Work begins to restore wildflower meadows at the Wittenham Clumps
Over fifty conservationists gathered at Hill Farm on 14th July for the Northmoor Trust’s Grassland Biodiversity Day conference.
The day brought together leading experts in the field of grassland and wildflower conservation with the aims of discussing the challenges facing the UK’s grasslands; disseminating information to representatives from conservation organisations; facilitating partnership working through establishing links with key organisations and to celebrate the work of the Northmoor Trust’s Sinodun Hills Grassland Restoration Project.
Talks by leading grassland and wildflower conservation experts
Talks were given on the national and local condition of grasslands, funding opportunities for grassland restoration projects, the techniques used in restoring wildflower meadows and grazing as a management tool post restoration.
Organisations represented included Plantlife, the Grazing Animal Partnership (GAP), the Wildlife Trust, Natural England, Landlife, Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG) and the Woodland Trust.
The afternoon was spent on a guided tour of some of the grasslands restored or created as part of the Northmoor Trust’s Sinodun Hills Grassland Restoration Project.
20 hectares of wildflower seeds sown
This exciting project has seen wildflower seed sown into nearly twenty hectares of existing grassland on and around the iconic Wittenham Clumps. The innovative project has also created eighteen hectares of wildflower meadow created on former arable land surrounding the Wittenham Clumps so the benefits will spread beyond the clumps and into the surrounding farmland.
The project aims to contribute to a significant increase in the amount of Lowland Neutral Meadow, a habitat which is particularly under threat in Oxfordshire and over the last sixty years the UK as a whole has lost 97% of its wildflower rich grassland. Through the important work planned in this project, habitat will be restored, helping our wildlife species to thrive.
Thank you to our project funders
The project was funded by Biffaward, the Trust for Oxfordshire’s Environment (TOE), RWE NPower, Oxfordshire County Council, Restore UK, South Oxfordshire County Council and the Waste Recycling Group.
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