Wild flowers thriving thanks to careful verge cutting

WILD flowers are thriving on a Llanelli roundabout after a change in the council’s verge cutting regime.

The Street Scene section has reduced the number of cuts and the extent of the verge cut along the A484 coastal link road between Llanelli and Loughor and the A4138 road to Hendy.

And ecologists have now discovered a thriving population of bee orchids (Ophrys apiferi) on the Berwick roundabout.

Care has been taken to cut the verges so as many orchids and other wild flowers are left as possible.

A total of 268 bee orchids have been counted on this roundabout in the past and we are now waiting to find out if this year’s figure will be higher.

In addition, 14 areas have been identified in the county where areas of grassland will be left uncut to allow the meadow grasses and flowers to flourish. These will be cut later in the summer and it is hoped these areas will become more flower rich and help pollinating insects.

Executive Board Member for Technical Services Cllr Colin Evans recently set up an officer / member focus group to look at the issue of grass cutting in the county, with biodiversity high on the agenda.

“As well as looking at issues such as cost savings and duplication, the focus group wanted to do more in terms of conservation and become more proactive in relation to biodiversity,” said Cllr Evans.

“The roadside verges provide a rich and varied wildlife habitat and I am delighted that the work already undertaken in the Llanelli area is already paying off.”

The council has a duty under the Natural Environment and Rural Communities (NERC) Act 2006 to see how it can help biodiversity in all areas of its work and this includes parks and open spaces.

Council biodiversity officer Isabel Macho said the Local Biodiversity Action Plan for Carmarthenshire included the management of our urban green spaces and roadside verges.

She explained why it is so important: “A recent State of Nature report has shown that 60% of the species studies are declining in the UK, and some of these are under threat of extinction.

“Meadows and grasslands are really important habitats, supporting many flower species that don’t now grow elsewhere, and which in turn support a wide range of invertebrates such as butterflies and bees, along with birds and mammals.

“Important species of pollinating insects are also declining. Pollinators are important in Wales for the production of crops and the diversity of plant species, habitats and wildlife. Honeybees have shown a 23% decline in Wales between 1985 and 2005 and this trend is continuing. Butterflies, hoverflies and many species of moth are also falling.”

Local Member for Bynea Cllr Deryk Cundy has been very supportive of the initiative: “For a number of years it has been recognised by the council’s biodiversity team that the conservation and the re-introduction of flower meadows has to be encouraged and we in Bynea are happy to be the beneficiaries of this excellent project.

“It is this forward thinking attitude that has been so successful in the protection of the endangered water voles at the Morfa Berwick sanctuary just off Berwick roundabout enabling Bynea to become a bastion of conservation in South Wales, which we are looking to expand and enhance for our tourism offering.

“It is also this type of thinking that we are hoping to emulate across the county, where the solution not only enhances our lives, protects the environment, saves money but also attracts visitors to our area. This is thinking ‘outside the box’ to the benefit of us all.”

CAPTIONS: Pictures of the bee orchids on the Berwick roundabout in Llanelli.