Upcoming Events
Book onto our program of Meadow Walks!
We have an exciting program of events for you this summer, with meadow walks at a variety of lovely sites covering topics such as meadows in minature, ponds, mental health and calcareous grassland.
Read more below and book yourself a place! |
|
|
|
Meadows & PondsA Meadow walk
with Herefordshire Pond Group
Wednesday 11th June
4:45pm – 7pm
at Parsonage Farm, Wellington, HR4 8AJ
Courtesy of Lyn and Richard Langford Join us for our first meadow walk of 2025 where we will be partnering up with Will Watson and Lindsay Harrison from the Herefordshire Pond Group to consider how ponds and species-rich grasslands interact and complement each other.
FULLY BOOKED |
|
| | Meadows & Mental HealthA Meadow walk
with Adhisthana Buddhist Centre
Wednesday 25th June
4:45pm – 7pm
at Adhisthana Coddington Court, Ledbury HR8 1JL
Courtesy of the Adhisthana Community Our second meadow walk of 2025 we are kindly hosted by Adhisthana in Coddington. Since becoming an International Buddhist Centre the site has been transformed with new woodland planting and species-rich meadow creation. The walk will be led by Sanghadeva, who will explore how to connect with nature through meditation techniques and more.
Book your free place HERE
or info@herefordshiremeadows.org.uk Whilst the event is free to attend we will be running the event in support of Herefordshire Mind and would welcome any donations you are able to make to this local mental health charity which does fantastic work supporting those in need across the county.
Donate to Herefordshire Mind |
|
|
|
National Meadows Day 2025National Meadows Day Walk at Brockhampton Cottage courtesy of Peter Clay
Wednesday 2nd July
2pm – 4pm
at Brockhampton Cottage, Brockhampton, HR1 4QT
Courtesy of Peter Clay A chance to hear from Peter how how the wildflower meadows have developed over many years using green hay strewing, seeding and plug planting techniques. We will also explore ongoing research projects into the role of mycorrhizal fungi in the successful introduction and establishment of a wide range of orchids in these former pastures.
FULLY BOOKED
For those who missed out, Brockhampton Cottage will be open for visitors on Sunday 1st June for the Open Garden Scheme – book HERE
|
|
| | Meadows and Habitat MosaicA walk through recently created meadow and habitat mosaic near Pembridge.
Sunday 13th July
2pm – 4pm
(followed by refreshments)
at Lower Hardwick Cottage, Lower Hardwick, near Pembridge, HR6 9HF
Join us for a guided tour of HM members Di and Keith’s creation near Pembridge. A labour of love that has transformed a species-poor grassland parcel into a diverse habitat mosaic of wildflower meadow, woodland, scrub, ponds and ditches.
Join us for tea and cake after the walk.
Book your free place HERE
or info@herefordshiremeadows.org.uk |
|
|
|
Meadows in Miniature
on the DowardA tour of the calcareous grassland and garden-scale meadows of the Doward.
Wednesday 23rd July
4:45pm – 7pm
at White Rocks Cottage, The Doward, HR9 6DZ
Courtesy of Ian Draycott and Ruth Allen A walk through the distinctive calcareous grassland and woodland of the Doward (approx 1 mile) guided by Ian Draycott who has been recording wildlife and managing habitats there for over a decade.
The walk will include a stop at at Herefordshire Wildlife Trust’s Woodside Nature Reserve, and at Ian and Ruth’s wonderfully diverse meadow in miniature, to see what can be achieved on a garden scale.
Book your free place HERE
or info@herefordshiremeadows.org.uk |
|
| | |
|
Meadow Monitors Launch Event
23rd May 2025 |
|
|
|
Our Meadow Monitors project has launched! Our first set of keen, new volunteers met the staff team at Brockhampton Village Hall for an afternoon spent introducing our exciting plans for 2025 and beyond. Our volunteer lead, Jules, outlined the aims, why we are delighted to involve volunteers, the support we will offer and how we hope our new recruits will help.
Fuelled by superb hot coffee from Kontext Coffee and delicious cakes, everyone gathered in the sunshine at Ladyridge Meadow courtesy of the Clay Estate. We heard from a member of the estate team, Chris Hudson, about how the site was restored in 2021 and what has happened since. Our Herefordshire Meadows Rapid Assessment Survey method that will be used to assess progress was explained to everyone by Meadows Advisor Rory. Working in small groups, we practiced recording broad-leaved plants using quadrats across the site. On completion we came together to share interesting identifications, tips and results. Compared to the 2021 baseline survey, we recorded a 3.5 times increase in the number of desirable broad-leaved plants. Positive indicator species present have also increased from 0 to 6 species; all great news.
Next, we will be arranging visits to more meadows restored in 2021 to complete similar surveys with our new volunteers. Through this we aim to assess progress and identify ways to enhance and ensure success. We are so grateful to everybody that applied to volunteer; the positive response was extremely heartening. We are now even more keen to expand our opportunities in future; watch this space! |
|
|
|
Making more meadows in the Malvern Hills National Landscape
Following a very successful partnership in 2024 where we helped to create 15.1ha of new species rich grasslands in the Malvern Hills National Landscape, we are delighted to say we have just received Farming in the Protected Landscape funding to create an additional 27.1ha of lowland meadow habitat this year on 8 different landholdings. The sites range in size from 0.3 to 10.5ha and will further bolster the array of natural habitats within this area of nationally recognised landscape beauty. The Herefordshire Meadows team will be busy carrying out all important baseline surveys on all the sites in the coming weeks whilst Carys identifies lovely, local species rich sites to harvest the donor seed from. |
|
| | | | |
|
Catch Up: New Report on the benefits of grazing livestock published by the Sustainable Food Trusts
Earlier this month the Sustainable Food Trust released its report Grazing Livestock: It’s not the cow but the how which brings together the latest research to present a compelling case for the multiple benefits grazing livestock can deliver in a UK food system transformation. Utilising grazing livestock to manage and support diverse and resilient grassland systems is central to this. Click on the link above to read the full report including its 6 positive action points.
|
|
|
|
|
|
