Week 19
The war has begun, as a few days ago I saw my first horsetail[i]. I know I will be battling it until September and then it will disappear, so am girding my loins appropriately. A rewilder would have to cope as it is, but a renaturer, me, can adjust accordingly.
The horsetail is often called mare’s tail when it is, in fact, different. Mare’s tail flowers whereas horsetail does not[ii]. Horsetail is one of the oldest plants in existence, with modern horsetail first appearing in the Jurassic period (201.4 – 145 million years ago)[iii]. Horsetail has been regularly eaten by man, the young plants being edible raw, and were also a common food for dinosaurs. However, the plant can become poisonous to grazing animals if eaten for a sufficient length of time[iv]. Although there is no scientific evidence of beneficial medicinal effects of horsetail, it has been widely used as a folk medicine for centuries, largely for invigoration, weight control, hair and bone health[v].
The plant grows impressively. In fact, it does not grow, it marches. One plant becomes two, two become four, four become eight, eight become 16, and so on. It can happen overnight. Horsetail does not need to be controlled, as it will vanish in September anyway, but its rhizomes can interfere with other plants and stop them growing. I have tried digging up horsetail in earlier years which made no difference other than making a mess of the land. I now pluck horsetail whenever I see it, reaching down into the ground as far as I can, in the hope this will deter future generations of the plant. Once plucked, I keep it well away from my compost heap and the rest of my land and place it in a green, plastic bin for the council to remove. To date, this management seems to have weakened the plant but not eliminated it. It has prevented further spread.
I saw the horsetail by chance when I was outdoors photographing the May dew on May Day itself. There is an old tale that says the dew on May Day is magical and anyone who washes their face in it will have a beautiful complexion throughout the year. The dew is also meant to remove freckles, spots and pimples[vi]. I can now report, and based entirely on my personal experience, that May-Day dew does nothing for extensive wrinkles. I am just as lined as I was at the end of April. My face looks like a Himalayan icefall, with cracks and fissures all over.
Despite any evidence that May-Day dew has a rejuvenating effect, the month is still special[vii], which my land certainly shows. The entire area is springing to life, grass is turning greener, flowers are springing up, and bluebells are sprouting, even white ones, almost wherever I look. White bluebells are rare in the United Kingdom, the possibility of one blooming in a population of native bluebells being nearly 1 in 10,000[viii]. Whatever the odds may be, however rare the finding, my land has white bluebells next to my Lily of the Valley, which is also beginning to flower. It is the Lily of the Valley with which I played no part but has decided to grow on its own. Where I did plant Lily-of-the-Valley rhizomes last year, there is no sign of the flower at all.
A real excitement, added to relief, is my song thrush[ix]. It has reappeared, albeit no longer singing from atop a beech tree, as it has chosen a taller Noble Fir[x]. I suspect that is because he has found his lady love, and may wish to show off, for I now have two song thrushes hopping, singing and fawning over each other. The song thrush is monogamous, territorial, and typically nests in forests with good undergrowth. My land is no forest although was once ancient woodland, but there is plenty of undergrowth and still many trees. I sense it will soon be time to go hunting for a song thrush nest on my land, which may even contain the lightly spotted blue eggs, a feature of the bird. Song thrushes nest between March and August and lay a clutch of 2-5 eggs, which hatch after 13 days[xi].
My recordings of bird song, and I now have plenty, are in one respect tremendous, but in other respects sad. Yesterday, for example, I may have recorded blackbird, wren, chiffchaff, blue tit, chaffinch, treecreeper and willow warbler but always, in the background, was the distant rumble of traffic. There was no escaping it, although I should not be surprised as the Lake District is the United Kingdom’s most visited National Park. In 2012 it saw 14.8 million visitors, which had risen to 20 million by 2018[xii]. The Lake District National Park Authority predicts a 5% year-on-year growth. If they are right, by 2035 the Lake District will be seeing 46 million visitors annually. Of these, at current rates, 83% will be travelling to the Lake District by car[xiii]. That is plenty of background noise on what should be peaceful recordings of birdlife. Oh dear. Once again, mankind is making a mess of what should be protected.
Long-term exposure to noise from transport does damage health. The heart is especially exposed[xiv] and in Demark it was found that 5% of strokes were caused by traffic noise[xv]. Many millions of people are highly annoyed, and sleep disturbed by long-term exposure to noise from transport in the European Union (EU). Cyprus seems to be the worst, although there are plenty of other European countries that are hot on Cyprus’ heels. There are hearing problems as well, to reinforce that environmental noise is not a good thing[xvi].
