Page 52 - feb-mag-2022

February 2022 February 2022

WILD WOODBURY BERE REGIS FLORAL GROUP

After a few weeks off over Christmas, we were The next meeting of Bere Regis Floral Group will be on
straight back out onto site in January collecting Tuesday 8 February 2022 at 2pm in Winterborne
th
soil samples for eDNA analysis. Environmental Kingston village hall.
DNA, or eDNA for short, is a method of measuring
the biodiversity in a landscape by collecting and Area Demonstrator Elizabeth Witcomb is the
processing DNA fragments that have been locked demonstrator for the afternoon, and her title is On the
up in the soil or water. As different organisms Spot. A number of club members will be bringing along
interact with an environment, they will expel DNA their favourite containers and Elizabeth will choose a
via methods including faeces, shed skin and selection of these to create designs that are truly, as the
mucus. Over two days, Rob and I collected 378 title suggests, on the spot!
samples from across Wild Woodbury, making sure
we covered a range of soil types and land use. It’s For more information contact chairman Bob Holman on 01305 848262 or come
going to be very exciting getting the results back along on the day. We would love to see you!
and see what organisms are using, and historically
used, the site! This sampling method, along with the various species surveys we will
have running through this year, is going to be vital in helping us to gain a baseline
set of data to work from and to see how the species assemblage on site changes
over time.
Elsewhere on site, we have been working to open
up a footpath which would allow a looped walk
around Lower Hove Wood, without having to go
onto the bend of the A35 (the current route...!).
Through the use of contractors and their tractors,
later followed by me on a chainsaw and Rob on
dragging duties, we are well on our way to being
able to declare the area open.
Whilst walking around the site over the past couple
of weeks, it has been apparent that we really
haven’t had that much cold weather so far this
winter. Plants that would have usually been put
back by frosts are continuing to grow and appear
to be weeks ahead of where they should be for
January. This does, however, provide a small vision
into what we could expect to grow on the site over the next year, with bare
ground specialists being the first to move in. One plant that is still sustaining itself is
Annual Mercury, which has colonised the centre of a stubble field and providing
a nice winter seed source for many birds on site, particularly Yellowhammer and
Skylark, both Red Listed UK Conservation Status birds.
Seb Haggett, Wilder Dorset Community Ranger
Shaggett@dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk

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