Back Dane - The Environment
Back Dane is set in the beautiful Peak District between Swythamley in Staffordshire and Wincle in Cheshire. The farmhouse has its own land which leads down to the River Dane and this small beach area is perfect for paddling on hot, sunny days.
The wildlife observation book within the house lists animals and birds that have been seen from Back Dane and include Red Deer, Badgers, Foxes, Buzzards, Herons, Redstarts, Curlews, Kestrels and a wide variety of woodland birds.
Binoculars and reference books are provided at the house.
At the end of 2018 we switched electricity supplier one that provides 100% renewable electricity.
Himalayan Balsam
In 2010, Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens Glandulifera), a highly invasive weed, was added to Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act in England and Wales. Fortunately none has ever been found on our short section of the riverbank. However, in both 2011 and 2012, half-a-dozen or so plants were found (and uprooted) just downriver from us,
Himalayan Balsam (also known as Policeman's Helmet) is a very pretty annual that can exceed two metres in height. It likes damp conditions, so is found mainly on the banks of watercourses and lakes. The flowers appear between June and October and range in colour from pink to purple on reddish stems. These flowers subsequently produce seed pods 20 to 30 millimetres long and up to 15 millimetres wide. Each capsule can contain up to sixteen seeds which, when mature, explodes spreading its seeds for up to 10 metres from the plant. A single plant can produce up to 4,000 seeds! It has a very sweet nectar content that attracts pollinators to its flowers in preference to those of other plants, thereby reducing the genetic diversity of native species.
It is very shallow rooted, which makes it very easy to uproot (one of the main controls for its eradication). However, it is this shallow-root system that makes it a particular menace. Having killed off most of the competition, when it dies off in the autumn, there is little to bind the soil in place leaving riverbanks highly susceptible to erosion from winter rains. Large sections of banks can, and do, fall into the water. The sheer volume of its long stems falling into small watercourses can chock them sufficiently to cause flooding.
The wildlife observation book within the house lists animals and birds that have been seen from Back Dane and include Red Deer, Badgers, Foxes, Buzzards, Herons, Redstarts, Curlews, Kestrels and a wide variety of woodland birds.
Binoculars and reference books are provided at the house.
At the end of 2018 we switched electricity supplier one that provides 100% renewable electricity.
Himalayan Balsam
In 2010, Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens Glandulifera), a highly invasive weed, was added to Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act in England and Wales. Fortunately none has ever been found on our short section of the riverbank. However, in both 2011 and 2012, half-a-dozen or so plants were found (and uprooted) just downriver from us,
Himalayan Balsam (also known as Policeman's Helmet) is a very pretty annual that can exceed two metres in height. It likes damp conditions, so is found mainly on the banks of watercourses and lakes. The flowers appear between June and October and range in colour from pink to purple on reddish stems. These flowers subsequently produce seed pods 20 to 30 millimetres long and up to 15 millimetres wide. Each capsule can contain up to sixteen seeds which, when mature, explodes spreading its seeds for up to 10 metres from the plant. A single plant can produce up to 4,000 seeds! It has a very sweet nectar content that attracts pollinators to its flowers in preference to those of other plants, thereby reducing the genetic diversity of native species.
It is very shallow rooted, which makes it very easy to uproot (one of the main controls for its eradication). However, it is this shallow-root system that makes it a particular menace. Having killed off most of the competition, when it dies off in the autumn, there is little to bind the soil in place leaving riverbanks highly susceptible to erosion from winter rains. Large sections of banks can, and do, fall into the water. The sheer volume of its long stems falling into small watercourses can chock them sufficiently to cause flooding.