Ross has been managing a meadow restoration project since February. Young ash and alder have been encroaching on three of the meadows here, so much so that only earth and moss is visible between the abundance of ash and alder 'whips'. It only takes a few years for scrub and trees to develop and for grassland flora to disappear without the intervention of suitable animal grazing or human management. The neglected meadows at the farm have not been long without flora, including orchids, so we hopefully we will see some orchids returning this summer. Some beautiful mature trees have been exposed since this work began and these established trees will remain.
Most meadows in the UK developed through traditional farming practices which led to an amazing diversity of associated species and a habitat upon which many birds and small mammals depend. Species-rich grassland has declined by over 97% since the 1950s, so it is especially important that we restore neglected meadows at the farm, and maintain the established species-rich meadows surrounded by hedgerow corridors.
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