Come and be part of a global voice for wild plants and fungi
Help wildlife, connect with nature and take part in No Mow May – straight from your garden by letting the wildflowers grow (in May and beyond!)
There are many different ways you can go the extra mile for Plantlife – from organising a bake sale, running the London Marathon or planning your own plant-themed event.
Our corporate partners benefit from 35 years of experience in nature restoration so they can achieve real impact.
Become a Plantlife member today and together we will rebuild a world rich in plants and fungi
This National Meadows Day, we need your help to call on our governments to protect our irreplaceable meadows – don’t let meadows become a memory!
This National Meadows Day, we are calling on governments to protect our irreplaceable meadows.
Currently the government has an Irreplaceable Habitat list, which includes ancient woodlands, blanket bogs, coastal sand dunes and lowland fens. These habitats have a level of protection, which states, “development resulting in the loss or deterioration of irreplaceable habitats (such as ancient woodland and ancient or veteran trees) should be refused, unless there are wholly exceptional reasons”.
However, there are no such protections for our ancient meadows and nothing to stop them from disappearing – and once they’re gone, they’re gone forever.
Meadows are interwoven into our natural heritage and have been cared for by people for centuries – we cannot let them disappear. Read more about why meadows are so important, here.
Land bordering our Lugg Meadows Nature Reserve is currently facing the threat of development. The meadows by the River Lugg were recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, making them at least a decade older than the houses of parliament!
We wouldn’t allow one of our historic buildings to be destroyed for development, so why let it happen to our meadows?
This National Meadows Day we want the governments to live up to their commitments to protect nature by including irreplaceable meadows on the list of other irreplaceable habitats.
A great way for you to take action and help us protect irreplaceable meadows is by writing to your MP or MSP.
You can copy the below text and add your own thoughts or examples of historic buildings or monuments local to you.
Use this website to find your MP’s name and email address, or this website for your MSP if you live in Scotland.
Dear X,
I’m writing as your constituent at [include your postcode] to ask you to help save our irreplaceable meadows.
Please ask the UK Government to live up to their commitments to protect nature, by including irreplaceable meadows on the list of other irreplaceable habitats in England.
Around 97% of England’s wildflower meadows have likely been destroyed in the last century. Without better protections, remaining historic meadows risk “vanishing beneath our feet” after centuries of care by farmers and communities.
These meadows are irreplaceable treasures in our culture and heritage, on a par with our historic buildings and monuments. Their carbon-rich soils and myriad of rare wildlife species have often taken centuries or longer to form. Once they’re gone, they’re gone forever. We wouldn’t say that the Houses of Parliament could be destroyed and simply re-built elsewhere – the same applies to our historic meadows.
Meadows are the ultimate multi-taskers and provide a wealth of critical benefits, such as climate mitigation and adaptation, nutritious food, wildlife habitat, flooding alleviation, and cleaner air and water.
The Government must live up to their commitments to protect nature by protecting irreplaceable meadows – they must be included on the list of irreplaceable habitats. Planning rules need to safeguard irreplaceable meadows as the true national treasures that they are!
Please see Plantlife’s website for more detail.
Best wishes,
Please ask the Scottish Government to live up to their commitments to protect nature, by including irreplaceable meadows on the list of other irreplaceable habitats in Scotland.
The majority of Scotland’s wildflower meadows and grasslands have already been destroyed in the last century. Without better protections, remaining historic meadows risk “vanishing beneath our feet” after centuries of care by farmers and communities.
These meadows are irreplaceable treasures in our culture and heritage, on a par with our historic buildings and monuments. Their carbon-rich soils and myriad of rare wildlife species have often taken centuries or longer to form. Once they’re gone, they’re gone forever. We wouldn’t say that Edinburgh Castle could be destroyed and simply re-built elsewhere – the same applies to our historic meadows.
[Your name]
We will keep you updated by email about our work, news, campaigning, appeals and ways to get involved. We will never share your details and you can opt out at any time. Read our Privacy Notice.
