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Buckinghamshire flood meadows bought by Wildlife Trust09/11/2009 10:40:00
Lapwing are regular visitors. Credit Ferran Pastana/BBOWT. November 2009. The Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) is delighted to announce that it has purchased Leaches Farm in Ludgershall, Buckinghamshire. The purchase was completed following a massively successful public appeal to raise £200,000 towards the cost of the land. Leaches Farm has now been saved for wildlife and BBOWT will ensure the survival of these beautiful wildflower meadows for generations to come. Big thank you In these times of economic difficulty, BBOWT would like to extend a big thank you to all those who contributed to the appeal. From the 13-year-old who handed out leaflets in her local neighbourhood, to the friends who collected at a pot-luck supper, the support the appeal received was invaluable.
Philippa Lyons, BBOWT's Chief Executive, says: "I am astounded by the generosity of our members and the general public, who have given so kindly to save Leaches Farm for the future. This is an early Christmas present for the wildlife of the Upper River Ray," she continues. "The addition of these new meadows to our current nature reserve in the area will allow us to manage more of the land in the Ray valley in a wildlife-friendly way. We will also be able to develop the local footpath network so that people can visit more of the area and enjoy the wildflower meadows in spring and summer, or the flocks of wading birds in the winter."
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To Mark- conservation grazing follows a well thought out plan, particularly within an organisation such as the Wildlife Trust. There are many factors involved and i would imagine with the meadows above, the fact that they're wildflower meadows will mean that there will be little presence of cattle over the spring and early summer. The cattle will go on post flowering period, and will graze off any rank growth, helping the wildflowers to survive. Grazing by cattle (and sheep) is beneficial to waders as well, giving them the varied sward heights required to feed and maybe in the future, even breed.
Don't be so negative.
And the subsidies are greatly needed by charities like the WT. Where else do you think they get money from? Especially in this climate..And yes, they deserve the money which is for things like keeping and maintaining good hedges and not using fertlizer etc etc.
It's a brilliant, positive thing that the WT have this portion of land now. Just give it time.
Posted by: Lucy Ryan | 15 Nov 2009 19:38:43
Wont be long before cows are pushed on to these fields, in the name of "conservation grazing" and perversely paid for by a subsidy that is supposed to mitigate the effects of farming. Say goodbye to to the tall forbs in pictures like that above. Look forward to barbed wire fences, churned up mud, and cow pats. And then someone will get really excited about what's living in the cow pats. Its all so predictable.
Posted by: Mark Fisher | 09 Nov 2009 09:27:00