I enjoyed a really interesting morning at Upton Warren on Tuesday, along with many other wardens from our reserves. We got talking about the UW volunteers removing ragwort as the Wildlife Trust is hoping to graze parts of the reserve with cattle. It reminded me that I'm constantly amazed by how many people are not aware that impervious gloves must be worn when pulling up any quantity of ragwort. We all think it's dangerous for horses and nothing, or no-one, else. A small amount of it's toxins absorbed into the skin over many years can be as fatal as a large dose in a short period - irreversible liver damage is the result in both cases. It can produce up to 150,000 seeds a plant, each of which can stay dormant for up to 20 years!
So next time you decide to pull up som ragwort, please wear some protection.
Roger, Droitwich Woods
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