Norfolk WIldlife Trust campaigns for more meadows

I'm sure, for many, an idyllic pastoral scene would include a flower-rich meadow gently swayed by a light breeze under a warm blue sky.

This rather romanticised vision is understandable, for an ancient meadow in full bloom is uncompromisingly beautiful and sure to lift anyone’s spirit.

Sadly, it is now a rare sight in our modern countryside.           

Since the 1930s it is estimated that the UK has lost a staggering 98.5 per cent of our wildflower meadows.

In Norfolk, a county of intensive arable farming, this rate of loss has been particularly heavy, meaning that traditional meadows have effectively disappeared across the county.

The 20th century changed farming; fertilizers and herbicides ‘improved’ grazing meadows, and with better drainage and irrigation a monoculture of tall, lush grass developed.

In addition, mechanisation no longer warranted vast quantities of hay to feed workhorses, and as a result the management of meadows declined.

Most of the remaining wildflower rich meadows, along with many of our heaths and commons, were ploughed up for wheat or root-crops during the Second World War, an understandable attempt to feed a staving nation.

Many were never returned to grassland, and the touch of a plough, even on a few occasions, can have a devastating effect on the diversity of grassland plants.

The loss of wildflower meadows is a clear example that we take nature for granted at our peril, for within a lifetime they have virtually disappeared.

Many of the former ancient meadows would have been in use for hundreds of years, and as a result developed complex communities of plants, fungi and invertebrates.

This, of course, forms an ideal home, and food, for a great number of birds and mammals too.

It is astounding, even in a newly created meadow, the high level of biodiversity it can support, from the teeming life in the soil through to the swallows and skylarks in the air above.

The few ancient meadows left can host over 40 species of plant in one square metre.         

Meadows are not only pleasing to look at, but they can also be vital stepping stones for wildlife.

They act as a biological sink that holds an important ecosystem ready, and with our help, to spread out and increase, creating a wider living landscape.

Enhancing our nature poor grasslands, by increasing their floristic diversity, will lead to an associated increase in butterflies, bees and other pollinating insects.

Insect pollinators are vital for ecosystem health and food security, with 75 per cent of crop species, and over 80 per cent of flowering plant species being dependent on insect pollinators. 

Despite our love of wildflower meadows, and our better understanding of their value, we still managed to remove, across the UK, a further 8,000 square km of meadows in the last 25 years.

However, Norfolk Wildlife Trust has been working hard to reverse this trend, and we can now all play a part in protecting our ancient meadows and help create new ones.

The relics of our once rich countryside can be found in some unlikely places.

In a few areas our county’s lost meadows have survived, for along the quiet lanes of Norfolk they now appear as roadside verges, with many forming a network of miniature nature reserves. 

NWT’s Ben Newton, Wilder Landscapes Adviser, has been collecting mowed ‘green’ hay each summer from selected verges.

This seed-laden hay has helped local communities and supportive landowners to create new wildflower meadows in previously nature-depleted fields.

Returning meadows to their rightful place, at the heart of our countryside, is not only a beautiful addition to our lives, but essential if we want to ensure future generations enjoy living in a healthy and vibrant environment.   

Help us create and restore meadows

It is vital that we all play our part. Most of us do not have land in which to create a meadow, or local green space to use, but we can all set aside a small area for wildflowers. Even wildflowers in a few pots can form an important stepping stone for bees and butterflies.

You can also donate to Norfolk Wildlife Trust and support our work restoring Norfolk’s meadows, and with them, the wildlife that depends on them.  The money raised will help support our core activities within the Nature Recovery Team so they can continue their advice work and collaborations with landowners to create and restore meadows.

For further information please see:

norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk/meadowsappeal