A CONSERVATIONIST is urging people to think before they destroy vital wildlife habitats by mowing rural verges.

John Miles, of Castle Carrock, wants to create an album to encourage people to do more to protect verges.

He’s asking people to submit pictures of good practise, encouraging wildflowers, but also to send examples of where wildflowers have been mowed down.

“When you see good verges, you get so excited and it’s beautiful. It’s what al verges should be like,” said Mr Miles.

“People are badly managed and take the liberty of mowing verges that don’t belong to them.

“We have lost 70 to 80 per cent of our insects. It’s not surprising if they have nowhere to go.”

Verges, he says, are a habitat we can protect through personal actions and he was appalled to see a verge cut 300 metres to the side of a house recently.

“That is destroying the planets vital resources as well as destroying the very flowering plants so needed for our wild bees and other insects. Wildflowers make the verges more enjoyable as well as hiding all that rubbish left by so many,” he said.

Anyone who can contribute towards the initiative is asked to email their photos to jmiles3@toucansurf.com.