Kent Wildlife Trust has issued an appeal for people to stop removing ivy from trees on their sites, following a series of incidents at East Blean Nature Reserve.
The charity’s social media plea to protect the plant has sparked widespread debate, amassing over 750 comments, 600 shares and 1,700 reactions.
Conservationists at Kent Wildlife Trust say that ivy has an “unfair reputation,” with many mistakenly believing it damages trees. In reality, ivy is a vital component of the ecosystem, providing crucial support to wildlife throughout the year.
I’m actually a pretty big fan of Ivy but it definitely has the potential to damage trees. It can swamp even quite a large tree, and can pull smaller ones over - either directly due to its weight, or through instability during high winds. It also provides important nesting habitat for small birds, and is very important for bees at the end of summer due to its impressive flush or very easy to access flowers. Highly recommended, but needs proper management imo.
