Marsh Meadow possible re-wilding.

[Watchman]

Does anyone know whether Copas is going to start the stupid craze of re-wilding Marsh Meadow again this year?
I sincerely hope not, as two years ago, when the grass was over 2 feet high, I lost my Labrador and I know of two
dog walkers who lost their beagle and Highland terrier in said grass. It took me a couple of hours and frantic searching
to find mine; the beagle was never recovered and the terrier recovered a day later.
I know what the purpose of re-wilding is - and trust me, it does not work - except for the snakes and adders in the undergrowth.

Copas was given Marsh Meadow in exchange for the same acreage elsewhere, with the sole intention by RBWM of leaving the
meadow open for the PUBLIC - walkers, ramblers, dog-walkers and people to come and enjoy being beside the river -
NOT for to encourage butterflies etc., which anyway have thousands of acres in this area to propagate and enjoy.
Marsh Meadow is for the enjoyment of people - THE PUBLIC - and as such should remain so.
It should not, in my opinion, be turned over to re-wilding just because the farmer thinks it's a good idea!.
Ironically, Copas does not hesitate to cut the grass on the meadow down to 2 inches come Let's Rock The Moor, Cookham Regatta etc., at
which point, the re-wilding idea goes flying out of the window.... in favour of what ...?  PEOPLE of course !! The Public.

So please RBWM and Geoffrey Copas - listen to people who love rambling and walking their dogs around Mash Meadow.
Several on a daily basis ... weekends sees the Meadow swarming with people, young and old, all out enjoying the sun and river.
Re-wild it, and you immediately reverse that trend, with perhaps a dozen die-hards trudging through the long grass.

So please cut the grass immediately on Marsh Meadow - it currently stands between a foot and 3 feet tall at the far end.
Please do not let us have to plough through 3 feet high grass, dogs getting getting lost, tics latching on to them, dodging the occasional
grass snake. Two years ago during the last re-wilding, three of us counted no more than 8 to 10  butterflies per day over a period of 5 days
- the small yellow ones - across the entire expanse of Marsh Meadow. ... probably the same ones every day (!)

Return Marsh Meadow to the public to enjoy - let's not lose our dogs nor have them chewed upon by tics etc.
Marsh Meadow is there to be walked upon and enjoyed, not trudged through and hated.

[Roger]

I thought it was the Marsh Meadow Committee and WildCookham who were involved in that. I am not sure Copas was really involved. I may be totally wrong of course.

[Watchman]

Thanks Roger.
The Marsh Meadow Committee is chaired by Mr. Copas anyway.
As far as Wild Cookham are concerned ... who are they and what is their purpose ... and who elects them?

[Roger]

I have discovered that WildCookham are rewilding Cookham Moor not Marsh Meadow. So Marsh Meadow is just in the hands of the Marsh Meadow Management Committee. WildCookham have been trying to support the voles there and also have their Marsh Meadow wetlands area, so I was wrong about them having anything to do with re-wilding on Marsh Meadow. They are being allowed to do the vole project and the wetlands by the Marsh Meadow Management Committee.

[Watchman]

The fact remains that farmers find it cheaper to "re-wild" - using the pseudo trendy meaning of the word - to show everyone what a wonderful job they are doing to "save the planet" !!
What they possibly fail to understand is that, with the current heat - 30 to 35 degrees Celsius - the probability of grassland fires rises enormously, and thus the risk to all these meadows and grasslands - now brown from baking - rises exponentially.
And amid all this, the public looses out completely as, in their selfish way, the farmers only have to cut the grass once in the season, rather than twice.

If only Copas realises this ... after all, Marsh Meadow is owned by Copas Farms Ltd - making their decision about the state of the meadow final, regardless of  the Marsh Meadow Management Committee's approval.

[Thomas Lee]

Have you tried walking through Widbrooke Common recently? It's impossible! The grass is now over most people's heads in places, and as you say, it is impossible to walk a dog through there. Don't farmers usually graze cows there in the summer months? Seems it's been left empty these last two years.

#
The grass is 6 feet tall?

[Thomas Lee]

Does anyone know whether Copas is going to start the stupid craze of re-wilding Marsh Meadow again this year?
...

Personally after that opening sentence, you lost me, and my support. I LOVE how rewilding is progressing in Cookham. Yesterday, walking across the Moor we saw loads of butterflies as well as many flowering plants and all naturally occuring. So beautiful. To me, the waving long grass is such a lovely sight. And all of this provides great habitat - we see more bats at dusk this year than ever before.

I love what Wild Cookham has done on the Moor - the yellow rattle is doing its thing and depressing the actually grasses. So far, not a lot of wildflowers yet, but it takes time

And as to losing your dog - if the dog is not well enough trained to come to your call, keep them on a leash.

[Dean Resident]

Fantastic to see some passion and robust discussion!  Long overdue!

Thomas is spot on in my humble opinion.  The loss of biodiversity across the UK is alarming - even here in Cookham.  Remember the days when one would take the car out in summer months and find the front covered in deceased insects?..  perhaps a more tangible example, but a very real indicator of the changes afoot..  Personally, I applaud the many small differences and larger actions local residents and businesses (including farmers) are taking to restore habitats and hence allow our flora and fauna to get a foot-hold and start the restoration and recovery...  Re-wilding is just one such approach, which when accompanied by grazing can bring multiple and varied improvements in a relatively short timeframe..

I also appreciate that those with companion animals want to exercise their pets in the local area.  My point here is that there are numerous parks and open spaces where the grass is maintained (mown).  Why not go there?  It's not a reasonable expectation for every open space to be mown to resemble a municipal park.

It's all about balance in the end.. 

[Watchman]

I don't understand, the footpaths are open aren't they?  So the meadow is open to the public.  Can't see a problem with long grass myself.  Lots of species, including ground nesting birds love the cover it provides, even amphibians will be welcoming it in hot temperatures.  Re-wilding isn't just about pretty flowers a bit of wilderness is needed too.

Paris, please refer to my response to Mr. Lee above ...
With regard to the "footpaths" - they are fast disappearing across both north and south Marsh Meadow - especially north where the grass is 3 feet high.
so the meadow therefore is not now fully 'open to the public'.

The nesting season for all ground birds is over anyway.
The sky larks enjoy shorter grass anyway - as you will note, they thrive in the top fields of Winter Hill Golf Course
and around Cock Marsh - where all the fields were cut down to a few inches of grass.
As an avid bird watcher, I noted at least fifteen thriving sky lark nests in the places I mentioned - all of them producing chicks.
I am certain there were a lot more - especially in the horse field beyond the golf course.

Snakes - don't mention them ... I've noted several grass snakes - and I am pretty certain adders also lurk in the dryer parts
of the meadow ... as for butterflies... I have never seen more than a dozen or so on my morning and evening walks with my dog
- off the lead of course - whilst crossing the meadow - mainly the small yellow ones!!! No wild flowers at all, sadly - just grass!

[Watchman]

Many thanks, Mr. Copas.
Marsh Meadow looks wonderful again.
Much appreciated.

[Thomas Lee]

I have had complaints about one post in this thread and that post is removed.

Feel free to post here, and be as passionate as you like - but there is a line.

[Thomas Lee]

I have had a further complaint about a post in this thread. It has been removed. To avoid further unpleasantness, this topic is locked.