Here's a blast from the past!
Howard, who can often be seen at this time of year sweeping leaves from the pavement on Broad Street (he likes to keep it tidy), was looking through some old files and came across a preliminary report on the wildlife in Hay Churchyard written by my ex-husband, who was doing the survey on behalf of the Brecknock Wildlife Trust.
He's given me the copy.
In the report, Allen recommends cutting the grass as if for hay, to encourage wild flowers to grow, and to cut back the brambles - but not completely, because they provide an important habitat for wildlife too. He pointed out the value of the churchyard as part of interconnecting habitats with the riverside path and old railway - which of course has since been taken up very capably by the Hay Community Woodland Group.
He also recommended a more complete survey to identify flora, fungi and fauna on site, but I don't remember if this was ever done.
1 comment:
I have recorded the Flora of St Mary's as part of the BSBI Atlas project and noted a few unusual plants along the way as well as I am often passing. But I don't know of any specific recent survey. There are some good Waxcap mushrooms there in the autumn usually but again I don't know if they have been recorded recently.
I'm working with Mike Porter - who has been County recorder since the 1970s - on his forthcoming Flora of Breconshire so the report by your husband would definitly be of interest in that endeavour if I could have sight of a it or a photocopy!
John Crellin, Joint County Recorder for Botany Breconshire.
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