Lady’s Thumb Persicaria maculosa is a robust and persistent plant of waste or damp ground and thrives on the margins of marshy or water bodies. By producing a mass of small tubular nectar rich flowers, it is a key pollinator for beneficial insects. It is also a plant that provides a unique environmental role in indicating soil nitrate levels. Due to its preference for nitrogen-rich soils, botanists and ecologists use its presence to assess the nutrient content and potential pollution levels in an area. This can inform environmental monitoring, making Lady’s thumb an unexpected ally in ecosystem health.
Mark Hamblin has worked as a freelance nature photographer since 1995, creating images for international photographic agencies; providing specialist guiding services and working on multi-media conservation projects.
Mark has published and collaborated on several books including Wild Peak, Wild Land - Images of nature from the Cairngorms, Tooth & Claw and 2020VISION. He was also a contributing photographer for the Wild Wonders of Europe project working on stories in Lithuania and The Netherlands.
Mark is a director of the social enterprise company, Wild Media Foundation, who produce communications material for a range of clients as well as working on their own projects. Their current project, SCOTLAND: The Big Picture amplifies the case for a wilder Scotland, and Mark is part of a team of photographers and videographers currently gathering material for a range of media products.
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