A rare wild flower bloom has
earned an Isle of Wight farmer a place in the finals of
a wildlife-friendly farming competition.
Hundreds of early gentians, a beautiful purple flower
found only in England, appeared this summer on land belonging
to Michael Poland.
Early gentian is found on several sites on the Isle of Wight
and in isolated pockets of Wiltshire and Dorset but it has
only rarely flowered on Mr Poland's land.
But it made a spectacular appearance after downland was
restored and highland cattle introduced to graze scrub.
Early gentian is a small, striking plant, growing up to
20cm tall and found only in isolated sites in England. Its
trumpet-shaped flowers are seen on dunes, cliffs and lime
or chalk grassland.
It is thought to be endemic to England and one of only 24
such species. More intensive farming and the use of artificial
fertilisers are the main causes of its decline.
Mr Poland is one of four farmers shortlisted for the final
of the inaugural RSPB/Countryfile magazine Nature of Farming
Award. More than 300 farmers entered the competition which
was set up to reward farmers for managing their land to
help wildlife.
The other contenders include organic farm in the Vale of
Glamorgan run by Peter Davies which has a pair of nesting
choughs, a rare member of the crow family; Patrick Bowden-Smith's
farm in Fife has otters, water voles and spawning grounds
for sea trout and Henry Edmunds' organic farm in Wiltshire
which boasts 18 species of bee.
Dr Darren Moorcroft, the RSPB's head of conservation management
advice, said: "The re-discovery of this beautiful flower
could turn out to be the winning card for Michael. But the
other three farmers have also done a huge amount of work
which means the vote could be very, very close."
The RSPB's Les Street, who has seen the flower on Mr Poland's
12,000-acre farm, said: "The hurricane of 1987 felled
some of the conifers and the removal of others since then
has opened up Michael's land and made this part of his farm
ideal for early gentians.
"But we still didn't expect to find the species and
were astonished to see several hundred flowering plants
over quite a small area. The land is quite inaccessible
which is helping to protect it."
Conservationists believe native plants and their seeds are
essential for insects, birds and other farmland species,
many of which have suffered serious declines.
Tim Wilkins, species recovery co-ordinator, at Plantlife,
said: "The appearance of early gentian is wonderful
news. The plant has declined by a whopping 40 per cent in
England but as an endemic species, we have an international
responsibility to look after it.
"Many of its sites have been lost through the intensification
of agriculture - the fertilising of chalk grassland or ploughing
up of land for arable farming. Quarrying and the abandonment
of grazing land have also taken their toll.
"All credit to Mr Poland for managing his land so sympathetically
for wildlife."
Postal voting cards were printed in the July issue of BBC
Countryfile and August issue of the RSPB's Birds Magazine.
The winner of the Nature of Farming Award will receive a
cheque for £1,000 to be presented at a gala event
in January. All eight regional champions will receive their
£200 prizes at local events soon.
Each voter will be entered in a prize draw with the winner
receiving a year's subscription to BBC Countryfile, a copy
of the RSPB/Dorling Kindersley book, Wildlife of Britain
and a pair of Viking binoculars.
|
Select a Florist