The EU’s zero pollution action plan aims to reduce the share of people affected by noise from transport by 30% relative to 2017 levels, by 2030[xvii]. Good luck to them. Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, there is no legal limit to road noise[xviii]. There should be. As for cost, the annual societal cost in England of urban noise is £7-10 billion, which is roughly the same level as the costs created by road traffic accidents[xix]. Society should act.
Felling trees does not help. A noise buffer composed of trees and shrubs can reduce noise by 5-10 decibels for every 30-metre width of woodland, especially sharp tones. This can reduce noise to the human ear by approximately 50%[xx]. Think again if you plan to fell a tree.
Hidden behind some ageing rhododendron on my land is a fascinating but ancient plant, the Japanese star anise[xxi]. It was one of the first flowering plants to evolve, comes from Japan and Korea, and is highly toxic and inedible. The Japanese call it “shikimi”[xxii]. Its branches and leaves are considered sacred by Japanese Buddhists[xxiii], not that I see many of those in Lakeland. Japanese star anise, whose leaves can be burned as incense, has also been used medicinally as a direct application for toothache and dermatitis, as it is unsuitable for internal use[xxiv]. I had long thought why certain spots on my land did not always attract the animals and insects I imagined they should. With Japanese star anise being present, I can understand why.
When it comes to creepie-crawlies, I am not an enthusiast for slugs[xxv] although with our recent wet weather, I see plenty of them. They can be small, big, thin, fat, long, short, black, brown or pale, and are essentially a snail without a shell. It is from the snail they have evolved, so are evidently a higher life form. Slugs are only active when the temperature is above 5°C. When it is colder, they stay deep inside the soil[xxvi]. Right now, it is Spring, and the slugs are in overdrive. Almost wherever I go on my land, I see them.
Slugs have two pairs of tentacles, the top pair are the optical tentacles, have light-sensitive eyespots on the end and can be regrown if lost. They can also be used for smell. The lower pair are smaller and are used for feeling and tasting. The mouth parts are beneath the lower pair of tentacles and contain 27,000 tiny tooth-like protrusions called denticles. There is a respiratory pore to one side of the head that is called a pneumostome. It is how a slug breathes with its one lung, normally on the right side of the mollusc[xxvii].
There are many animals and insects that feed on slugs, including beetles, toads, snakes, turtles, shrews, ducks and starlings[xxviii]. However, slugs must also eat, and I normally associate them with munching leaves, stems and roots, decaying matter, and fungi. What I did not realise, until I nearly stepped on a black slug recently, was that they also eat earthworms. I looked down at the black splodge on which I had nearly stepped to see a worm that was furiously wriggling, but a slug that was munching, and clearly having a wonderful time. I felt sorry for the worm. Renaturing does that. You can end up feeling sorry for worms, even if there is a May-Day dew.
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Acknowledgement
Take it from me - none of this would be possible without the help of RSG Horticulture. Rufus, who runs it, has far more energy than me and is full of ideas and skills.
References [i] Equisetum arvense. Non-flowering, spreads by rhizomes often from neighbouring gardens but also spores, glyphosate-sensitive, absent only in Antarctica, and a perennial plant. See https://byjus.com/biology/difference-between-horsetail-and-marestail/. Accessed 5 May 2023. [ii] Conyza canadensis. Flowering, produces seeds, glyphosate-resistant, native to North and Central America, and an annual plant. See https://byjus.com/biology/difference-between-horsetail-and-marestail/. Accessed 5 May 2023. [iii] Equisetum. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equisetum. Accessed 5 May 2023. [iv] Israelsen CE, McKendrick SS, Bagley CV. (2010). Poisonous Plants and Equine (Revised ed.). Logan, UT: Utah State University. p. 6. [v] "Scientific opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to Equisetum arvense L. and invigoration of the body (ID 2437), maintenance of skin (ID 2438), maintenance of hair (ID 2438), maintenance of bone (ID 2439), and maintenance or achievement of a normal body weight (ID 2783) pursuant to Article 13 of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006". EFSA Journal. European Food Safety Authority. 7 (10): 1289. 2009. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2009.1289. [vi] Facts about May – customs and traditions. http://projectbritain.com/year/may.htm#:~:text=There%20is%20an%20old%20tale,and%20also%20spots%20and%20pimples. Accessed 6 May 2023 [vii] May. