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Wild Meadows: managing and restoring wild-flower grasslands in Wales - FREE EVENTS
Flora locale is delighted to be working with a range of organisations in Wales, through the Wild Meadows (Wales) Initiative. These include the Countryside Council for Wales, Grasslands Trust, the Grazing Advice Partnership in Wales (PONT), and Butterfly Conservation as well as individual landowners who are keen to share their experiences of grassland management and conservation grazing.
Grassland and conservation grazing events are suitable for grassland owners, managers, smallholders, professional advisers and those new to grassland management. In addition this year there are days aimed at the budding botanists and entomologists. Topics covered include managing grazing, hay-making, reducing nutrient levels and introducing wild flowers to herb-poor grassland using seed or seed-rich hay.
This year we are delighted to also be running a biodiversity monitoring and an urban green space event. See our webpage on other courses in Wales for details.
Booking Requirements for Wild Meadows (Wales) Events. Please book more than 10 days in advance by emailing info@floralocale.org or call 01672 515723. Please note that the Wild meadows in Wales project officer, Ivy Berkshire, is not dealing with bookings this year. For enquiries after this date please ring to confirm availability of places before booking.
Events in Wales are free thanks to support received from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.
Managing paddocks for ponies and biodiversity Ref W2
Thursday 20 May
Rhondda Cynon Taf. South Wales
Facilitator: Frances Clayton, Kent Downs AONB, Charles Morgan PONT (GAP Cymru) and Richard Smith, Butterfly Conservation
An opportunity for horse and pony owners to learn how they can manage horse pasture more effectively to benefit their animals and, at the same time, improve their land for wildlife and the landscape. This event will look at animal health issues, and techniques available to improve the species diversity of pasture.
This event is free thanks to support received from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.
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Grassland restoration for new owners and managers Ref W3
Friday 11 June 2-5pm
Mold, Flintshire
Facilitator: Alun Evans
Aimed at people that are new to grassland management and restoring Wild Meadows, interested in increasing the numbers of wild flowers on their site. This farm walk will cover different restoration techniques, looking at the positives and the problems faced in such projects. There will be an opportunity to visit a nearby SSSI grassland.
This event is free thanks to support received from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.
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Managing urban spaces as wild meadows Ref W4
Thursday 17 June, 10.00 - 15.30
Colwyn Bay, Conwy, North Wales
Facilitator: John Harold, Moelyci Environmental Centre *
This outdoor event, will take a close look at an exemplar site for urban meadow management. The course will include sessions on plant identification and will provide an insight into the process of turning "municipal grass" into a biodiversity hotspot by making simple changes to site management. Information on biodiversity in Conwy's Urban parks is available at www.conwy.gov.uk. Also see the pages on the Conwy Biodveristy action plan for urban habitats at the same wesbite.
*www.moelyci.org
This event is free thanks to support received from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.
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Identifying the plants of wild meadows Ref W5
Thursday 24 June, 10.00 - 15.30 LIMITED PLACES LEFT
Gwynedd, North Wales
Facilitator: John Harold, Moelyci Environmental Centre
This will be a largely outdoor event, looking at wild flowers and other plants found in pastures and hay meadows of North Wales. The course will introduce some of the practical skills needed for wild plant identification, including knowledge of indicator species and their role in monitoring the successful management and restoration of Wild Meadows. There will be the opportunity to learn Welsh names of the wild plants.
www.moelyci.org
This event is free thanks to support received from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.
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Restoring wild meadows - Ceredigion Ref W6
Wednesday 30 June 10am-4pm COURSE FULL
Ceredigion, mid Wales
Facilitator: Denmark Farm Conservation Centre
The course will provide an introduction to grassland ecology and communities. The relationships between grassland types, management, and change will be reviewed, along with practical guidance on how to recognise, assess, record and manage different communities. The latter will focus on ways of changing and maintaining grassland to enhance biodiversity. About half the course will be outdoors and some basic guidance on the recognition of common grassland species in the field will be available.
This event is free thanks to support received from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.
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An introduction to grassland management Ref W7
Tuesday 6 July 2pm-5pm
Carmel, Carmarthenshire
Facilitator: Grasslands Trust
This event, which will involve a walk around Carmel National Nature Reserve, is aimed at new and inexperienced grassland owners or managers who are interested in managing their land for biodiversity. There will be an opportunity to see and understand grassland management at the reserve, and look at different types of grassland habitat.
This event is free thanks to support received from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.
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Conservation management of upland fringe Ref W8
Wednesday 7July 1-4pm COURSE FULL
Elan Valley, Powys
Facilitator: Phoenix Ecology* in association with the Elan Valley Trust
Grassland ecologist, Mike Hayes, focuses on issues and problems associated with managing species-rich grasslands in upland-fringe areas. The visit will be centred on a 5-ha suite of SSSI-designated herb-rich meadows at an altitude of 320m managed by the Elan Valley Trust. This site features excellent examples of traditionally-managed hay-meadows that are particularly characteristic of the upland fringe of mid Wales, due to the presence of a rare assemblage of wild flowers. The main focus of the visit will be to observe and discuss the effects of some long-term research into the effects of applying different rates of manure and lime on trial plots. This CCW/Elan Valley-funded work aims to understand how to maintain the biodiversity value of meadows while also achieving acceptable levels of hay production.
*www.phoenixecology.co.uk
This event is free thanks to support received from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.
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Identifying the plants of wild meadows Ref W9
Tuesday 27 July 11am-4pm COURSE FULL
Carmarthenshire
Facilitator: Dr Richard Pryce
An introduction to the identification of wild flowers and other plants found in lowland grasslands of South Wales. This will be outdoor event concentrating on practical skills. The day is aimed at helping you to identify plants in the field, and how to be aware of indicator species and their role in monitoring the successful management and restoration of wild meadows.
This event is free thanks to support received from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.
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