Come and be part of a global voice for wild plants and fungi
This year on National Meadows Day, we are campaigning for the protection of irreplaceable meadows – and we need your help!
Our wildflower meadows are a powerful ally in the fight against climate change – but they are in trouble!
“Will you help protect and restore irreplaceable habitats?”
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We are working to restore Pasqueflower, which can only be found at 19 sites across England, and Juniper, which is facing extinction in southern Britain.
Pasqueflower, which is threatened and declining, has been lost from many of the places where it used to grow. This rare wildflower, which is considered ‘vulnerable’ in Britain, can now only be found at 19 sites across England – after it was lost from 108 sites.
Similarly, Juniper – which has been lost from nearly 50% of its historic range – is facing extinction from southern Britain. Over the past 60 years, this iconic shrub has struggled to regenerate and whole colonies are dying out. If this trend continues, more than 100 special invertebrates and fungi that depend upon it will disappear too.
Funded by Natural England’s Species Recovery Capital Grant Scheme, we will be running a variety of species recovery projects – including for Pasqueflower and Juniper.
We have received a share of a £14.5m award to recover some of England’s most endangered species.
Both Pasqueflower and Juniper urgently need the help this project will provide.
Plantlife has been working to reinstate lost Juniper landscapes over recent years. Since 2009, we have been trialling techniques to reinstate the shrub and 10 out of 14 sites now boast healthy populations of young bushes.
Without vital work such as this, Juniper is likely to become extinct in lowland England within the next 50 years – which in turn could impact other species such as Goldcrest, Fieldfare and Song Thrush and Chalkhill blue and Silver-spotted skipper butterflies.
The project, funded by Natural England, will help Plantlife to save lowland Juniper at Lime Kiln Bank at Stockton Down in Wiltshire.
The process will involve habitat enhancement and we will collect, treat and sow locally sourced Juniper seeds. A provision of fencing and water supply infrastructure will also be implemented to facilitate the long-term management of the five-hectare site, which will gradually be restored back to chalk grassland with scattered Juniper.
Pasqueflower becomes more threatened every year and without intervention it may be lost in southern England within decades.
The remaining populations face serious threats from a lack of grazing and scrub encroachment, with more than 99% of Pasqueflowers now restricted to just a few chalk and limestone grasslands and only at a handful of nature reserves.
The project will restore Pasqueflower populations at 10 sites across the Chilterns, Cotswolds, Berkshire Downs and Yorkshire using techniques which have been trialled, tested and proven successful.
Restoring these wildflower’s habitats and creating new ones will also result in many other species being saved.
It will increase the ecological value of the land and be delivered by a team of specialist staff and landowners.
We are also working to protect temperate rainforests in another branch of the Species recovery Project.
Join Plantlife and an expert mycologist for an exploration of colourful Waxcap fungi in Deeside.
We will be introducing the work Plantlife are doing in the Cairngorms and the fungi we’ll be looking for during the day.
On the walk you will be practicing ID, learning about waxcap fungi conservation and habitat preferences, as well as surveying to gather information about these understudied species.
Please email sam.jones@plantlife.org.uk to reserve a place.
Please bring appropriate outdoors clothing and equipment and remember to bring along water and lunch.
Meet at Glen Tanar visitors centre, across bridge from visitors car park: https://goo.gl/maps/cn7Vn5LzsY3d6V4L7
NO 48064 96509
Plantlife may be in touch after the event for evaluation purposes, please let us know if you would like to opt out of this on the day.
Building on our previous work, Plantlife’s project, Rare Plants and Wild Connections, empowers people to take action to save and support our rarest wild plants
Get ready for a full day of celebrations! Discover the secrets of the temperate rainforest through talks, music and even guided walks to experience the wonder of these habitats first hand.
We are inviting you to join us, along with expert botanist Ben Averis, for a meadows ID training session prior to a season of surveys.
Join our Ranscombe Farm Reserve Manager Ben Sweeney, on a guided walk of this Important Plant Area. Head out across our flagship reserve to spot some of the rare orchids and other wildflowers that make it so special.
Meet at Invercauld Estate Car Park (pay and display), just North of Bridge of Dee and the A93: https://goo.gl/maps/EdGqjj4UczawEgJm8
NO 18826 91284
Our mission is simply to ‘grow’ the area of semi-natural grasslands in Wales. These colourful meadows brimming with life now only cover 9% of Wales. They used to occupy 90% more land 50 years ago.
