We went on a field trip to Ashwellthorpe woods to practice some of the skills we have learned on our course.
We practised walking bird transects and butterfly transects, as well as identifying plants using the keys in our wildflower guides.
Over the course of the day, we also identified as many ancient woodland indicator species as we could, including dog’s mercury, bluebells, wood speedwell, primrose, wood anemone, lesser celandine, and ivy. A woodland is classified as an ancient woodland if it has been wooded since 1600, or since 1750 in Scotland. Ancient woodland indicator species (as the name suggests) can help us to determine how likely it is that a wooded area would be classified as such; more species indicate a higher likelihood that it is an ancient woodland.
One of the ancient woodland indicator species that we found was Ramsons (Allium ursinum).
Description
Ramsons, otherwise known as wild garlic, have narrow, oval leaves growing from the base of the stalk. Their flowers are small with six pointed, white petals, and occur in clusters of around 25 flowers on a stalk. The plants grow up to 35 cm tall and can be seen from April to June. They also smell strongly of garlic!
Distribution and ecological interactions
Wild garlic can be found in most of the UK, and is especially common in the South. It grows in woodland environments, most often in chalky soils, and sometimes in hedgerows.
It is an important species as it attracts many pollinator species in spring, including butterflies, hoverflies, and beetles.
Uses
Ramsons are edible and can be used to make wild garlic butter, pesto, or in dishes to give them a garlicky taste. Make sure you don’t confuse wild garlic with lily-of-the-valley, as the latter is poisonous.
