Mention “rhodi” to a
conservationist, however, and you’ll get a slightly different reaction. Be
prepared for a scowl, a tut, even a shake of the head.
For the rangers and volunteer rangers of
Lyme Park, we’re in the latter camp. Although we appreciate that “rhodi” is all
well and good in its rightful place, such as carpeting the banks of a hillside
in the Himalayas, we’d rather it wasn’t rampaging through the British
countryside.
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| The Thursday volunteers tend two fires along West Park Drive. |
The reason? Rhododendron ponticum is an invasive species
that essentially colonises huge areas of native British habitat. Moorlands,
heaths, woodlands, there’s no place that is safe from the prolific “rhodi”.
Along with other invasive species such as Japanese knotweed and Himalayan
balsam, Rhododendron ponticum is a serious threat to our native ecosystems. Dr
Oliver Rackham, an acknowledged authority on the British
countryside sums it succinctly:
“..in western oakwoods Rhododendron
ponticum can exterminate all
other plants and jeopardise the future of the oaks. It grows prolifically from
tiny seeds; to remove it requires digging up every stool or repeatedly felling
and poisoning the stumps.”
West Park drive is part of an
English Woodland Grant scheme which is aiming to create native woodland. The
work is being carried out as part of the East Midlands Declining Woodland Birds
Project, managed with the Forestry Commission, and aims to benefit birds such as
lesser redpoll, tree pipit and garden warbler through creation of 1.62 hectares
of woodland. Rhododendron was planted here in the early 1900s as cover for game
species, but since then it has been left unmanaged and has taken over an area
that was once native broadleaved woodland, meaning that oaks, bluebells, and the
sound of woodland birds has been replaced by a quiet, dense, evergreen jungle.
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| The Thursday volunteers hard at work cutting and burning rhodi |
With the rhododendron cleared, woodland species such as bluebells will carpet the banks of West Park Drive once again.
During the winter, from October to
March, anyone who visits West Park drive on a Thursday will be greeted by the
pleasing waft of woodsmoke on the wind. But it’s no cause for concern, it’s a
sign that the Thursday conservation volunteers are continuing their battle
against the old enemy of “rhodi”. Every second Wednesday of the month the
walling team have a conservation day too, and over the winter months “rhodi
bashing” is a popular pastime.
Along with the Wednesday wallers and
conservation volunteers, the Thursday volunteers have carried out a phenomenal
amount of clearing since they started several years ago. Braving the slopes
whatever the weather, they’re a hardy and hardworking crew who have helped us
see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Due to
bird nesting season, we can only work on the rhodi from 1st August to 31st March. But up until
that date, we’re on the lookout for more volunteers to help boost the ranks and
lend some of their time for a good cause. The Thursday group typically works
from 10.30am – 3.30pm, and consists of people from all walks of life; university
students, retirees and those looking for a career change. It’s a good way to
meet people and learn new skills with like-minded people, and to “give a bit
back” to Lyme.
If you’re interested in joining the
Thursday group over the winter, please get in touch by emailing
john.mead@nationaltrust.org.uk or calling the rangers office on 01663761411.
Hope to hear from you soon!
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FACTFILE: What makes Rhododendron ponticum such a formidable
opponent? Because in the right conditions, it will outcompete almost all native
plant species. It does this in a number of ways:
1. Established plants spread
by lateral horizontal growth of the branches, so wherever they layer, they take
root.
2. Once it has taken hold, it
can produce a staggering amount of seeds from its flowerheads. Each flower head
can produce between three and seven thousand seeds, so that a large bush can
produce several million seeds per year.
3. Once established, as it is
on West Park Drive, the canopy is so dense that no light can penetrate it. This
effectively shades out all native vegetation, leading to a loss of biodiversity
as it has negative repercussions for all wildlife associated with it.
4. The leaves of the rhodi
contain toxins which make them unpalatable to herbivores.
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