PROGRESS AT HOLTSPUR BOTTOM RESERVE by Nick Bowles

The only thing that all ‘experts’ in land management seemed to agree was that it was going to be extremely hard to improve a situation that was so bad. There were nearly as many opinions about the next step as individuals to be asked. Hours of discussion went into our eventual decision and we knew we had explored all the avenues open to us. Logic suggested that only drastic measures would result in a rapid change, experience suggested that it could go badly wrong. Our anxiety cannot be overstressed.

So as you may already have heard we spent heavily to buy the best seed we could get (at a substantial discount, thank you Marek); arranged to have the land ploughed so deeply that the topsoil was buried under the less fertile subsoil and then we rolled the lumpy clods and re-seeded. Finally, we sat back in a state of nervous tension. Would the seed germinate (it had been planted later than is ideal, in the wettest autumn for decades)? Had the ragwort seeds been buried sufficiently deeply to stop germination? Moreover, had we acted wisely with your money?

Through the winter the land lay fallow and rather bleak, under a sheen of tiny green grass shoots. No sign of ragwort re-appearing but any optimism was kept in check as we knew that it would not germinate until the spring. Through that winter conversation only turned to the topic warily and we all wanted someone else to be the one to check it out so that we were spared the devastation of being the first to discover that so much work had come to nothing.

Meanwhile all the other tasks of reserve management continued. Winter work parties removed dogwood scrub from the floristically rich Triangle Bank, planted hedges and generally tidied up the reserve ready for another season. Some of these tasks were undertaken with help from the Braywick Watch group and it was heartening to have lively youngsters enthusiastically working alongside us. Photographic and written records were made, so that it will be possible to look back and judge the outcome of these actions. Then Foot and Mouth restrictions made access nearly impossible and for several months no one visited.

One day in late May, Frank Banyard and Nick Bowles approached the reseeded ‘Lower Field’ cautiously at first but with an increasing sense of delight. A rippling carpet of downiand grasses swayed in a soft wind and the first flowers of buttercup, poppy and birds foot trefoil were sparkling. Ragwort wasn’t completely eliminated, it was very prevalent along the fence lines where ploughing had been impossible but compared with previous years, this was amazing. 5 sessions of ragwort pulling ensued and we are extremely grateful to those selfless few that devoted a good deal of effort to the task; especially Mike and Wendy who were extremely effective and showed outstanding stamina. They were rewarded with the best sightings of Dark Green Fritillaries that have been reported this season.