<
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/a-cutting-edge-english-project-replaces-lawnmowers-with-scythes-to-protect-wildflowers-and-save-the-bees-180989537/>
"Scything has come quaintly back to the English countryside. The conservation
charity English Heritage recently recruited volunteers willing to cut grass in
the way of their ancestors—with the Grim Reaper’s blade. They’re now scything
through Somerset meadows in exchange for bread and cheese.
The three-year project aims to maintain English meadows without overly
disturbing their natural inhabitants—specifically, the endangered shrill carder
bumblebee.
“If you take mowers in here, there’s a risk that you can hurt them,” English
Heritage site manager Ed McGregor tells
BBC Radio Somerset.
According to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, which is collaborating with
English Heritage on the project, the shrill carder bumblebee (
Bombus
sylvarum) is among the United Kingdom’s rarest and most vulnerable bee
species. It lives in only five areas, one of which is the southwestern county
of Somerset.
The volunteer scythers, trained by Somerset’s Exmoor National Park Authority,
have begun working in the meadow of the historic Muchelney Abbey. Soon, they’ll
be scything grass at English Heritage-managed sites across the county, per a
statement from the charity.
“Scything is a wonderful example of how traditional skills can still have a
role in addressing modern challenges,” says volunteer and community engagement
manager Ginny Slade in the statement. “We hope to help create the diverse,
flower-rich habitats that pollinators need while also preserving knowledge and
skills that have shaped our landscapes.”"
Via Susan ****
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
