Come and be part of a global voice for wild plants and fungi
Help wildlife, connect with nature and take part in No Mow May – straight from your garden by letting the wildflowers grow (in May and beyond!)
There are many different ways you can go the extra mile for Plantlife – from organising a bake sale, running the London Marathon or planning your own plant-themed event.
Our corporate partners benefit from 35 years of experience in nature restoration so they can achieve real impact.
Become a Plantlife member today and together we will rebuild a world rich in plants and fungi
In 2022 Lizzie Wilberforce took up the challenge of trying to learn some of Britain’s most common moss and liverwort species, near her home in damp, mossy west Wales.
‘Inspired by Lief Bersweden’s Couch to 10 Mosses on Twitter, I decided to give it a go and independently teach myself some mosses and liverworts out on my walks.
I have always been interested in identifying plants, even as a child. As an adult, I’m now able to identify most common species on my patch, but still with a huge amount still to learn. Bryophytes, known as mosses and liverworts, were even more of a mystery to me.
I’d always appreciated the aesthetics of their soft cloaks of green that envelop damp woodland, and the sheer resilience of the small, tufty species eking out a living in the harsh conditions of our sun-baked stone walls.
Naming them, however, always felt like an art that was out of my reach.
The first step is to spot just 1 or 2 interesting but abundant species when out for a walk, and to then bring home a very small piece of them to ‘key out’ – using an ID guide to identify the species.
Here are some tips which have helped me, for when you’ve spotted your first moss species.
Don’t be intimidated! Mosses and liverworts have a bit of a reputation for being tricky, but it’s great fun when you get into it. Looking a bit closer through a hand lens also reveals whole new levels of intricacy and beauty in these glorious plants.
These 2 publications have been incredibly helpful as ID guides: the British Bryological Society’s ‘Mosses and Liverworts of Britain and Ireland’ has been my go-to book for keying samples out, and of course a hand lens is vital.
I’ve also found that the Species Recovery Trust’s booklet ‘A Field Guide to Bryophytes’ has been helpful for quickly spotting some of the most common species I was likely to encounter based on habitat.
Going wrong and getting stuck has been an inevitable part of being a beginner. I’ve found that the Google Lens mobile phone app – whilst it does a poor job of species identification, can sometimes do enough to point me in a new direction if I’ve gone wrong early in the key.
A guidebook will take you to the right species, but it won’t always tell you which one or two features are the easiest to spot in the field – an expert will help you learn that shortcut much more quickly.
My county recorder, Sam Bosanquet, has been incredibly patient and helpful. Your local county recorder could have access to distribution maps such as Sam’s Carmarthenshire County Flora, which are a good sense check – find your county recorder here.
I’ve also recently joined the British Bryological Society, which gives me access to supportive recording groups and events.
I’ve also had to accept that my learning is seasonal – but one of the great things about mosses and liverworts is that it has provided me with new things to do in the tail ends of the year.
Sometimes it’s felt like one step forward and two steps back, with long names and complex features that I struggle to keep in my brain. However, embracing it as a slow process has meant it’s always stayed fun.
I’m gradually getting better at recognising some of the commoner species in the field, and every now and then, I’m even filling in a gap on the distribution maps – which help protect these species for the future.
Bryophytes desperately need more advocates and recorders. So, if you’ve ever thought about giving it a go, but thought them a bit intimidating- don’t! Set yourself a target of 10 and give it a go. Who knows where it’ll take you next?‘
Thuidium tamariscinum has a name that is a little tricky to commit to memory, but its wonderful complex fern-like structure is very distinctive. It’s abundant in my local woodlands and hedge banks, and is one of the first mosses I learned to recognise in the field.
Plagiochila asplenioides, a large leafy liverwort that was one of the first to catch my attention on local road verges.
Discover the names of temperate rainforest mosses which could be in woodlands near you!
Recent studies have revealed that there's so much fungi out there that we don't know about. But how do we know this? Rachel Inhester, from our science team, tells us why.
Sun, sand, sea and wildflowers – why not add finding flowers to your list of beach time activities this summer.
From citizen science, to volunteering and from making space for nature to forging a deeper connection with it – conservation is for everyone.
