Island Life Magazine Ltd February/March 2009 | Page 64
COUNTRYSIDE, WILDLIFE & FARMING
countryside
news
life
Compiled by Tony Ridd
DO YOU HAVE A
COUNTRYSIDE STORY?
CALL TONY ON 07966 292334
64
what to
look out
for...
Wild Daffodils
Often seen as the first sign of spring, wild
daffodils are smaller than the many common,
cultivated varieties found in our gardens
and villages. Beware, the whole plant is
poisonous, with the sap causing skin and
other allergies. Animals, even pigs avoid
eating them. Look for them in ancient
woodlands and damp pastures.
back to nature
A countrymans diary
Further to my previous unsuccessful effort of trying
to walk, well drive on water. I am pleased to reveal
better success last month. It wasn’t very spectacular
and I have to confess it was more like a scene from
‘Ice Road Truckers’, only with the driver not having
eaten so many pies, nor sporting a silly boy-band
type beard!
I love the freezing weather, it
stops us doing certain jobs, like
planting hedges and trees, but it’s
great for working in the woods,
coppicing hazel and felling the
larger timber. With the air so
still, sounds seem much louder.
The wildlife, birds especially, gain
a cheeky confidence, normally
around nammit time when they
are fed bits of sandwich and
chocolate cake.
A lot of our work is away from
public gaze, but if you come
across us working along footpaths
and bridleways feel free to stop and ask what’s going
on? All woodland work can appear destructive and
we are happy to explain what and why we are doing
a particular job. The importance of countryside
management makes sense when it’s explained, but
until you witness the results, it’s easy to get upset,
look at it as ‘housework in the countryside’.
Anyway, the cold spell is over all too quickly and
a slight rise in temperature forces me to hunt out
my now, mouldy waterproofs and start reading a
particularly interesting article, ‘How to build an Arc’
by some bloke called Noah. Like he would know
what to do in a flood…
The Island's new funky radio station www.wightFM.com