Road and rail verges

Species rich road verges require positive management through cutting at the right time of year and removal of clippings to keep nutrient levels low. At present, many of the Dales road verges are cut at the wrong time of the year or too often, while others are not cut at all. Clippings are usually left lying on the verges after cutting and this increase in fertility is resulting in a loss of the more interesting species to a sward dominated by nettles, thistles and other more competitive species. Highways Authorities need to implement cutting and management programmes which take account of the needs of species-rich road verges.

Species rich rail verges are generally less vulnerable to damage due to cutting or lack of management but in a number of instances important orchid sites have been lost due to machinery driving across them or railway ballast being dumped on them. It is important that Railtrack are made aware of important sites and encouraged to manage these appropriately.

Yorkshire Dales Road Verge Project

For many years it has been recognised that some of our local road verges harbour some fantastic wildlife, flowers blooming on the roadside from primroses and wood anemones early in the year, right through to giant bellflowers and cranesbills in early autumn; butterflies, beetles and other colourful insects buzzing about, and birds and small mammals darting around trying to keep out of harm's way!

Sadly this once great sight is in decline through a lack of management, with reduced numbers of plants and animals being recorded in these areas .

Happily, there is now a new project within the Yorkshire Dales National Park to get some of these special verges into beneficial management.

There are over 250 miles of road verges within the Yorkshire Dales National Park deemed worthy of special management (out of a total of over 1000 miles of road verge within the area), so we have our work cut out!

The idea is to make the project sustainable by working with local people who value their local areas. We will equip them with the knowledge of how to manage these verges, and we will keep in touch with them to make sure all is well with their project.

If you would like to know more about road verges, how to look after them and how you can become involved with this exciting project, read more here

• Yorkshire Dales Road Verge Project

This is a joint project between Yorkshire Wildlife Trust (YWT), Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, and North Yorkshire County Council.

James Ferguson, Conservation Officer - Yorkshire Wildlife Trust

Email: roadverges@ywt.org.uk

Tel: 0300 456 0030