The State of Nature Report 2023 is the latest go-to resource for information on how our species and ecosystems are faring in Wales, and across the UK.
Drawing on the best available data, the report acts as a stock-take for our wildlife, painting a picture of how the natural world is doing in response to the numerous pressures it faces.
The report headlines are alarming – calling for decisive and urgent action to protect our species.
Here’s a closer look at some of the headlines from the report, what they mean for our species and habitats in Wales, and what we at Plantlife are doing to make a difference:
1. Of 3908 species [all taxa] that have been assessed – 18% are threatened with extinction from Wales
This means that almost 1 in 5 species are at risk of being lost forever.
When we lose species to extinction, it undermines our ecosystem’s ability to adapt and respond to environmental pressures. For this reason, recovering species is one of our strategic missions at Plantlife.
We achieve this mission in partnerships through funded species recovery projects, such as Natur Am Byth, and through targeted interventions that support declining priority species, such as our work on Fen Orchid, Tree Lungwort and Yellow Marsh Orchid.
2. Plant species associated with upland habitats like bogs and heathlands have declined.
As temperatures rise, plants that are adapted to live in the cooler upland areas have two options: they can either move further north or move higher up into the mountains. However, for species with fragmented populations, northward expansion is impossible, and so their only choice is to move to higher ground where the temperature is cooler.
Without intervention, these species will eventually have nowhere else to go, and they could be lost from Wales completely.
This is one of the reasons that the arctic-alpine plant community has been selected as a priority for the Natur Am Byth project. The Tlysau Mynydd Eryri (Mountain Jewels of Snowdonia) project sets out an action plan to directly intervene and save these vulnerable alpine plants.
Other pressures threatening upland plant communities are the expansion of coniferous woodland plantations, inappropriate grazing patterns and excessive levels of air pollution.
We are working to address these threats holistically, through direct intervention, influencing land management practices and wider advocacy work to ensure policies and legislation help address these threats.
3. The flora of Wales is changing – there has been a decrease in the distribution range of 42% of vascular plant species.
In order to bolster and support our plant species, we target our work where its most needed.
The majority of our species-rich grasslands have been destroyed since the 1940s, and they are now among Great Britain’s rarest habitats. This is despite grasslands having the potential to contain the greatest number of species per square metre of any habitat, and store large amounts of carbon securely in their soils.
Our new Glaswelltiroedd Gwydn (Resilient Grasslands) project seeks to improve the health of our grasslands in protected sites across Wales, supporting species to recover and thrive.
We are also calling on governments in England, Scotland, and Wales to take a strategic approach to grasslands and meaningfully incorporate them into climate and nature policy, in order to achieve national and international targets.
Although many of the headlines can seem bleak, the State of Nature report serves as a call to action.
Rather than becoming demotivated, the direction that this report provides should act as a catalyst to produce positive change where it’s most needed.
Armed with this knowledge, we will continue taking proactive steps to support our species and help them recover wherever we can.
Read more about the State of Nature report 2023 and how you can use your voice to call for action for our wild plants and fungi now.
A closer look at some of the headlines from the State of Nature 2023 report, and what they mean for our species and habitats in Wales.
A new stock-take of the UK’s wildlife has revealed continued declines in our biodiversity, with over half of our flowering plants declining in their range since 1970.
Glaswelltiroedd Gwydn is a 3-year project to create positive change on grasslands such as meadows and rhôs pasture across Wales.
Grasslands like meadows and parks are not just home to wildflowers, they are also an important habitat for a colourful type of fungi which prefer farmland to forests – waxcaps.
Every autumn one of the UK’s most colourful natural displays takes place: jewel-coloured waxcaps emerge through the grass across our countryside, cities and even some of our gardens. Let’s find them!
Waxcaps are types of mushrooms known for their shiny-looking caps. Together with other types of fascinatingly named fungi called pinkgills, earthtongues, club and coral fungi – they form a group called “grassland fungi”.
Waxcaps and grassland fungi come in a rainbow of different colours including vibrant violets, yellows, greens and pinks.
They also come in weird and wonderful shapes, which can help you to identify the species you’re looking at.
Chris Jones is the Warden at the Kenfig National Nature Reserve, one of our Dynamic Dunescapes sites, and has worked as a practical conservationist for over 25 years.
