HUGS all round at Butts Piece

You may have seen these roped-off areas at Butts Piece in East Hagbourne recently with ‘Conservation Area’ signs.  Normally these areas are strimmed regularly meaning reduced plant biodiversity.  Now East Hagbourne Parish Council are allowing us to work with these different small areas to increase plant biodiversity.

We are planning to experiment with different conservation methods including;

• Monthly mowing or strimming and removal of the cut material for one growing season. This removal of cut grass is done to reduce soil fertility. With less fertile soil, we then have a better chance for wildflowers establishing

• Leaving the ground as is, no intervention and see what grows

• Planting plug plants / sowing seeds in areas that are most favourable for wildflower growth

If we can increase plant biodiversity, we can then have an impact on other life, such as invertebrates.   We know, for example, that the Sustrans track, round the corner, is rich in butterfly species.  We are keen to be able to help support butterflies by protecting some of the plants they lay eggs on and their caterpillars eat.  Garlic mustard is one of these for orange tip butterflies.  It grows well around Butts Piece but doesn’t survive strimming.

We are going to survey the areas from spring onwards when plant growth begins.   Then we will document what grows.  

We’ll let you know what grows!