Thursday 29 September 2016

No Welcome for Trees



Marsden Moor is the most northerly part of the Peak District. There are some parallels and similarities with the Eastern Moors and Blacka. UnNatural England and the National Trust have been spending shedloads of public money on a project, part of their supposed 'restoring the uplands', devoted to managing purple moor-grass or molinia.  It's notable that trees form no part of their strategy. This picture, above, comes from their brochure and it shows that if any place in the country needs trees this must be it. Instead of restoring the uplands to what would fit in with what nature would give us they want to take it back to an unnatural appearance that is compatible with livestock farming therefore giving it a fair chance of getting some support from the NFU and the GWCT

The picture's from Twitter and there's some conversation about it here.

On asking why there were no plans to plant trees on this devastated landscape, in common with others,  I was referred to the National Trust's spiffingly glossy brochure, page 107. It told me that
"As a rule trees are not encouraged on the moorland plateau."

I asked further "What rule that was" and "Who was responsible for it". No individuals were identified though one might make a guess about certain organisations.

 Mowing Molinia on Marsden Moor

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