The Meadow Makers' Network Forum

Hi everyone!
I chair the North Devon UNESCO Biosphere's Nature Improvement Group - and we are working with the wonderful More Meadows team to support interested meadow-makers (from lawns to community spaces, to fields and verges) through the creation of this local Group for northern Devon. So, welcome to new members - and please introduce yourself and your hopes and fears!

I have a small farm near Chulmleigh, and am already well on the way to converting a 5 hectare field to a flower-rich meadow (see photo) - aided by some superb green hay from that local legend Cyril Cole. I have aspirations to start on another 4.8 hectares shortly. You are welcome to visit and collect seed next summer. Rattle galore ....but I've got much to learn, and hope you can help. That's me!

The North Devon Biosphere has recently started implementing an ambitious Nature Recovery Plan. Creating more flower rich meadows is a high priority. If you haven't already done so, please sign the Nature Recovery Declaration here. and add any meadow-making you are doing to our Pledge for Nature map (as well as the More Meadows map), so we can track progress. https://www.northdevonbiosphere.org.uk/ ... -plan.html

I hope lots of people will join this group - and if one or more members were willing to facilitate its development (ie help recruit new members, organise a few field visits, seed and machinery swaps etc), that would be fantastic! Please let Emily Willoughby <Emily.Willoughby@devon.gov.uk> know if you would be willing to give it a try - you don't need to be an expert, and I'm sure she and the More Meadows team will be ready to help!

Mike Moser

Hi Mike

Just to say that the Bumblebee Conservation Trust's West Country Buzz project is working in North Devon; very happy to collaborate, and do let me know if I can be of help to anyone. We offer free advice and support, and run various events too:
[/url]https://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/w ... ntry-buzz/

A visit to your meadow and seed harvesting sounds great - we're always looking for local seed to share with landowners to create more bee habitat, and your meadow looks beautiful!

Cathy

Thanks Cathy - look forward to meeting you tomorrow night at the Taw Valley farmers event, and we can discuss collaboration. Mike.

Hi Mike, I live on the extreme edge of the Biosphere transition area. A small stream crossing my land feeds eventually into the River Taw. I have low fertility culm grassland with a mixture of dry and wet areas and a species-rich bog. The usual flowers are spreading well. I'm waiting to see if tufted vetch seed from local hedgerows will take. There is a preponderance of very late summer flowers, suggesting that the land has always been grazed.

It's interesting that you have yellow rattle as I have never seen any naturally occurring around here. Do you happen to know if there is meadow thistle at the Meshaw Moor reserve? I saw some seed heads there, that might be it. An ecologist has suggested that I introduce meadow thistle, but I've lived around here a long time and I've never seen any nearby.

The coarse grasses will be managed next year by cutting strips in rotation from mid spring onwards through to November, to achieve a diverse sward, (the rotational strips were suggested by Steve Pollard and this is the best and most practical piece of advice I have received for my situation, (thanks again, Steve)), and with grazing by unshod Exmoor ponies over winter (not ideal but practical.) I am hoping the cutting will keep the sharp rush, cocksfoot and moor grass in check. I do not at present own any livestock and have found that local cattle farmers are not interested in putting a small number of stock on a small acreage, even for free, the hassle is just not worth the effort. Sheep would graze out the scabious, so are ruled out.

We have a huge number of grasshoppers, soldier beetles, and spiders, and many buff and carder bumblebees, but disappointing numbers of butterflies and moths despite much encouragement of their foodplants. Banded and beautiful demoiselles, and oil beetles, are recent additions.

I am now debating whether to build leaky dams in the main drainage ditches. A neighbouring field is about to be developed into a small housing estate, and the treated effluent will drain across my land and into my wildlife ponds. I do not want to turn all the land back into a bog but I want to try to limit the nutrients reaching the ponds.

Can the pledges include a promise to continue existing work, or does it have to be new projects?

Thanks Amy for your reply and description of your land - sounds really interesting - and important to safeguard these habitats in the upper part of the Taw catchment!
I strongly suspect there is meadow thistle at Meshaw Moor, but suggest you check with DWT.
Yes, you could add a pledge about your general effort to restore your land, and then additional pledges for any new initiatives as they happen (eg putting in a pond or some woodland etc.).
Thanks for your interest and good luck! Mike

Yes, there is a lot of meadow thistle at Meshaw Moor