Julia Cooper and Trish Marcouse organised a visit to the Organic Research Centre at Elm Farm, Hamstead Marshall on 12 May – a welcome dry and sunny day. Agroecology researcher Dr Jo Smith introduced the 11 members present to the Centre and its activities. Jo explained that agro-forestry is a type of integrated land use which balances productivity with environmental protection, and she showed us the trial site in Flatbottom Field. Strips of short rotation coppice had recently been planted, with 12 metre alleys of grassland remaining between them. The trees were faster growing Willow Salix viminalis and Alder Alnus glutinosa, which grows more slowly but fixes nitrogen. Both species should thrive in the damp clay loam soil. Competition from other vegetation was reduced by using a photo degradable barrier, which it was hoped would be more effective than the jute tried previously. Once the trees are established they could be cut every 2-3 years and converted to wood chip for bio-energy, or possibly used as fodder for grazing animals. The effect of different management techniques on the trees and their environment will be evaluated.
The walk then followed the farm trail, a permissive path round the farm funded under Countryside Stewardship. Large numbers of St Mark’s Flies Bibio marci were seen in Flatbottom. The adults emerge around St Mark’s day (25 April) and live for only about a week. A diversion was made through a small damp copse, where a variety of woodland plants and ferns and an Orange-tip butterfly were seen. The ditch between Woodcotes North and Quarry Field was interesting with ferns including Hard Shield-fern Polystichum aculeatum, and Brimstone, Orange-tip and Peacock butterflies were seen in the fields. An area of unimproved grassland with a small pond at the eastern end of Quarry Field was botanically richer than the other pastures, with Pignut Conopodium majus, Betony Stachys officinalis and Devil’s-bit Scabious Succisa pratensis in the grassland, and Monkeyflower Mimulus guttatus in the pond.
Heading on along the eastern edge of Flatbottom, there were hedgerow plants including Moschatel Adoxa moschatellina and a Green-veined White butterfly was flying. Approaching the road in Ditchfield, the stream banks provided a further interesting habitat. The last stop was in Donkey Field, an area of damp unimproved grassland which was rather overgrown. A large clump of Water Avens Geum rivale was in flower here, while an Orange-tip butterfly on Cuckoo Flower Cardamine pratensis was being eaten by a spider. Betony and Devil’s-bit Scabious were again seen; we felt it would be worthwhile to revisit the unimproved areas later in the summer.
We then returned to the Centre for welcome refreshments. As we prepared to leave, an Osprey being mobbed by a Red Kite was spotted overhead, to round off an interesting visit.
Report by Julia Cooper
Pictures by Ian Duddle
RDNHS pre-walk to Elm Farm with Julia Cooper, Ian Duddle, Jan Haseler and Renée Grayer 07 May 2012 and RDNHS visit on 12 May 2012
| Acer campestre | Field Maple |
| Achillea millefolium | Yarrow (leaves) |
| Adoxa moschatellina | Moschatel |
| Aegopodium podagraria | Ground-elder (leaves) |
| Agrimonia eupatoria | Agrimony (leaves) |
| Ajuga reptans | Bugle |
| Alliaria petiolata | Garlic Mustard |
| Alopecurus pratensis | Meadow Foxtail |
| Anemone nemorosa | Wood anemone |
| Angelica sylvestris | Angelica (leaves) |
| Anthoxanthum odoratum | Sweet Vernal-grass |
| Anthriscus sylvestris | Cow Parsley |
| Apium nodiflorum | Fool’s Water-cress |
| Arctium sp. | Burdock sp. (leaves) |
| Arum maculatum | Lords-and-Ladies |
| Barbarea vulgaris | Winter-cress |
| Capsella bursa-pastoris | Shepherd’s-purse |
| Cardamine flexuosa | Wavy Bitter-cress |
| Cardamine hirsuta | Hairy Bitter-cress |
| Cardamine pratensis | Cuckooflower |
| Carex hirta | Hairy Sedge |
| Centaurea nigra | Common Knapweed (leaves) |
