along hedgerows can bring to life the argument for reduced mowing, and the use of colourful naturalistic meadow sowings, with eye- catching plants from across the world, when used in more urban locations, give a wow factor which cannot fail to please most of the public. Councils could be beacons of good
practice and parks professionals could show the way forward, but they must make their case properly and tell the story well if they hope to persuade a sceptical public.
National Pollinator Strategy Objectives
- Supporting pollinators across towns, cities and the countryside
- Working with large-scale landowners, and their advisers, contractors and facility managers, to promote simple changes to land management to provide food, shelter and nest sites
- Ensuring good practice to help pollinators through initiatives with a wide range of organisations and professional networks including managers of public and amenity spaces, utility and transport companies, brownfield site managers, local authorities, developers and planners
- Encouraging the public to take action in their gardens, allotments, window boxes and balconies to make them pollinator-friendly, or through other opportunities such as community gardening and volunteering on nature reserves
Successful differential mowing regimes in a Manchester park
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