Blog
Welcome to my blog posts about work, ecology, conservation…..
I am a totally Independent Ecologist and Protected Species Consultant working in the Lake District and Cumbria.
For impartial advice on all aspects of ecology and for further details please email me andrew@forktail.co.uk (I struggle to manage mobile calls in the field, so don’t be surprised if I don’t answer my mobile 07880700313.
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Parsley Fern (Cryptogramma crispa) is one of the characteristic plants of the Cumbrian fells, growing amongst rocks, boulders and scree, particularly on acidic ground. Its finely divided, bright green sterile fronds have a distinctive parsley-like appearance, giving the fern its English name. The fertile fronds are rather different, with much narrower segments that bear the…
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Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia), or Mountain Ash, is one of the characteristic trees of the Cumbrian fells. Exceptionally hardy and tolerant of exposure, it can survive high on rocky slopes where few other trees manage to become established. This solitary Rowan above Hartsop is growing from a rocky crag, where the steep ground probably offers some…
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Common Polypody (Polypodium vulgare) is a familiar fern in Cumbria, particularly on rocks, old walls, moss-covered trees and other damp, undisturbed places. Its leathery, deeply divided fronds arise from creeping rhizomes, allowing it gradually to form extensive colonies. It is particularly well suited to the humid climate of the Lake District and, despite its association…
Andrew Chick Ecology 