As a member of a farming family and former horse owner I understand the dangers to grazing animals from ragwort ... particularly dangerous if growing in meadows which are cut
for hay as dried ragwort is more palatable as it loses its bitter flavour.
I have always walked my pastures regularly and uprooted ragwort and removed and burned it. Ragwort should never ever be uprooted and left.
However I see absolutely no problem with ragwort growing away from land that is used for grazing or hay. Ragwort is an important food resource for many insects, many of which are in decline.
I have a great memory of 30 years ago of an area from coastal common land in Suffolk with hundreds of Cinnabar moths and caterpillars on an area of ragwort ... that ragwort is no longer there ... I’ve been told that it was removed due to a concerted campaign by the parish council who felt that it was their duty to remove it. 😢
I have have signed the petition.
“I am not lost, for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.” Winnie the Pooh
I worked with horses for decades - never knew any single one to eat ragwort. I got very annoyed recently when walking locally, as some verges were being scalped to the ground for no good reason. They weren't an issue for drivers [ie being unable to see out of road junctions etc] and they posed no threat to pedestrians either. I have a horrible feeling, in some of the areas, it's householders complaining. You'd think with councils banging on about the need for cutbacks. they could leave verge cutting alone though Petition signed.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Signed. I have a wild garden which I love. However, I have had to learn to love 'weeds' and it is not easy! I was brought up by parents who believed every crawling or flying insect was the enemy and should be killed. Any plant not grown in a proper garden was a weed and should be sprayed until it was dead. I don't think I am alone in this and it had taken ages for me to persuade my elderly parents not to spray anything. There is still at least one, if not two, generations out there who still think that way. Change will come when that last of those generations have gone and enlightened attitudes prevail.
However I see absolutely no problem with ragwort growing away from land that is used for grazing or hay. Ragwort is an important food resource for many insects, many of which are in decline.
I have a great memory of 30 years ago of an area from coastal common land in Suffolk with hundreds of Cinnabar moths and caterpillars on an area of ragwort ... that ragwort is no longer there ... I’ve been told that it was removed due to a concerted campaign by the parish council who felt that it was their duty to remove it. 😢
I guess the major problem with the current legislation is that nature reserves and areas managed for wildlife are currently breaking the law if they encourage plants that are on the list despite their wildlife value. I assume the long term aim here is to produce a better management plans for the plants that satisfies all parties.
Ragwort thrives around here because we have so much waste ground that no one seems to manage for anything. There isn't a hay field for miles around and even in pasture the animals graze around it happily enough. We do get cinnabar caterpillars in the garden on other senecio type plants but we don't really grow enough to support a decent population. That might be something to think about next year though.
In terms of my interest, I chair Maidstone Borough Council's Climate Change and Biodiversity Emergency Working Group and this petition was submitted by a brilliant local young ecologist.
Sorry for more questions but I'm really interested in what kind of projects your group is looking at. Are you able to tell us or point us in the direction of more info? We hear a lot about climate emergency but details of what is being done are sadly thin on the ground right now.
I've been looking into the petition a bit more and I'm curious about how rewilding projects are getting around the legislation since they're often subsidy or government funded in some way but controlling weeds would be against the principals of the schemes. Government advice seems to be that refusing weed control can result in subsidies being removed.
As a child I found some cinnabar caterpillars on some ragwort and took some home to raise. I had no idea what they would turn into and was amazed at the beauty of the moths when they emerged.
It does seem kind of archaic. I don't think the act is particularly enforced unless there's a specific issue e.g. someone complains. Ragwort and dock aren't exactly in short supply round here. The concept of reducing mowing regimes and weeding, and allowing wildflower verges in parks and roadside seems to be getting more popular every year.
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I have always walked my pastures regularly and uprooted ragwort and removed and burned it. Ragwort should never ever be uprooted and left.
However I see absolutely no problem with ragwort growing away from land that is used for grazing or hay. Ragwort is an important food resource for many insects, many of which are in decline.
I have a great memory of 30 years ago of an area from coastal common land in Suffolk with hundreds of Cinnabar moths and caterpillars on an area of ragwort ... that ragwort is no longer there ... I’ve been told that it was removed due to a concerted campaign by the parish council who felt that it was their duty to remove it. 😢
I have have signed the petition.
I got very annoyed recently when walking locally, as some verges were being scalped to the ground for no good reason. They weren't an issue for drivers [ie being unable to see out of road junctions etc] and they posed no threat to pedestrians either. I have a horrible feeling, in some of the areas, it's householders complaining.
You'd think with councils banging on about the need for cutbacks. they could leave verge cutting alone though
Petition signed.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...