Caged

someday

the time will come,

when freedom is possessed by

all, when understanding overcomes fear,

and coexistence brings harmony: the road may be

long but the destination is within sight,

the time will come,

someday

There were a great many happy Cinnebar moth caterpillars on these Ragwort flowers that I spotted beside the lane.

Unfortunately, Ragwort is one of the most divisive plants around. Whilst it is wonderful for wildlife -particularly Cinnebar moths – it is poisonous to cattle and horses. For this reason it is viewed by many as a ‘weed’ to be destroyed on sight. According to this article from Friends of the Earth, however, because of the taste of the plant, animals actually avoid eating it when it’s growing in their fields. It is more of a concern on occasions when it makes its way into dried feed, and so is eaten by animals that are unaware of its presence. The argument here is that the onus should be on the farmers, who should be taking more care in their harvesting, rather than there being a wholesale removal of a plant from our countryside that plays an important role in ecosystems.