We are working to restore or enhance semi-natural grassland habitats in conjunction with farm businesses. We are meeting farmers at engagement events and raising awareness amongst students via sessions at agricultural colleges. We also advise farmers on how to manage their meadows after carrying out a survey and produce guides such as ‘Is that a good weed?’. Our training sessions on surveying techniques such as the Waxcap Watch are proving to be popular.
Why are we focussing on grasslands on farms? Doesn’t farmland mainly contain grassland? In Plantlife we’re passionate about semi-natural grasslands. These are grasslands which have been managed for grazing and hay over several years. They have not been improved in any way – no cultivation, re-seeding or fertiliser. The result is that they are full of flowering plants, fungi and a variety of different grass species.
Semi-natural grasslands in Wales are in crisis. They have reduced in area by 90% over the last 50 years and now only occupy 9% of land. The main threat comes from the drive to ‘improve’ land through ploughing, reseeding and applying fertiliser. Regularly cutting grass to produce silage to feed animals is also detrimental to hay meadows, since the plants don’t have the chance to flower and set seed.
• Meadows rich in wildflowers contain far more nutrients than fields with a small number of grass species.• 40% of wildflowers and fungi which are under threat in Wales depend on semi-natural grasslands.• Flower- rich meadows store far more carbon than grasslands which are regularly cut for silage.• Grasses and flowering plants which grow throughout the season stop water running off the land and so reduce the chance of flooding and drought.• Flower-rich fields have soil which is healthier and can keep stock healthy by naturally treating their ailments.• With the flowers come invertebrates including butterflies, bees and bugs many of which are pollinators.• Tall plants and grasses can act as cover from predators for chicks of ground-nesting birds such as curlew and lapwing.
We have developed a training programme for young farmers, alongside our partners Llysfasi agricultural college and Pasture for Life, to highlight the benefits of lower input land management and the return of species-rich grassland.
We taught students how to identify key plant species which can give an indication of the quality and type of grassland – and how best to manage it.
Certain wildflowers, now viewed as weeds by some farmers, were once recognised for their nutritional benefits to livestock. With their deep rooting systems these wildflowers also provide stability, aeration, and nutrients back into the soil they grow from.
Looking into soil health, we also took samples and measured the depth of topsoil to highlight the issues caused by compaction from overgrazing and the use of heavy machinery.
We are keen to hear from anyone who would like to know more – if you are a farmer, land manager or just an interested person.Please also get in touch if you’d like to receive training or to volunteer. The best way is to email: rachel.jarvis@plantlife.org.uk
If you would like to contribute to the funding of this project, please get in touch with Beth, our Senior Partnerships Officer at Beth.webb@plantlife.org.uk
The Nature Networks Fund (round two) is being delivered by the Heritage Fund, on behalf of the Welsh Government and in partnership with Natural Resources Wales.
We would like to thank all of the trusts and funders who support this project, including those listed below and the Mackintosh Foundation.
From mountain pastures to floodplain meadows, grasslands cover more than 40% of land in the UK.
They are a huge natural asset; vital for nature and people to thrive, for food production, and to combat climate change.
The true value of grasslands has been overlooked by successive governments in the UK.
The majority of our ancient wildlife-rich grasslands have been destroyed and they are now among the UK’s rarest habitats – with losses continuing today. Over-fertilised and monoculture fields now dominate our landscape, providing few benefits for nature, people or our climate.
It’s time for real action to make the most of our grasslands.
This would help to achieve national and international climate and nature targets, by driving the restoration, appropriate management, and creation of wildlife-rich grasslands, connected across the landscape.
Grasslands can provide many incredible ecosystem services and benefits – such as supporting wildlife, storing carbon, providing clean air and water, and producing nutritious food – but they could be doing so much more.
Plantlife and our partners are calling on the UK Government to prioritise grasslands and commit to developing a Grassland Action Plan for England.
The untapped potential of grasslands continues to be overlooked by government – but protecting, restoring and managing these incredible habitats is crucial for tackling the climate and biodiversity emergencies.
We’ve written to the government to urge them to create a cross-departmental Grassland Taskforce. Unlike trees and peatland, there is no dedicated team or person in government for grasslands, despite them covering 40% of England.
