The group have recently created two wildflower meadows in prominent locations in the heart of their Parish and have liaised with Council teams to implement sustainable management plans so that these areas will now be managed for wildlife in perpetuity.

Following the final autumn cut on these two green spaces, members came together to rake off ‘arisings’. This is a crucial action when creating a meadow, in order to reduce soil nutrient levels and prevent vigorous grasses and ruderals (which prefer fertile soil) from outcompeting the desired flora.

They then scarified the ground, working by hand with rakes and cultivators on the smaller ‘Postbox Meadow’, and using a hired mechanical scarifier on the larger ‘Millenium Meadow’ site.

Scarifying is also an important action as it opens up bare patches of soil ready for seeding. The group then sowed yellow rattle seed on both sites; known as ‘the meadow maker' - a semi-parasitic native wildflower which deprives coarse grasses of moisture and nutrients, weakening them and creating space for other wildflowers to establish, as well as easing the amount of mowing required in future years.

Finally, group members spread around a green hay cut, kindly donated from a thriving community meadow managed by the nearby Friends of Barmby Moor Wildlife Areas group.

Adding green hay to a site allows the seeds from the meadow grasses and perennial wildflowers to drop into the newly prepared ground, thereby helping to establish their new meadows.

Volunteers then raked off and composted the hay after a couple of weeks, to prevent it rotting down and adding nutrients back into the soil.

The group are looking forward to seeing the results of their hardwork next year, both in terms of making local spaces more attractive for residents and visitors and providing a feast of pollen and nectar which they hope will lead to an increase in the number and diversity of bees, butterflies, hoverflies, and other species in and around Molescroft. They also have many more exciting projects now planned for 2024 and beyond!

Group member, Sharon, summed up some of the challenges they have faced, and the feeling of optimism within the group at having tackled these head-on:

"With support from Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, we learnt the basic principles of meadow-making. We needed the agreement of Molescroft Parish Council to put our ideas into action, then the grass cutting regime had to be agreed and altered by East Riding of Yorkshire Council. All this has taken much time and perseverance, and many meetings and e-mails, but everyone has been supportive of our plans. 

We realise we are just one of many groups out there who are making changes with the aim of improving biodiversity. If you want to do something in your local area, be encouraged. The time is right, have a go, there will be other people who feel the same and you can make it happen!

In these uncertain days of climate change and declining biodiversity we can hope governments and climate change conferences will make the right decisions. We can feel powerless, but we aren’t! We are powerful, especially when we come together and make positive changes in our own back gardens and local areas. It gives us a feeling of wellbeing, knowing small groups up and down the country are helping nature in various ways, collectively creating great benefit for wildlife."