Kenfig is one of the largest sand dune systems in Wales and provides a unique habitat for a variety of rare and specialised species, including over 20 species of Waxcap fungi.
‘Waxcap fungi are commonly found in grasslands and meadows, and they are known for their ecological importance. They are often found in areas with short, grazed vegetation, but they can also occur in disturbed habitats, such as lawns and roadside verges.
Waxcaps are mostly found in the late summer and autumn, typically from September to November, depending on the local weather – but you can find them all year round.
The meadows where waxcaps are found are known as ‘waxcap grasslands’. These grasslands need specific conditions for waxcaps to thrive and are becoming rare.
On waxcap grasslands, waxcap fungi form partnerships with plants, where they exchange nutrients with the roots of host plants, benefiting both the fungi and the plants. This only happens in habitats with a high level of biodiversity, which the app aims to identify.
Waxcap fungi are fascinating, not only for their vibrant colours, but also for their significance as indicators of healthy grasslands. Their conservation is important for maintaining biodiversity and preserving these unique and beautiful fungi for future generations to enjoy.
Many waxcap species are considered rare or threatened, primarily due to habitat loss and changes in land management practices such as tree planting and intensive agriculture. If you find any, please record them on the Waxcap Watch app.
‘I LOVE Waxcaps, they are AMAZING! It is ridiculously hard to pick a favourite, but if I had to choose it would be… all of them.’
This autumn, help Plantlife find Britain’s most colourful and important fungi – waxcaps.
The ‘State of Nature 2023’ report is the most comprehensive set of reports on nature across the four UK nations, based on the latest and best data collated by thousands of skilled volunteers.
The startling data has renewed calls from Plantlife and its partners for urgent action for nature’s recovery by governments and across society.
…have declined in distribution across Great Britain since 1970. Also:
The reports also show that nature restoration projects, such as those delivered by Plantlife, and the shift towards nature-friendly farming can have clear benefits for nature, people and planet.
15% of flowering plant and 26% of bryophyte species increased their distribution thanks to nature restoration projects such as Building Resilience and Restoring Fen Orchid.
We need more of this work, on a bigger scale, now.
Plantlife and its partners are calling on all governments and political parties to put nature’s recovery at the heart of their policies as a matter of priority.
Nature is in crisis. Time is running out.We can’t wait any longer: we know the solutions and our politicians must act now.Use your voice to call for action for our wild plants and fungi now.
Here are some actions you can take:
Nature can’t wait.
Meg Griffiths
Ever wondered why we need to go out and count rare plants?
Meg Griffiths from the Plantlife Cymru team, reflects on a summer of lichen hunting and data collection for the Natur am Byth! Project.
Natur am Byth! is a cross-taxa partnership, which means many different organisations are working together to save a variety of species – from insects and plants to birds. This is important as when any species is lost from an ecosystem, it can make the whole ecosystem weaker and less able to cope with change, regardless of what kind of species it is.
One element the Natur am Byth programme focuses on is the mini-wonders of the Welsh Marches. The area has a rich diversity of mosses and liverworts, lichens, fungi and insects. These species all have one thing in common: they are generally pretty tiny. Many people just aren’t looking closely enough to spot them –and that’s what we want to change.
But before we can get started protecting rare species, we need to know where we’re currently at. ‘Baseline monitoring’ gives us a picture of how our target species, and the sites where they exist, are doing – we can then use this data to plan how we’ll manage those areas for nature. We can also track how these species recover in the future.
So, I went out to some very beautiful sites in Mid-Wales, hunting for some of the project target lichen species. This is what I found
Lichen hunting can be like looking for a needle in a haystack – except the needle is as small as a pinhead, and the haystack is a woodland.
I got rained on heavily, I got lost hunting for trees, I had to shoo away cattle who were trying to eat my notebook, and I spent far too long peering through my hand lens checking every gnarly nook and cranny for some of these miniscule marvels.
At times I felt like I was living in that miniature kingdom. I’d come across insects and die of fright thinking they were enormous, and I’d pull my eye away from the hand lens only to be dizzied by the astonishing complexity of the enormous world we occupy.