The letter has been supported by more than 40 environmental organisations and charities including Pasture for Life, Bumblebee Conservation Trust, UK Youth for Nature and Campaign for National Parks.
Read our letter here.
To unlock the benefits of grasslands, a new approach is needed. We’re calling on governments in the UK to make the most of our grasslands.
This briefing covers how Plantlife and its partners are calling on the UK Government to make the most of grasslands and commit to developing a Grassland Action Plan for England’
From machair to meadows, species-rich grasslands are intrinsic to Scotland’s biodiversity, history and identity – whilst producing food and playing an often-overlooked role in tackling climate change.
This briefing highlights the value of grasslands as stable carbon stores in order to make the case for action by policy makers, researchers and land managers to protect these grasslands.
A review of the extent of semi-natural and/or species-rich grasslands in the UK, exploring trends overtime and between nations.
This report offers a review of existing literature and evidence on the numerous advantages associated with species-rich grasslands.
From mountain pastures to floodplain meadows, from road verges to private gardens and urban parks – grasslands are all around us. Nature-rich grasslands are sustainable solutions for nature, food, climate, economy, and health.
Discover the wealth of benefits provided by these biodiverse habitats and why we need to take action to make the most of our grasslands.
If your organisation would like to support this important call out please contact Jo.Riggall@plantlife.org.uk
Plantlife and our partners are calling on the UK Government to prioritise grasslands and commit to developing a Grassland Action Plan for England. Grasslands cover more than 40% of land in the UK, yet their true value has been overlooked by successive governments.
The King's Meadow project is a 10 year partnership with English Heritage, where we will restore and create 100 meadows across 100 historic sites.
Plantlife are excited to have begun a 10 year partnership project with English Heritage, where we will restore and create 100 meadows across 100 historic sites, as part of the King’s Meadow Project.
Meadows and grasslands are essential for biodiversity, as well as for storing carbon and enhancing our well-being.
Understanding how meadows are established and the role we have as humans on sustaining them is crucial. Sarah Shuttleworth, Plantlife’s Senior Ecological Advisor, explains how collaboration between Plantlife meadow experts and English Heritage head gardeners and landscape staff, is helping to protect these beautifully biodiverse landscapes.
‘Nearly all land in the UK would eventually turn to woodland if it was completely left alone, therefore grasslands naturally start to turn to scrub and then woodland if they are not managed. This is why we need to cut them for hay and/or graze them with animals which helps to keep the diversity of specialised meadow critters from disappearing.
It was also important to explore the reasons behind their disappearance: we have lost over 97% of our meadows or species rich grasslands in the last century.
Our demand for food since World War II has intensified the way in which we manage the land, resulting in a shift from species-rich hay meadows that were cut by hand, to ploughing and replanting grasslands with grass seed mixes for silage, or pasture for animals to graze on. This is why this project to restore and create meadows is so exciting.’
Training led by Plantlife will have an impact on some of England’s greatest historic sites, whose meadows are as rich with nature as they are with heritage.
During a 2-day training event held at English Heritage properties, Plantlife led discussions about how to create new meadows at their sites, and enhance those that already exist at iconic landscapes across the country.
‘Plantlife’s meadows team helpfully showed us how we could improve the species diversity by cutting meadows earlier to control the vigour of grasses and other vigorous species. Our gardeners and managers have returned to their own sites across England enthused and have started planning soil surveys as the first stage to assess the potential of sites we are looking to restore in the years ahead.
With Plantlife’s support and advice, English Heritage is creating more natural spaces at the heart of 100 of our historic properties, ensuring that wildflowers and wildlife can flourish there once again, and helping our visitors to step back into history and experience something with which the sites’ historic occupants would have been familiar.
On one such site, over in Kent, Charles Darwin used his meadow at his home, Down House, to produce hay, for grazing his animals and as a place for observation and experiments. In 1855, with the help of his children’s governess, he started a survey of all flowering plant species growing in the neighbouring Great Pucklands Meadow. He would go on to use the data to demonstrate biodiversity in his seminal work on natural selection.
Today, both of Darwin’s meadows provide an outstanding show in the early summer. Buttercups turn the field into a golden blaze, followed by White and Red Clover, Great Burnet, Ox-eye Daisies, Knapweed and many more. This wonderful array is enjoyed by visitors large and small, including bees, butterflies, moths and wasps.
