Eagle Eye Magazine Issue 1 2023

the climate crisis, the biodiversity crisis, sewage in rivers, etc.
Yet misunderstandings persist and disinformation is rife. We
therefore desperately need scientists to better explain their science
in a language that engages people. I also think that knowing more
about biology can really enrich your everyday experience. I always
see something interesting every time I leave the house!
You’re leading a long-term study into the value of the
Ridgeway National Trail for conserving the biodiversity
associated with chalk grassland. Can you explain what
biodiversity means and why it’s so crucial?
Biodiversity is an overused word, but it’s just a shorthand for all
biological variation. Most people probably think only of species
diversity, but there’s important genetic variation within species
that needs to be preserved. For example, the red kite wasn’t
extinct in the UK, but the tiny remnant population in Wales was
incapable of spreading further. Once new birds were brought from
a large Swedish population, the population boomed, and it’s now
common to see them over the College. I don’t know for certain,
but I suspect that the new birds are in much better genetic health,
and that’s the main reason for their success.
What will be the focus of your work on this project over the
summer vacation?
On The Ridgeway we are trying to restore degraded chalk
grassland on the verges of the National Trail. When properly
managed, chalk grassland is one of the most species-rich habitats
on the planet. But if you don’t manage it properly, you lose all the
wildflowers and grass takes over. Grazing animals used to manage
it naturally but keeping animals on the trail isn’t compatible with
public access, as so many people have dogs. We have trialled a
mowing regime that takes place in late August, once plants have
set seed, and it’s been very successful. We are also sowing back
the species that have been lost. Now we want to scale up from
our small experiment and engage the farmers in the management
regime. In fact, we’ve already started doing this, so I hope that
in a few years, you will be able to see an incredible variety of
wildflowers along The Ridgeway, instead of a monoculture
of grass.
When you’re not teaching or doing research, you are also the
Garden Fellow at Queen’s. What has been your vision for the
College gardens?
A good garden is one with a particular atmosphere and at Queen’s
I think Andrew Timms (the current Bursar) sums it up when he
says we’ve gone for cottage garden on steroids! We’ve done a lot in
the past eight years. My first action was to plant the cherry trees
in Front Quad, which was quite contentious at the time, but I love
the way they change with the seasons. The area under the holm
oak has also been transformed and is now planted with shadeloving
shrubs (thanks to a comment from an Old Member!).
We’ve also thinned the canopy of the oak to reduce the shade it
casts, and to stop it encroaching on the buildings.
Restoring the Provost’s Garden following the New Library project
was probably the biggest challenge, but I’m very happy with the
outcome. The overall vision for the garden is to support biological
diversity, and therefore the local wildlife, but also to have a garden
that looks good all year round. On the wildlife front, we have
nesting blue tits, wrens, blackbirds, doves, and even ducks. We
also have solitary bees nesting in the bee boxes. An inter-collegiate
study found that we actually have the highest diversity of bees
across all colleges, perhaps because we don’t use any chemicals in
the borders and have such a high diversity of plants.
It’s also important that people can enjoy the gardens, so we
ordered more garden furniture, which is now used for picnics,
studying, teaching and some meetings (like this interview!).
What’s the best thing people can do in their own gardens to
support biodiversity?
One crucial way that gardeners can help is to support insects,
which have declined terribly and are essential food for other
animals, like birds. Insects are best supported by native perennial
plants – if you’ve got space for a small area of meadow – that’s
really the best. I’ve been amazed how many insects I get in my
own ‘meadow’, but it does look a bit untidy, so it’s not everyone’s
cup of tea. Otherwise, try to plant perennials, rather than bedding
plants, which normally produce little or no pollen. My top tip for
acquiring new plants for your garden: ask your neighbours to split
plants and share cuttings. Chances are, if it flourishes in their
gardens, it will in yours too.
Tell us what makes your favourite animal, the sea hare, special?
It’s hard to pick a favourite, but I chose the sea hare because,
although they can be found in the UK, they’re really quite exotic
and fundamentally strange. I’ve spent years hunting for them
in rock pools and it brings me a lot of joy to wonder at their
weirdness.
Greater Yellow-rattle
Photo: iStock.com/Toro Attila
And, since your full title is Fellow in Plant Sciences, do you
have a favourite plant as well?
I don’t really have a favourite, but I marvel at the yellow-rattle.
It’s hemi-parasitic and lives in UK grasslands, parasitising the
grasses but not the wildflowers. For this reason, it’s also known
as the meadow-maker, as it helps wildflowers to thrive among the
dominant grasses.
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