Chequertree
Environment, food, farming, gardening, sometimes with a Kentish slant. Side interest in astroturfing & computational propaganda.
- Reposted by ChequertreeSeeing this a lot: hedgerow and in-field trees coming to the end of their lives with no replacements being planted or allowed to regenerate. Combination of natural ageing (Enclosure period hedges now c. 250 yrs old), Ash Dieback & other stresses. Important biodiversity resource at risk.
- My local council has been taken in by this gimmick unfortunately, am curious who sold the idea to them.
- I often get asked about the Miyawaki method of forest restoration, usually by people who have heard extraordinary claims for it. Morales et al. (2025) have reviewed the evidence and found it to be weak or absent. 🌏🧪🌳🌲 besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
- Still seeing these beauties in the garden every day, after a late start (presumably due to poor overwintering) they've had a good year again.
- Had a lovely surprise this afternoon, found the rather rare Deptford Pink growing by a roadside on Romney Marsh.
- A late Wall appeared briefly in the garden this morning.
- The unusual 'white' wilding Apple tree in the village is fruiting well this year. Rather thick skin & somewhat bland flavour so it might originate from a discarded Golden Delicious or Granny Smith core. Interesting enough for me to try top working a piece onto one of my own trees this Winter.
- A very pretty farmland bird mix down by the river this year, let's hope it works!
- Finally caught up with some stunning Wasp Spiders in the village this evening. By all accounts they're having a much better season locally after a good few years where numbers have been fairly low.
- Southern Water, I hate you, & I hate the parasitic international 'investment' funds who own you & profit from the disgusting mess you've made of this tiny little river which I love. Pic shows a filthy East Stour River, Kent, several miles downstream of sewage release. Discharging 4 hrs & counting.
- Reposted by ChequertreeJust rescued this Large Tortoishell from my garage window, surrounded by spiderwebs! VC15 @savebutterflies.bsky.social
- Reposted by ChequertreeFour of the spectacular moth lifers that I saw among 160+ species in a Kent wood on Friday night with @mammalmark.bsky.social @dartfordtrapper.bsky.social @ruckingemoths.bsky.social & co. Light Crimson Underwing, Rose Plume, Olive Crescent & Bisigna procerella (Beautiful Silver-mark) #teammoth
- A Sussex Emerald was a very nice surprise in the garden moth trap last night. High overnight temperatures encouraging dispersal maybe? Probably 7 or 8 miles from the nearest colony I know of, overnight minimum was a bonkers 20.8C here.
- It's an exceptional year for Apricots here with fruit set bordering on the ridiculous, and to have them ready to eat before June is out is incredible.
- After an exceptionally dry year these Sticklebacks are hanging on in the last bit of water in this dried up woodland stream in Orlestone Forest. With more very high temperatures forecast and no rain on the horizon their days are numbered.
- Looks like the Orchids are having a poor year on this nice patch of grassland along the railway in the village, I assume the dry Spring meant many shrivelled, but Marbled White and Small Skipper are having a good year. Also v pleased to find Fairy Flax here for the first time.
- A particularly lovely patch of Columbine in Eggringe Wood, Kent today.
- Reposted by ChequertreeArable land has been flattened by history of ploughing. In restoring such sites it is important to introduce variation. Here I look at butterfly banks and enthuse over the experimental testing. youtu.be/5kgAXVFo610?...
- My first Emperor Dragonfly of the year last week at Waterbrook, Ashford.
- Every parish has an Ivy dickhead.
- Weird parasitic Dodder plants snaking their way through a Kentish meadow.
- Peacock on a field boundary Chequertree at Bridgefield, Ashford today. A reminder that this site was ancient woodland until at least the 1940s before being flattened for agriculture by 1960. Now being repurposed again as a new build housing estate.
