You might have heard us say that we have 37 target species for the Species on the Edge programme. Well, that’s actually a bit of a lie. ‘One’ of our target species is in fact 17! That’s right, in Shetland our diligent team are working hard to support their local endemic hawkweed species – 17 of them.
What are hawkweeds?
Hawkweeds are perennial plants, varying in height from about 20 to 50cm. They have yellow, dandelion-like flowers and lance-shaped leaves, sometimes toothed or blotched with red. All species have a basal rosette of leaves which one or more flowering stems rise up from. The plants’ height, the number of leaves on these stems, and the ratio of leaf length to width vary from species to species.
Securing a future for Shetland’s endemic hawkweeds
The majority of endemic hawkweeds in Shetland are limited to one or two sites – they can be found at these sites and nowhere else on the planet!
Shetland Amenity Trust (SAT) have been working for decades to ensure these sites are carefully managed and the hawkweeds are protected. One aspect of their work to ensure a sustainable future for Shetland’s endemic hawkweeds is translocations, and that’s where Species on the Edge is helping. SAT collect and germinate the hawkweed seeds and then we – Species on the Edge staff, volunteers and youth panellists – are helping SAT with the reintroductions, translocating the young hawkweed plants to establish hawkweed populations in suitable sites within their historic range.
This year, our Shetland team has assisted with six translocations, and are conducting ongoing monitoring of these new populations. Unfortunately, many of these plants have suffered from the dry summer, however we remain hopefully that some will prosper.
Species on the Edge is also helping with this hawkweed-saving work by incentivising landowners to help protect any endemic hawkweeds on their land through a compensation scheme.
If you have any questions about our work for hawkweeds in Shetland, or you’re keen to see how you can help, get in touch with our Shetland Project Officer, Harry: harry.britton@rspb.org.uk
