Volunteers help tackle ragwort at White Park Bay

One of the main challenges of caring for this spectacular area is controlling the potentially poisonous plant, ragwort.

A local walker, Ross Hamilton organised a volunteer event last week to help the conservation ranger team tackle ragwort at White Park Bay.

A total of 20 volunteers worked with the rangers and were able to clear a full trailer load of the plant from the dunes.

Ross, said: “Ragwort is a biennial, with a distinctive two-stage growth. Year one, it has the shape of a ground-lying rosette. Year two, it sprouts and its crown is bright yellow. Each plant releases thousands of seeds. Only by removing most or all of the root system is it meaningfully dealt with.

“The long-term objective is to loosen the stranglehold that ragwort and brambles have on Whitepark Bay. Once achieved, other plants will have their opportunity to re-establish, making it easier to maintain a new status quo.”

If you are interested in volunteering email Dr Cliff Henry: [email protected]