25 signatures reached
To: South Glos Council
Re-flower our Roadsides
It's time South Glos. Council got their act together regarding the environment. They need to send a strong, unequivocal message to landowners, farmers and contractors that they should stop their bad habits of tidying up the countryside and educate them about bio-diversity. It has been common knowledge that grass verges should only be cut once a year between August and September, and that hedges should be cut on a 3 year rolling scale in January. Why?Because verges, if allowed to grow throughout Spring create a massive, joined up, green network of wild flowers and grasses for wildlife and pollinators. Hedgerows, when cut in the Autumn and Spring take away all the food that birds and other mammals need to survive the Winter and birds start nesting in mid to late February. Pesticide and herbicide spraying is carried out all over the county in the name of 'tidiness'. South Glos. Council needs to be pro-active and see these areas as precious environmental resources.
Why is this important?
Environmental diversity and preventing the decline and destruction of nature is crucial right now. We urgently need strong policy to stop the old habits of land misuse continuing. The decline and disappearance of native species is everyone's responsibility and especially those who are responsible for public highways and byways, our Councils. Last Autumn South Glos. donated many sapling trees to be planted by local community groups.However, very few landowners were willing to let them be planted on their land despite the free labour of planting them. Their willingness to leave grass verges to flower has met with even less enthusiasm. Councils have the power to make big changes to counteract climate change. Let's encourage them to do it now, and sign this petition.
