Larks Hill is a 6.7 hectare (16.5 acre) public open space situated off Harvest Ride in Warfield. It was named due to the presence of skylarks and other farmland birds on the site. It now forms an important countryside link between the town and rural parishes, with fine views over the surrounding countryside. Larks Hill has: 2 grazing paddocks where cows graze between July and October, a colourful show of traditional annual flora of arable farmland, including corn marigold, corncockle, corn chamomile, cornflower and sunflowers, a community orchard of around 100 apple, pear and plum trees, a sarsen (sandstone block) boulder known as The Quelm Stone. Now let me explain what ‘Ragwort pulling’ entails and why we do it. Common Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris) is a biennial member of the daisy family and is known to support over 129 species of invertebrates and has enormous value for wildlife. It acts as a nectar source for pollinators as well as some larvae of flies and beetles which feed on the inside of the flowerhead. The caterpillars of the cinnabar moth eat common ragwort acting as a natural biological control agent. In addition, 14 species of fungi use Ragwort as their host. However, Ragwort contains toxic alkaloids that can be very harmful to livestock if eaten in large quantities. The living plant is unpalatable and usually avoided by livestock. However, it becomes more palatable when dry. Livestock are therefore vulnerable when consuming it unwittingly after it has been cut or incorporated into hay. The Bracknell Forest Parks & Countryside department cut grass meadows on some of their sites during the summer, which is dried and sold as hay. To do this, they must ensure that all Ragwort is removed from the meadow first. Removing Common Ragwort by hand can avoid major infestations. It controls the abundance of the plant, but it must be done regularly to be effective. If you would like to help out, please contact Caroline Pragnell at [email protected]