For the last three years, throughout October and November, the team has dug up invasive stinking onion plants, which out-compete the bluebells.
‘They’re an invasive non-native plant taking over Bluebell Woods,’ said Guernsey Conservation Volunteers operations director Angela Salmon.
For the first few years bluebells are only leaves, as they take five to seven years to flower, and every week Miss Salmon monitors the bluebell stems with seed pods in the trial patch. In 2023, the trial patch area only had around 62 bluebell stems with seed pods. Recently that number has risen to around 264. This increase in bluebell stems and the number of pods on each stem containing seeds means the bluebells have a higher chance of growing.
‘I think the numbers are fantastic, we were thinking is it making a difference? But when I saw the seed pods, I was thrilled,’ said Miss Salmon.
Bluebells are delicate plants, and if the stinking onions were left, they would out-compete the Bluebells.
Although various factors mean it is unlikely that the stinking onions will be eradicated from the area the project has proven that their numbers can be reduced, allowing space for bluebells to thrive.
Over the last two years the team has been joined by many corporate organisations and every year they help make a difference, with hundreds now involved.
‘It takes us about six hours to clear a trial patch, so they’re quite sizeable. We have 15 to 20 people on site at any one time,’ said Miss Salmon. Bluebell Woods is an iconic place in Guernsey, with thousands of people, locals and tourists visiting each year.
‘We’ve gone three years so far and will continue to five years definitely,’ said Miss Salmon.
After five years the group will produce an assessment of the project's success, but for now it will continue the work over the next few winters.
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