Eat to conserve?

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Eat to conserve?

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Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Fri May 13, 05 6:59 pm Post subject: Eat to conserve?

I believe in using things to conserve them, so that means eating wild plants (just learning) and animals. Now this doesn't mean eating anything on site, it can mean carefully nurturing things for years before tucking in.

I've even noticed a couple of minor successes in our back garden. For a few years now I've been encouraging nettles at the end of the garden for food for the caterpillars of various butterflies. I've not noticed much. Then last year we decided to try eating them so the patch was looked after even more. This year after having a few harvests I've now noticed quite a few caterpillars and various animals eating them.

We've kept a few wild blackberries for food and we share them with many birds and it's quite common to see wood mice silting on the stems eating them in late summer.

Another small success is snails. Now I've decided to try them any large ones are not being crushed but are being placed in the wild section of the garden for fattening up. Hopefully the local thrushes will be grateful.

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Fri May 13, 05 8:34 pm Post subject:
I've always said that people who get use out of a wild space will actively look after it, whereas those who have no concept that the space has a practical use will be those who are most likely to carelessly or maliciously cause damage.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Fri May 13, 05 9:29 pm Post subject:
I think that's true of any communal space - you get a sense of responsibility out of it if you have been involved in making useful.

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