In a decade’s time, our coronation pledge will be an inspiring legacy of established, restored and new meadows at 100 of our historic sites – big and small – right across England.’
We’ve lost over 97% of our meadows in less than a century. Plantlife’s work, like the Kings Meadow Project, will restore healthy grasslands rich in wild plants and fungi, which can support more wildlife, store more carbon and so much more.
We're celebrating the successes of our Cairngorms Rare Plants and Wild Connections Project which empowered people to take action to save and support our rarest wild plants.
Different types of grasslands, such as meadows and parks, can be full of wildflowers and fungi, benefitting people, nature and climate.
Healthy grasslands, rich in wild plants and fungi, can provide so many ecosystem services and benefits. With the right management, they can support wildlife, store more carbon, produce nutritious food, provide clean air and water, plus so much more.
Yet, we’ve lost almost all of our most biodiverse grasslands. We need governments in England, Scotland, and Wales to take action to manage, restore, and create grasslands that are rich in wild plants and fungi – making the most of our grasslands for people, nature, and climate.
Click to download a PDF copy
Extreme weather resilience
Diverse plant species help to cope with droughts, with deep roots accessing nutrients and water[1]
Natural beauty and cultural heritage
Filled with colour and life, grasslands enrich our landscape and culture, inspiring art & crafts
Cleaner air and water
Reducing fertiliser and pesticide use benefits our health and the natural environment[2]
Health & wellbeing
Access to green spaces improves peoples’ mental & physical health[3]
Healthier Soil
Diverse plants, fungi & microorganisms support healthy soils & their ecosystems, reducing soil erosion[4]
Climate change mitigation
Carbon is safely stored in the undisturbed soils of permanent grasslands[5]
Natural flood defence
Absorbent soils of floodplain meadows[6] and other grasslands slow the flow of floodwaters
Better, joined-up habitats
Providing food, shelter and connected corridors for wildlife across the landscape [7]
Increased pollination
More wildflowers help pollinators thrive [8]
Animal health & nutritious food
Livestock grazing on diverse plant species are healthier[9] & produce more nutritious food[10]
Cooler environment
In heatwaves, wild plants & fungi retain moisture, absorb heat[11] & provide shade for wildlife
[1] Grassland Resistance and Resilience after Drought Depends on Management Intensity and Species Richness | PLOS ONE
[2] Grassland ecosystem services: a systematic review of research advances and future directions | SpringerLink
[3] Improving access to greenspace: 2020 review (publishing.service.gov.uk)
[4] Frontiers | Managing Grazing to Restore Soil Health, Ecosystem Function, and Ecosystem Services (frontiersin.org)
[5] Briefing Document_Grasslands
[6] The natural capital of floodplains: management, protection and restoration to deliver greater benefits – Open Research Online
[7] Lowland Grassland Management Handbook (Second edition) – GRASSLAND (naturalengland.org.uk)
[8] Historical nectar assessment reveals the fall and rise of floral resources in Britain | Nature
[9] Microsoft Word – Is the rye-grass always greener FINAL (magnificentmeadows.org.uk)
[10] the-human-health-benefits.pdf (pastureforlife.org)
[11] Urban green space cooling effect in cities – ScienceDirect
How Plantlife is moving one of the most endangered wildflowers in Europe off the Red Data list for Great Britain.
The Fen Orchid Liparis loeselii, is one of the most endangered wildflowers in Europe, but successful conservation efforts have given hope for its survival. The orchid is only found in two areas of the UK:
We believe that the orchid could finally be removed from the Red Lists for both England and Great Britain.
After a decade of research and partnership work, the orchid has been re-discovered at former sites in the Broads, and the total population has estimated to have risen to over 15,000 plants through proper management.
The orchid has also been reintroduced to its former sites in Suffolk, and the signs are encouraging that it will become established in some of its old homes.
In South Wales, the conservation effort to restore the fragile dune habitat at Kenfig and to rediscover the plant at former dune locations.
At Kenfig numbers had dropped from a conservative 21,000 at the end of the 1980s to just 400 when conservation work began.
After almost 10 years of work, over 4000 Fen Orchids have been counted, more than double the highest number seen in the last two decades.
