By woodlandstv

Slow connection? Watch in lower quality

This year has been an amazing year for ragwort. It's an important food source for a wide range of insects, such as the stripy cinnabar moth caterpillar. However, its poisonous qualities require its management in areas where cattle and horses might graze. In this film by accomplished film maker Henry Kirkwood, we meet land manager Rob Kendall and volunteers on the stunning Bannerdown Common in the Cotswolds who talks us through the ragwort management practices they adopt to ensure ragwort isn't in the hay they produce, but it can still grow in the margins for the benefit of insects.

For more information on the management of Bannerdown Common please visit https://www.batheastoncommons.co.uk/care-and-management-of-the-commons/.