[I]f you’re passionate about saving pignuts and eyebrights but need a helping hand to tell a marsh marigold from a globeflower, this free one-day course is for you. Conducting a Grassland Monitoring Survey will help you identify the beautiful flowers found in Cumbria’s hay meadows and grasslands. It will also train you in surveying skills so that you can help save these much-loved but threatened species and habitats.
Christa Nelson, Grassland Conservation Officer at Cumbria Wildlife Trust explains: “Flower-rich meadows were once common throughout Cumbria. Sadly, over recent decades they have suffered a catastrophic decline. We have been working hard to restore Cumbrian hay meadows for some time and are now looking for volunteers who, after a day’s training, can help us monitor the meadows, as well as open grassland and road verges, to see how successful our restoration work has been.”
The course takes place on Wednesday 31 May at Orton and is being run by Stuart Hedley, an experienced field botanist, surveyor and trainer. A classroom session will be followed by the chance to put the theory into practice at restored meadows nearby. It is aimed mainly at those with some existing plant ID skills but prior experience of surveying is not essential.
Early booking is advised as places are limited. For more information or to book, contact Cumbria Wildlife Trust on 01539 816300 or email mail@cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk
Conducting a Grassland Monitoring Survey is part of the grassland project delivered by Cumbria Wildlife Trust under the Westmorland Dales Hidden Landscapes Partnership Scheme. Under this scheme, local people, community organisations and interest groups are working together on a range of landscape-related projects in the northern extension of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
