Britain’s obsession with verge and hedge cutting

Since WW2 increased technological advances have produced an array of powerful grass and hedge cutting machines. Most people might not consider this an issue, after all in the past ditches were cleared by hand and hedges scythed by an army of laborer’s. I recall my father reminiscing over his years as a farm worker, when he spent weeks alongside his coworkers clearing ditches by hand. Undoubtably mechanization has saved time and money, but at what cost to the environment?

Roadside verges clearly need cutting for the safety of road users; visibility cuts are normally one-metre and wider where road visibility is obscured. However for some strange reason (and this varies between counties) the one metre cut rule often becomes a full verge, ditch and hedge trim. The machines used have blades which tear and mulch, any wildlife caught in the path of these machines are killed and bird nests disturbed. In the past hand tools, such as scythes cut grass at the base allowing stalks to fall to the ground, wildlife thus remained alive albeit disturbed, so survival rates were much higher.

Butterflies and moths often choose to lay there ova (eggs) on new growth. Female brimstone butterflies will bypass mature Alder buckthorn bushes seeking the freshest foliage to lay their ova on, always on the tips of new growth. Cut the hedge at the wrong time of year and where do they lay? Similarly nymphalid species whose larvae (caterpillars) feed on nettles seek out fresh growth. Combine fresh foliage with a south facing river bank and you will find the slightly warmer temperatures attracts Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock and Red Admirals where the females get busy laying their ova. While small copper butterflies try their best to survive laying ova on sorrel and broad leaved dock leaves. Not to mention grass feeding larvae which undoubtably suffer the most such as skippers and browns. Unfortunately in Lincolnshire the obsession with verge and ditch cutting means that each Spring literally hundreds of thousands of caterpillars are mulched. I have also noticed on my walks that headlands around fields that are left fallow for biodiversity are also trimmed down – essentially leaving strips of short grass useless for most species. Although I have challenged local authorities the practice continues unabated.

Scheduled cutting should be timed to support biodiversity, but in many cases the window is far too short. For example the Small Tortoiseshell butterfly is double brooded, its first brood occurring in late April/May and the second in late June. In my location colonies begin appearing on the bankside in April which are then cut in early May. Cutting is repeated in June/July and again in autumn. When we talk about butterfly decline the facts are glaringly obvious. Entomologists and butterfly collectors are not the culprit, decline coincides with changes in agricultural methodology and mechanization and of course the obsession for neat and tidy verges and hedges.

Taking action here at WOBAM we rescue dozens of nymphalid colonies moving them to secure locations and rearing as many larvae as we can manage. Each season we redistribute thousands of ova and larvae, and release back into the wild between 500-1000 adult butterflies. When out searching and rescuing, the curious ask us ‘what are you doing’ – when we explain people are not only better informed but complimentary of our efforts.

When you next see the ‘grass cutters’ mulching the verges and hedges – consider the wanton destruction of habitat and species. What can you do? You can complain to your local authorities, you can complain to your local MP, report excessive cutting to local wildlife charities. Join a practical hands on organization such as the Amateur Entomological Society. If you have the time and husbandry skills consider intervention. Learn about the practical lifecycle of butterflies, how to locate colonies and play your part in helping save our butterflies.

Jason Wright B.Th., M.A.T.S