Herefordshire Meadows needs your help this summer to re-visit county meadows that have benefitted from past restoration efforts.
Across Herefordshire, grasslands and fields were subject to improvement efforts in 2021 as part of the fantastic Plantlife ‘Meadow Makers’ initiative. Now, we want to find out what has happened at those sites. We would love to demonstrate the successes in boosting species-rich grassland, but to do that we need your help!
We are looking for around 15 volunteers and would ask you as a pilot team member of ‘Meadow Monitors’ to re-visit at least one, preferably 2 or 3 project sites near to you, to carry out a Rapid Monitoring Method survey and gather plant data. This will help us to show that restoration works! It will enable us to maintain links with landowners in the longer term, ensure restored grasslands continue to succeed and demonstrate to funders and partners the value of meadow restoration, so that we can do more of it.
If you are a ‘Meadow Maker’, you may want to join our volunteer programme yourselves or already have someone locally helping with your surveying who you could nominate; we strongly encourage you to apply if you are interested.
You’ll need to be available for surveys from May through to July and ideally on 21st May from 1 to 4pm for in-person training at Brockhampton Village Hall, HR1 4SG.
See the role description HERE for more information and how to apply. Closing date Sunday 04 May.
Once you apply, we will attempt to ‘match’ volunteers with local sites. As there are limited volunteer places available in this our pilot year, we’ll match sites to applicants based on availability, location, transport, skills and site complexity. We’re seeking to expand the range of activities and sites for the future and will maintain a waiting list for those we can’t accommodate in this first round.
If we match you for this year’s surveys, we will invite you to the training event to meet other monitors, explain the project and demonstrate the method. A Herefordshire Meadows team member will accompany your first visit, and we’ll support with loans of field guides and hand lenses.
If after reading the description you have any further questions, please email info@herefordshiremeadows.org.uk. We look forward to building our team!