Extra Protection for Roadside Verges in Ceredigion

Bluebells in road vergeRoad verge at Betws Bledrws
For several years the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales have worked with Ceredigion County Council to help improve the management of roadside verges for wildlife. A network of verges had previously been identified by the Trust and Arthur Chater, Ceredigion’s plant recorder, as being of conservation interest. They have been checked to ensure that any change in management would not create a hazard for traffic, and then adopted as roadside verge nature reserves. They are marked out with white posts every summer, and do not receive the early summer (June) cut that most verges do. Instead, they are cut only in the late summer, replicating the more sympathetic management of a hay meadow.

Upland Verge that will left uncutUpland verge that will left uncut
Reducing the management of these roadside reserves to a single late summer cut means that the plants have time to flower and set seed. This not only ensures that there are plenty of seeds to allow the flowering plants to continue to thrive, but means that the taller vegetation, flowers, and associated nectar, are available during the summer for insects and other fauna. On these roadside reserves, the ‘arisings’, or the cut grass from the mowing, is also collected and taken away. This prevents the build-up of nutrients that can cause banks to become dominated by grasses.
Roadside Verge Marker PostRoadside verge marker post

In 2007, a new initiative in partnership with Ceredigion County Council means that in addition to the roadside verge reserves, 80km of upland verge will remain totally uncut. Areas where safety is an issue (for example at junctions) will receive a safety cut, but the rest will be spared the flail. Since the vegetation on the upland verges is generally heathy, containing species such as heather and bilberry- and because the growing season quite short, growth is limited. However the heather will benefit massively from reduced cutting.

Road Verge Marker PostRoad Verge Marker Post

Another new initiative is to leave quite a large area of amenity grassland around the ‘Morrisons’ roundabout in Aberystwyth uncut until the late summer. Although not particularly species rich, the long grass in summer will provide a home for many invertebrates, and the sympathetic management now in place will help the vegetation improve in diversity. It is also an area that many people in Aberystwyth pass every day,a  and good opportunity to demonstrate the benefits that small changes in land management can have for wildlife of all kinds.

Further information on roadside verge management for wildlife in Ceredigion, contact Lizzie Wilberforce on l.wilberforce@welshwildlife,org. Volunteers are always needed to help survey and monitor verge vegetation!