2021 County Report for VC113b

Anne Haden

Despite the pandemic it has been a busy year in Jersey.   Over 3,000  records were sent to the BSBI.  The morning weekday walks were so successful when restrictions were in place that it was decided to continue with these.  Some of the less easy places to access were explored, such as coastal cliffs and steep woodland banks.  The group were dismayed by the lack of management in some of our special habitats and volunteered to undertake conservation work such as clearing Crassula helmsii from the last remaining site for Myosotis sicula.

Notable finds this year include three new sites for Anogramma leptophylla, all on roadside banks, Polypogon monspeliensis not recorded in Jersey before and another grass Elymus caninus also not recorded on the island previously.

In October a group from Jersey paid a visit to Guernsey and met up with local botanists.  We were delighted to see spikes on the Opioglossum lusitanicum and also find Asplenium × microdon.

Members continued to record data from our 3 NPMS squares, we had workshops on Ferns and Conifers, hold fortnightly evening walks in the summer and we contributed to the Jersey Tree Strategy consultation process which will hopefully result in greater protection for the islands trees. Members continued to provide support and help with habitat monitoring surveys for the Island’s Environment department.

We had a very enjoyable New Year Plant Hunt and were delighted when Jersey topped the Longest List.