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May. Accessed 6 May 2023. [viii] Why have my bluebells turned white. https://www.gardenzy.com/why-have-my-bluebells-turned-white/#:~:text=This%20is%20still%20a%20rare,almost%201%20in%20a%2010%2C000. Accessed 6 May 2023. [ix] Turdos philomelos. See also entry of 12 February 2023. In Great Britain and the Netherlands, there has been a more than 50% decline in population, and the song thrush is included in regional Red Lists. The decreases are greatest in farmlands (73% since the mid-1970s) and believed to be due to changes in agricultural practices in recent decades. The precise reasons for the decline are not known but may be related to the loss of hedgerows, a move to sowing crops in autumn rather than spring, and possibly the increased use of pesticides. These changes may have reduced the availability of food and of nest sites. In gardens, the use of poison bait to control slugs and snails may pose a threat. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Song_thrush. Accessed 6 May 2023. [x] Abies procera. See also entry of 5 February 2023. [xi] Song thrush. https://www.gwct.org.uk/wildlife/research/birds/songbirds/song-thrush/#:~:text=Song%20thrushes%20nest%20between%20March,which%20hatch%20after%2013%20days. Accessed 10 May 2023. [xii] Transport pressures. See https://www.friendsofthelakedistrict.org.uk/transport-pressures#:~:text=Visitor%20growth%20over%20the%20past,within%20the%20Park%5B1%5D. Accessed 10 May 2023. [xiii] The LDNPA’s Travel Strategy “Smarter Travel: A vision for sustainable visitor travel in the Lake District National Park, 2018-2040” https://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/caringfor/smarter-travel. Accessed 10 May 2023. [xiv] Why noise pollution is bad for your heart. See https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210315-why-noise-pollution-is-bad-for-your-heart#:~:text=This%20dysfunctional%20endothelium%20meddles%20with,the%20arteries%2C%20obesity%20and%20diabetes. Accessed 6 May 2023. [xv] Health effects of noise. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210315-why-noise-pollution-is-bad-for-your-heart#:~:text=This%20dysfunctional%20endothelium%20meddles%20with,the%20arteries%2C%20obesity%20and%20diabetes. Accessed 6 May 2023. [xvi] Québec. Effects of environmental noise on physical health. See https://www.quebec.ca/en/health/advice-and-prevention/health-and-environment/the-effects-of-environmental-noise-on-health/effects-of-environmental-noise-on-physical-health#:~:text=Noise%20is%20a%20source%20of,years%20of%20exposure%20to%20noise. Accessed 10 May 2023. [xvii] Health impacts of exposure to noise from transport. https://www.eea.europa.eu/ims/health-impacts-of-exposure-to-1#:~:text=It%20can%20lead%20to%20annoyance,the%20cardiovascular%20and%20metabolic%20systems%20. Accessed 6 May 2023.
[xviii] Noise from roads, trains or planes. https://www.gov.uk/noise-pollution-road-train-plane/noise-from-roads#:~:text=There%27s%20no%20legal%20limit%20to,offices%20near%20roads%20are%20planned. Accessed 6 May 2023. [xix] Noise pollution: economic analysis. See https://www.gov.uk/guidance/noise-pollution-economic-analysis. Accessed 6 May 2023. [xx] Forest Research. Noise abatement. See https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools-and-resources/fthr/urban-regeneration-and-greenspace-partnership/greenspace-in-practice/benefits-of-greenspace/noise-abatement/#:~:text=Planting%20%22noise%20buffers%22%20composed%20of,human%20ear%20by%20approximately%2050%25. Accessed 10 May 2023. [xxi] Illicium anisatum. See https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/41025/illicium-anisatum/details. Accessed 6 May 2023. [xxii] See https://k-agriculture.com/japanese-star-anise-vs-chinese-star-anise/. Accessed 6 May 2023. [xxiii] Illicium anisatum. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illicium_anisatum. Accessed 6 May 2023. [xxiv] Japanese star anise. See https://uk.inaturalist.org/taxa/447191-Illicium-anisatum. Accessed 6 May 2023. [xxv] Slug. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slug. Accessed 6 May 2023. [xxvi] Slug. https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/other-garden-wildlife/insects-and-other-invertebrates/worms-slugs-spiders/slug/#:~:text=What%20they%20eat%3A,plant%20debris%2C%20fungi%20and%20earthworms. Accessed 6 May 2023. [xxvii] John Innes Centre. All about slugs. See https://www.jic.ac.uk/research-impact/technology-research-platforms/entomology-and-insectary/slugwatch/all-about-slugs/#:~:text=Anatomy%20and%20behaviour&text=A%20slug%20has%20two%20retractable,are%20also%20used%20for%20smell. Accessed 6 May 2023.
[xxviii] Slugs in home gardens. https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden-insects/slugs#:~:text=There%20are%20many%20types%20of,also%20harm%20these%20natural%20enemies. Accessed 6 May 2023.
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