Summary
Species-rich meadows have declined by over 97% since the 1930s. Learn the core principles and processes for successful meadow establishment and management on this hybrid course. The first session will take place online (09:00 - 13:00) while the second session is in-person based around Winchester (09:30 - 16:30).
Description
Day 1 consists of a half-day online session that will set the scene, introducing meadows’ historical context and the ecosystem services they provide. Explore the role of Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) and Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) for successful outcomes. Having understood the underlying principles, we will discuss techniques used for establishing and restoring meadow habitats and how to measure success.
Day 2 will take us into fields around Winchester, exploring urban edge meadows, amenity wildflower areas and historic meadows. We will consider the principles of meadow management in practice and discuss problems, such as livestock worrying or unreliable contractors, and options to troubleshoot these common issues.
Ecological surveys will be discussed and we will practice how to use Rapid Condition Assessments to survey a meadow, using plant species as positive and negative indicator species.
*A species list will be provided, to prepare for using Rapid Condition Assessments.
Familiarising yourself with the species list ahead of the course will help you get more out of this session.
Who Should Attend?
Developers, land managers, field operatives, local authority ecologists, rangers, students, graduates, ecological consultants
