In this webinar, organised as part of our community wildlife webinars for the Wild About Devon initiative, we were joined by:
- Tom Whitlock, Devon County Council Ecologist involved with Life on the Verge
- Jan Gannaway, Exmouth Wildlife Group managing their verges
Tom told us about Devon County Council’s Life on the Verge initiative, along with their policy on grass cutting and verge management. Jan explained more about what Exmouth Wildlife Group have done to manage their verges and the successes of their management.
Our roadside verges are sanctuaries for wildflowers, pollinating insects, reptiles, amphibians and small mammals. They also provide essential green corridors for which these species disperse. Furthermore, for many people wildflowers on our roadside verges provide essential personal wellbeing and contribute greatly to their feeling of wellbeing.
Appropriate management of our roadside verges is essential. Without careful management, wildflowers on our road verges can be lost through too frequent cutting, or outcompeted by brambles, scrub and vigorous coarse grasses.
You can watch the recording below or on YouTube.