Life on the Edge: the Verges of Forncett

'Life on the Edge' was a popular subject and a keen audience came along for Dr Pam Merrick's beautifully illustrated talk on 25th April which helped us to identify some of the wildflowers to be seen on a Forncett verge.

 Pam outlined the features that help to make road verges particularly diverse in plant life, which in turn provides food and habitat for insect, birds and small mammals. Road verges are important corridors for nature, helping to prevent small populations become isolated and in-bred. Factors which damage verges such as herbicide drift from adjoining fields and being driven over when passing places are not used, helped us to appreciate the fragility of these often overlooked environments. The array of examples of wayside plants which Pam provided gave us a wonderful insight into the finer features of many species. Pam has written an article giving the flavour of her presentation which you can read here, published in the Forncett Flyer. Such was the interest in the subject that several people volunteered to do their own surveys. To make this a community effort is the ideal way to gather valuable information and we welcome any of you to have a go. Please contact us via our email  if you'd like to join in and we'll put you in touch with Pam. 

Pam has also surveyed St Edmunds Chuchyard and part of Common Road, whilst members of the FNM Steering Group have carried out surveys of Overwood Lane, part of Cheyney’s Lane and the ditches around Jubilee Green at Forncett Village Hall. Norfolk Wildlife Trust have undertaken a comprehensive Survey of St Peter’s Churchyard. Three other areas are being surveyed this year.

FNM is working closely with Norfolk County Council's Greenspaces initiative to survey and nominate some of Forncett's verges for special protection as Roadside Nature Reserves, which will be wonderful for our pollinating insects. The more data we have, the better. 

If you missed Pam's talk or would like to pursue the subject further, the best place for information is the award winning information available through Plantlife.

 

 

 

 

This meeting is an essential one for everyone wanting to learn more about our main vision of creating Green Corridors throughout Forncett. Having mapped the many properties where people have pledged to care for their outdoor space with wildlife in mind, we can now see real potential for linking these valuable habitats via our verges. Our main speaker, botanist Pam Merrick, will give an illustrated talk, telling us how we can best care for 'Life on the Edge', to create pollinator pathways throughout the village - our very own B-Line.