The orchids once grew at eight dune sites along the south Wales coast, but a lack of active management led to their disappearance. The success at Kenfig gives hope for other dune sites like Whiteford and Pembrey, the former of which the plant has recently been re-found after searching.
45% of flowering plants are at risk of extinction.
Donate today to help us take action for the unsung heroes of our ecosystems, wild plants and fungi.
What do the peaks of the Eryri mountains and our garden lawns have in common? Learn how grazing works to protect our most species-rich habitats.
Throughout February, Plantlife is participating in Reverse the Red's Fungi Month – a chance to discover some of our most threatened species.
Ever wondered how biodiverse meadows are made? Plantlife volunteers Andrew and Helen tell us about their own meadow story in Carmarthenshire.
Plantlife Volunteer Story
Ever wondered how biodiverse meadows are made? Plantlife Members and volunteers Andrew and Helen Martin live on a 5-acre smallholding in rural Carmarthenshire.
Here they tell us in their own words about their own ‘Meadow Story’, and how their field is now a haven for orchids and rare plants.
In recent years, the public has been alerted by the media to worry about declines in insects, especially bees. As a former bumblebee research scientist, this wasn’t news to me because the range of many bumblebee species contracted significantly in the middle of the last century. There is little doubt that big changes in UK agriculture (and therefore most of our landscape) were responsible.
To put it very simply, there aren’t as many flowers in the countryside now as there were (for over 1,000 years) So, for us, it was always an ambition to have a little bit of countryside of our own that we could manage for biodiversity, and after my getting early retirement, and Helen being made redundant, we were off like a shot to rural Wales in 2012.
Our fields had been sheep grazed for as long as anyone locally could remember, and they were still being grazed by a local sheep farmer who rents lots of small fields along the Tywi valley.
We decided to manage one of ours as a hay meadow. Research has shown that in a new meadow the plant diversity increases more quickly if you introduce Yellow Rattle, which is partly parasitic on grasses and inhibits their growth. So, in 2013 we collected Yellow Rattle seed from a neighbour’s field about a mile away and sowed it in the field. We began excluding the sheep every year from the end of March and by April 2014 the Yellow Rattle was growing well.
In mid-June 2014 we got the neighbouring farmer to cut and bale the field, but decided that it would be better in future to choose when to cut and so acquired a 1963 tractor and some small-scale haymaking implements.
I’m not particularly keen to produce a hay crop, but for floral diversity the main thing is to ensure that all the cuttings are removed from the field to reduce the soil fertility; and the easiest way to do this is to cut and bale the hay. All we produce is sold to the farmer whose sheep return after the hay cut when grass regrowth begins. I leave the hay cut as late as possible, to allow more species to drop seeds.
Each year, different species’ dominance rose and fell as the county plant recorder predicted they would. For a couple of years there was so much Yellow Rattle, but soon it settled down to more of an equilibrium, while other things rose in frequency then settled down. Eyebright appeared after a couple of years, as did Whorled Caraway (the County Flower), and Cat’s Ear.
Some plants (like Meadow Buttercup) were probably there already, but never got to flower because the sheep ate them. Broad-leaved Helleborines appeared in 2016, and in 2017, a single Southern Marsh Orchid. Common Spotted and Heath Spotted (with hybrids between them) followed, and each year the orchid numbers have increased, it was up to 50 a couple of years back and well over 100 now.
The field looks different as different plants come into flower in succession, but it even looks different on the same day in the morning and in the afternoon because the Cat’s Ear flowers close about lunchtime, so the field is much more yellow in the morning.
In the morning
In the afternoon
Plantlife has done valuable work towards achieving that aim (especially with the recent “Magnificent Meadows” campaign). County Meadows Groups also do their bit to help small landowners to get results like this field, and in the group I chair (Carmarthenshire) we’re also trying to raise the profile of species-rich grasslands generally with the UK wide “Big Meadow Search” (www.bigmeadowsearch.co.uk).
There are few people left who can remember when every farm had a hay meadow, but I hope we can succeed in bringing some back.
Hywel Morgan, Plantlife’s Agricultural Advisor, explains how and why he made the switch to sustainable farming on his 230-acre farm in Wales.
This summer Plantlife Cymru worked with Species Champion Carolyn Thomas MS to raise awareness of the importance of grasslands in Wales.
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