THE ROADSIDE VERGE SURVEY IN ESSEX.
The survey cf roadside verges in Essex began
in 1971 with a pilot study by the Naturalists'
Trust covering the North West Highways Division.
This area is limited by the north west boundary,
the B 1057 and a line running from just north of
Dunmow through Stansted.
By the end of the Autumn over thirty sites
had been marked on a one inch ordnance map and
together with relevant tabulated information was
ready for the Trust Secretary (Stan Jermyn) and
the Deputy Conservation officer (Colin Ranson)
to present to the Essex County Council. It was
accompanied with a request for restricted cutting
of the verges between May and September to allow
the more ephemeral summer flowers to seed, to be
followed as soon as possible with an ell over
cut to keep down coarse weeds. All this subject
to requirements of safety.
These events are roughly similar to those in
other counties with an established verge
management plan: Devon, for instance published
their policy after several meetings of officials
representing interested bodies. We seem to have
carried out these stages with less use of
official time but more immediate official
co-operation.
At this stage we have to face tho uncomfort-
able fact that the hedgerows and verges we have
in mind as suitable for wild life are no longer
a natural part of farming or any other economy.
A good deal of research is required, in addition
to the cutting policy, to find ways to replace
the browsing, grazing, treading, manuring and
layering that maintained these desirable-
habitats in the past. Biological research needs
exhaustive records and here naturalists can play
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