• Posted byby Bella
A meadow of yellow rattle – credit Diverse Gardens UK, CC 4.0.
In the western part of England, a national restoration project is successfully revitalizing a series of hills blanketed with heather and wildflowers. This initiative mirrors another rewilding effort on the south coast and South Downs National Park, Sussex, which GNN reported on last week. Volunteers are replenishing old hay fields with native wildflowers and restoring traditional hedgerows to promote wildlife mobility in the region.

The Shropshire Hills, protected as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty under British law, are at the heart of this project. Despite their natural beauty, these hills and the valley between Long Mynd and Stiperstones have been heavily exploited for hay cultivation. Farmers have plowed meadows and planted quick-growing commodity grasses.

The UK’s National Trust has launched the Stepping Stones project to counteract this trend. Volunteers collaborate with landowners and local councils to convert some of these meadows back into wildlife habitats. These corridors allow species like the bilberry bumblebee, pine marten, and curlews to move freely from the hilltop to the valley floor.

According to Charlie Bell, project manager for Stepping Stones, this initiative forms part of a broader mission aiming to restore 97% of meadows lost in the UK over the past century. “Many old meadows have been plowed up and re-seeded with more productive mixes of grasses,” she told the national broadcaster. “Fertilizers are often added to increase the growth of these dominant productive grasses, at the expense of finer grass species and wildflowers.”

Jinlye Meadows, located on the Long Mynd side of the valley, is now flourishing with native wildflower species like mountain pansies. Volunteers have noted that the area is teeming with bilberry bumblebees, a species that’s both rare and in decline.

Last year, these meadows were abundant with yellow rattle, also known as the “meadowmaker.” This native species attaches itself to the grassroots, slowing its growth without causing harm. This strategy not only allows the flower to grow but also creates space for other flowers as grass growth is inhibited.

WATCH a video of the project from the National Trust… 

SHARE This Beautiful Area Beautified With Your Friends From The Midlands… 

Source: Good News Network