Wednesday 8 July 2009

more Orchid news

I have now found that the council will not now continue with any cutting of the grass verges until a new start date of 20th July (which is good news) I also hear that from next year they will look to cut only the culvets and leave the rest uncut. There are some 'safety requirements' whiich need to be checked out. As there are no footpaths, any walkers on the grass verges could fall into a culvet and damage themselves. Anyway this is all good news for our flowers, especially the rarer orchids.

Monday 6 July 2009

Police hunt wild orchid diggers

Police hunt wild orchid diggers 6th July 2009
A number of orchids were uprooted and found in bags
A police investigation is under way after wild orchids were dug up from a woodland in the south of Scotland.
The flowers had been placed in bags for their removal when they were found at Dalry near Castle Douglas in Dumfries and Galloway on Sunday.
Police have warned the public that wild orchids are a protected species under Scottish and European legislation.
They have asked anyone who may have seen the plants being uprooted to contact them with information.
Pc Neil Moffat said: "Wild orchids are a species of plant which are protected by European and national legislation.
"It is an offence under the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 to 'deliberately or recklessly pick, collect, cut, uproot or destroy a wild plant'.
"Scottish Natural Heritage hold all relevant information regarding what wild flowers or plants may be and which should not be taken from the wild."
He added that general advice from SNH was to avoid picking any wild flowers.