These Geocaches have been set out for the 11th Mega Piratemania with the cooperation and Guidance of the Forestry Commission and their Ecology team.
Mega Piratemania is a gathering of over 500 Geocachers gathered together once a year in a Pirate theme.
This year is the 11th event so therefore the 10th year of events. Usually held the first weekend after the Schools break up for the summer Holidays.
Its a family fun weekend that roams around the UK.
This year we have been lucky enough to be hosted by the Forestry Commission Dalby Team and we thank them for their Help with the event.
Follow these Links to both Piratemania and the Forestry Commission.
Piratemania.Org
Forestry Commission Dalby
With a Break from the normal Pirate based themes of Cache names we are highlighting some of the flora and fauna that can be found within North Yorkshire Moors area.
Rhinanthus minor, the yellow rattle, little yellow rattle,[1] hayrattle or cockscomb, is a flowering plant in the genus Rhinanthus in the family Orobanchaceae, native to Europe, northern North America, and Western Asia.
It is a hemi-parasitic herbaceous annual plant that gains some of its nutrients from the roots of neighbouring plants. It grows to 25–50 cm tall, with opposite, simple leaves, with a serrated margin. The flowers are yellow, produced on a terminal raceme. The fruit is a dry capsule, which contain loose, rattling seeds when ripe; the plant's name refers to these. Its preferred habitat is dry fields or meadows, where its flowering period is between June and September. The plant can associate with many different host species, notably PoaceaeFabaceae (legumes).[2] (grasses) and
In Ireland and Scotland, this species is often associated with Machair habitat. Research at the UK's Centre for Ecology and Hydrology has shown that encouraging yellow rattle to grow in hay meadows greatly increases biodiversity by restricting grass growth and thereby allowing other species to thrive. The seeds are spread very effectively by traditional hay-making practices.
It can be cultivated by scarifying the surface of the ground with a fork or similar, then sowing onto short grass, 0.5–1 gram of seed per square metre. Yellow rattle seed is short-lived and should always be sown in the autumn, using seed harvested that year. Then, keep grass short for beginning of March when seedlings establish. Thereafter, the grass should not be cut until the end of July to allow the yellow rattle to flower and go to seed, then cut short.