Positive progress to help nature
The long grass margins around the edges of the Recreation Ground have been increasingly admired in recent months as swathes of Yellow Rattle have been flowering and helping to attract more butterflies and insects.
And some sample areas were studied on 10 July to record the plants that are growing there – so that improvements over time can be noted. Initial surveys had been undertaken a year earlier and the same locations were revisited.
The most notable change was a reduction in some of the vigorous grasses which can prevent many wildflowers from growing.
This reduction has been brought about by the introduction of Yellow Rattle late in 2022 and this new species, often described as the ‘meadow maker’, was found in each of the survey locations.
More information about how Yellow Rattle can help to create areas of wildflower grasslands can be found here.
Next steps on the Recreation Ground are likely to include a cut of all the long grass at the beginning of September followed by the popular community-raking Hay Day.
