Special Roadside Verges (formerly Roadside Nature Reserves) are often remnants of larger grassland areas that have been lost. They are very important for the biodiversity they support, and their role in linking with other habitat types. Special Verges in Essex are maintained by Essex Highways, and surveyed annually by local verge representatives working with Essex Wildlife Trust.

Our verge reps are now reporting back on their 2015 surveys, on a district by district basis. Following our successful Volunteer Open Day in 2012, we recruited new verge reps for those districts that had not had recent verge surveys. One of those recruits, David Dives has been doing a great job surveying and reporting on the verges in the Chelmsford area. you can read David's report on the Chlemsford verges for this year below.