Wild talk at Wellesbourne Library on Thursday
An expert on the wild flora of Warwickshire is to give a talk on the county’s wild flowers at Wellesbourne Library on Thursday 17 March.
The talk is part of the World of Wonder series of activities in which Warwickshire Libraries are promoting science with talks, events and other activities.
Steven Falk, author of ’Warwickshire’s Wild Flowers’ has been a naturalist and wildlife artist since the age of ten and, whilst primarily interested in insects, has branched out in recent years to trees and wildflowers.
Warwickshire is rich in natural types of wildflowers with approximately 1800 types in the county, of which around half are true natives, with the others having been introduced over 5,000 years, mainly by human activity. Many of these are now familiar wildflowers including poppies and many garden weeds.
The last two centuries have seen around 230 species disappear whilst many more are critically rare such as the narrow-leaved Helleborine orchid which is only found in 20 sites across the country. Numbers of species remain constant, indeed are on the rise, as plants from across the world are being introduced at a higher rate than species are lost.
Historically, wildflowers played a major part in everyday life and their contemporary importance was illustrated with many mentions in the plays of Shakespeare. Although still used in some processes, wildflowers historically had many uses including cooking, dye, pleasant smells and they even enjoyed spiritual significance.
But it was for medicinal uses that wildflowers were most renowned. Comfrey was used to heal sprains and help mend broken bones, foxglove was used to treat heart ailments but largely plants’ properties were found to be exaggerated.
As well as Warwickshire’s Wildflowers Steven has written an online catalogue of trees which is available at http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk and search for Warwickshire Big Tree Hunt.
Kate Mackie of Warwickshire Libraries and Information Service said: “The World of Wonder series of events at libraries around the county will bring science, in its many shapes and forms, to new audiences. People would be fascinated to know what is growing around us and there are few better people to explain it than Steven.”
Tickets for the talk are available from Wellsbourne Library and priced at £2.50.