| Centaurea scabiosa | Greater knapweed (leaves) |
| Cerastium fontanum | Common Mouse-ear |
| Cerastium glomeratum | Sticky Mouse-ear |
| Circaea lutetiana | Enchanter’s-nightshade (leaves) |
| Cirsium arvense | Creeping Thistle (leaves) |
| Cirsium palustre | Marsh Thistle (leaves) |
| Cirsium vulgare | Spear Thistle (leaves) |
| Conopodium majus | Pignut |
| Deschampsia cespitosa subsp. cespitosa | Tufted hair grass |
| Dryopteris dilatata | Broad Buckler-fern |
| Dryopteris filix-mas | Male-fern |
| Epilobium hirsutum | Great Willowherb (leaves) |
| Equisetum arvense | Field Horsetail |
| Filipendula ulmaria | Meadowsweet (leaves) |
| Galium aparine | Cleavers |
| Geranium dissectum | Cut-leaved Crane’s-bill (leaves) |
| Geranium molle | Dove’s-foot Crane’s-bill (leaves) |
| Geum rivale | Water Avens |
| Geum urbanum | Wood Avens (leaves) |
| Glechoma hederacea | Ground-ivy |
| Glyceria spp | Sweet grass |
| Heracleum sphondylium | Hogweed (leaves) |
| Hyacinthoides non-scripta | Bluebell |
| Iris pseudacorus | Yellow Iris (leaves) |
| Juncus conglomeratus | Compact Rush |
| Juncus effusus | Soft rush |
| Lamium album | White Dead-nettle |
| Lamium purpureum | Red Dead-nettle |
| Lathyrus pratensis | Meadow Vetchling |
| Lonicera periclymenum | Honeysuckle (leaves) |
| Lotus pedunculatus | Greater Birds Foot trefoil (leaves) |
| Luzula campestris | Field Wood-rush |
| Lycopus europaeus | Gypsywort |
| Lysimachia nemorum | Yellow Pimpernel |
| Matricaria discoidea | Pineappleweed |
| Mercurialis perennis | Dog’s Mercury |
| Mimulus guttatus | Monkeyflower (leaves) |
| Myosotis ramosissima | Early Forget-me-not |
| Myosotis scorpioides | Water forget-me-not |
| Myosotis sylvatica | Wood Forget-me-not |
| Oxalis acetosella | Wood-sorrel |
| Plantago lanceolata | Ribwort Plantain |
| Plantago major | Greater Plantain (leaves) |
| Poa annua | Annual meadow grass |
| Polystichum aculeatum | Hard Shield-fern |
| Potentilla anserina | Silverweed (leaves) |
| Potentilla erecta | Tormentil |
| Potentilla reptans | Creeping Cinquefoil (leaves) |
| Potentilla spp | Cinquefoil (leaves) |
| Potentilla sterilis | Barren Strawberry |
| Primula vulgaris | Primrose |
| Prunella vulgaris | Selfheal (leaves) |
| Prunus spinosa | Blackthorn |
| Pteridium aquilinum | Bracken |
| Ranunculus acris | Meadow Buttercup |
| Ranunculus bulbosus | Bulbous Buttercup |
| Ranunculus ficaria | Lesser Celandine |
| Ranunculus repens | Creeping Buttercup |
| Rosa arvensis | Field rose (leaves) |
| Rosa canina | Dog rose (leaves) |
| Rubus fruticosus | Bramble |
| Rumex acetosa | Common Sorrel |
| Rumex crispus | Curled Dock |
| Rumex sanguineus | Wood Dock (leaves) |
| Salix caprea | Goat Willow |
| Senecio aquaticus | Marsh ragwort (leaves) |
| Senecio spp | Ragwort (leaves) |
| Senecio vulgaris | Groundsel |
| Silene dioica | Red Campion |
| Stachys officinalis | Betony (leaves) |
| Stachys sylvatica | Hedge Woundwort (leaves) |
| Stellaria graminea | Lesser Stitchwort (leaves) |
| Stellaria holostea | Greater Stitchwort |
| Stellaria palustris | Marsh stitchwort |
| Succisa pratensis | Devil’s-bit Scabious (leaves) |
| Taraxacum officinale | Dandelion |
| Trifolium pratense | Red Clover (leaves) |
| Tussilago farfara | Colt’s-foot |
| Ulex europaeus | Gorse |
| Urtica dioica | Stinging Nettle (leaves) |
| Veronica beccabunga | Brooklime (leaves) |
| Veronica chamaedrys | Germander Speedwell |
| Veronica montana | Wood Speedwell |
| Veronica officinalis | Heath speedwell |
| Veronica persica | Common Field-speedwell (leaves) |
| Veronica serpyllifolia | Thyme-leaved Speedwell |
| Viburnum lantana | Wayfaring tree |
| Vicia sepium | Bush Vetch |
| Viola riviniana | Common Dog-violet |
| Insects | |
| Anthocharis cardamines | Orange-tip |
| Artogeia napi | Green-veined White |
| Gonepteryx rhamni | Brimstone |
| Inachis io | Peacock |
| Bibio marci | St Mark’s fly |