"Malcolm" wrote in message
...

In article , Kay
writes
In article ,
p.k.
writes
ned wrote:
"Stephen Howard" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 12 Jul 2005 12:29:23 +0000, kate7
wrote:


Hello,
In the depths of my local nature reserve, there is a
blackberry bush
that produces abnormally large, sweet blackberries. None of
it's
neighbours have similar atributes and for the last three years
I've
been harvesting this one bush for the best freezer jam you've
ever
tasted.

Does anyone know the best way to propagate from this bush?

Propagating anything from your 'local nature reserve' is likely
to be
severely frowned upon.
It is a *reserve*. A *reserved area*, not to be pillaged at
everyone's
whim.
.......... :-) Unless, of course, it is truly *your* nature
reserve.

Nonsense!

Removing flowers/seeds from a rare plant in a nature reserve is
one thing.
keeping a few blackberries from the jam pot and propagating is
quite
another.

Speaking as someone on the management committee of a local nature
reserve, you could always try asking!

Well done, Kay! While I can relate to both Ned's and Nick's
responses,
the fact that it is a nature reserve (though whether local society,
local authority or national hasn't been specified) surely requires
at
the least the courtesy of enquiring from whoever is responsible for
it
whether they mind what you are wanting to do. And while Nick's
trenchant
views on wildlife law and lawmakers are very well known, I hope that
even he accepts that some actions on nature reserves can be damaging
(which what you are proposing wouldn't be, in my view) and so there
may
be regulations governing what can and cannot be done on this
particular
one.

ROFL. Well, that put the cat among the pigeons!
Of course nature reserves require managing - by those who know what
the management plan is.
Most reserves rely on volunteer help to assist with said management -
under supervision.
What no reserve needs are individual self appointed 'helpers' acting
with no thought for the consequences of their actions.
I know of one case where 'well meaning thoughtless' birders set up
numerous bird boxes on a reserve being managed for its unique insect
population.
Once a precedent has been set about taking a cutting here and 'a few'
seeds there, it is but a short step to becoming the local garden
centre.
I'm sure, well I hope, that the 'help yourself attitude' would be
frowned upon in a 'Botanical Garden''.
Is it the case that nature reserves are simply perceived as no more
than waste patches of scrub, of no ecological value and obviously not
managed because nothing is labelled?

--
ned

http://www.bugsandweeds.co.uk
last update 12.07.2005