My favourite vetch

I had a short visit to the nature reserve today to carry out my weekly butterfly transect survey. I'm slightly ashamed to say I found it really disappointing after the clouds of butterflies I've been seeing in Armenia over the past week. I also had to adjust to seeing a lot fewer, smaller and less showy flowers. In Armenia I've seen some fantastic vetch-type plants, but I was relieved to find that I can still count this one - Wood Vetch, Vicia sylvatica - as my favorite. It is just coming into flower and looks as though it will be quite spectacular this year. It has increased from about four patches, at one well-known spot on the reserve, to well over 20 different patches, many in new areas where we've recently cleared some thick scrub - a great success for one of the county's rarest plants.

By the end of the afternoon, I had adjusted to the very different level of biodiversity in this country, supported in little fragments of countryside we designate nature reserves. We should - and do - treat these sites like precious jewels, but we should also recognise the importance globally of little countries like Armenia where vast tracts of relatively unspoilt land are preserving great wildlife riches. We need to help these countries recognise the value - through well-managed nature tourism - and avoid the degradation we have inflicted on our countryside.