Page 23 - Wildlife News December 2015
P. 23
Trevor Dines reports Progress so far
These techniques, called ‘natural seeding’, The Coronation Meadows
establish many more species of flower Project, led by Plantlife and in
more quickly than if commercial seed partnership with The Wildlife
mixes are used. The meadows not only Trusts and the Rare Breeds
take on the local character of the original Survival Trust, is creating new
Coronation Meadow; they rapidly become meadows using seed from
havens for other wildlife too. existing local sources, many of
By the end of 2015, 555 acres of them Wildlife Trust reserves.
meadows will have been created or With Biffa Award funding, 91
restored in 44 counties. Over 150 of these ancient, species-rich
volunteers have helped bring the donor meadows have been
meadows back to life, for example by identified across Britain.
haymaking, scything, spreading green
hay, hand collecting wildflower seed or 12 completed 2013 28 completed 2014 24 completed 2015
surveying meadows for orchids and
other flowers. The jewels in BBOWT’s crown
At the end of the project, in 2017, many
more people will have the chance to lie Like other counties across the country, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire are
in a meadow once again, and savour the host to Coronation Meadows and all three are BBOWT nature reserves.
unique sights, sounds and scents of these
precious habitats. Moor Copse
This peaceful haven supports a colourful carpet of meadow flowers, including
orchids. Seed from Moor Copse has been used to create Langley Mead, a new
18-hectare nature reserve south of Reading. The restored wildflower meadows at
Langley Mead now support bird’s-foot-trefoil and cuckooflower, which will in turn
attract meadow butterflies.
Upper Ray Meadows Chimney Meadows
This patchwork of meadows along Once intensively farmed arable fields
the River Ray floodplain are home to have been restored to species-rich
many rare wading birds, including the wildflower meadows, while new
curlew and lapwing. The creation of new wetlands replace heavily grazed pastures.
shallow pools, scrapes and ditches has The wild flower display evolves from
helped to retain wet areas into spring a springtime swathe of cowslips to a
for feeding wader chicks. Seed from summertime abundance of plants such
the meadows have been spread on as yellow-rattle, oxeye daisy and common
nearby land to create a network of new knapweed. Like our other Coronation
meadows in this Living Landscape. Meadows, Chimney is now helping to
revive nearby meadows.
Yellow rattle and sheep’s sorrel at Small tortoiseshell on common knapweed at Cowslips at Chimney Meadows. andy fairbairn
Cumbria Wildlife Trust’s Eycott Hill the Upper Ray Meadows.
– one of 62 new places enriched by
the Coronation Meadows project. 23
December 2015
