On a dry but unseasonably cold and windy Sunday we gathered at the New Meadow to make an early start on reducing competition with the tansy plants that are in the enclosure around it. Judi, Masha, Pete, Mark and Julie, Mick with Evie, Kevin and Belinda made good headway against the hogweed that was starting to crowd out the spreading tansy. Only two Tansy Beetles were spotted in what must have been the sunniest corner and they disappeared later. The one here looks headless but is obviously head down into eating.

Whilst we broke for coffee we found a fungi climbing up the Ash tree we were sheltering from the wind near – King Alfred’s Cakes.

King Alfred’s Cakes Daldinia concentrica

We also checked on a malformed  tansy plant that grows there and while it definitely smells like tansy it has a strange crispy edge to the leaves.

After we’d sorted the New Meadow area we moved on to the bank of Blue Beck across the Blue Beck Copse and cleared around the tansy plants there, which are all spreading very nicely but no Tansy Beetles in sight.

Thanks to the nine volunteers on this session. Next one is on Thursday 16th May from 6:30 pm at the Bee Bank in the Cornfield Arable. This will be keeping the vegetation there from encroaching and checking on tansy plants there and in the field corner.