It has been a joy working to collect the data which can be used to demonstrate that the Natur am Byth project is having a positive impact and supporting these species.
Not only does the project have the potential to support these rare lichens with recovery, it also has the potential to change perceptions – magnifying the hidden worlds we overlook daily and showcasing the rare and special mini wonders that occupy them
One of the most important discussions at COP28 is about – food and agriculture. Find out why they are so important for global governments.
Do you know the truth about the Christmas kissing plant? Discover this festive favourite's unusual way of surviving – as a parasite!
Britain’s waxcap grasslands are considered to be the best in Europe. Discover the pressures these colourful fungi and their habitats face…
The Natur am Byth partnership is Wales’ flagship Green Recovery project. It unites nine environmental charities with Natural Resources Wales (NRW) to deliver the country’s largest natural heritage and outreach programme to save species from extinction and reconnect people to nature. Thanks to players of the National Lottery over £4.1m from the Heritage Fund was awarded to the partnership in June 2023. NRW has contributed £1.7m and the Natur am Byth partners have secured a further £1.4m from Welsh Government, Arts Council of Wales and a number of charitable trusts, foundations and corporate donors. These include donations from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, and significant support from Welsh Government’s Landfill Disposals Tax Communities Scheme administered by Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA).
Grasslands in Wales are facing increasing threats and we are working to create positive change.
This 3-year partnership project will strive to recover the condition of some of our most important places for grassland habitats.
Grasslands in Wales face increasing threats – from development, pollution and unsustainable land management practices. We are responding to these challenges through the Glaswelltiroedd Gwydn (Resilient Grasslands) project – in partnership with North Wales Wildlife Trust.
This project will run for 3 years until March 2026, and will work with farmers and landowners to protect, enhance and restore semi-natural grassland habitats across Wales.
40% of threatened Welsh wildflowers and fungi depend on semi-natural grasslands
Semi-natural grasslands are one of Wales’ most important habitats – but are often overlooked.
These meadows and pastures have a critical role in:
Once dominating the landscape, these habitats declined by 90% in the last century and now cover just 9% of Wales.
Grasslands that have not been recently cultivated, re-sowed or received fertiliser application. They are created by low-intensity, traditional farming, and contain a rich variety of grasses, fungi and flowers.
Read more: Grasslands and why they are in trouble
Grassland restoration is essential to stem the decline of our wildflowers and wildlife. We need to act now to protect these important places and their flora and fauna, support sustainable agriculture and mitigate against climate change.
Our focus is land on or near Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), Important Plant Areas (IPAs) and Important Fungus Areas (IFAs) – but we will also work on grasslands right across Wales.
Rhôs pasture – Rhos means ‘Moor’ in Welsh. Often dominated by purple moor-grass, it is rich in biodiversity, provides valuable grazing and helps prevent flooding. It is vulnerable to draining, tree planting and being abandoned to scrub.
Meadows – Flower-rich meadows are vital for pollinators and other insects – and beneficial to livestock health. Their disastrous decline is mainly due to increased agricultural intensity in the last century.
Ancient grassland for rare fungi – Grassland with no agricultural improvement since 1840, providing an ideal habitat for many rare fungi. The UK is of global importance for waxcap fungi – a focus of this project.
We have developed a training programme for young farmers, alongside our partners Llysfasi agricultural college and Pasture for Life, to highlight the benefits of lower input land management and the return of species-rich grassland.
Climate change, biodiversity loss, food security and a decrease in profit margins are all causes for concern within the farming sector. We need a farming system that is sustainable and profitable while delivering high quality produce, protecting nature and rural communities. By engaging with young farmers and land managers, we hope to support positive change in livestock farming in Wales that benefits both farmers and biodiversity.
As part of the programme, we have taken some students to Pentwyn – a working hill farm owned by Radnorshire Wildlife Trust, which aims to make space for nature while still producing high welfare products under a low input model.
We taught students how to identify key plant species which can give an indication of the quality and type of grassland – and how best to manage it.
Wildflowers, now viewed as weeds by some farmers, were once recognised for their nutritional benefits to livestock. Plants such as Bird’s-foot Trefoil Lotus corniculatus and Yarrow Achillea millefolium would have acted as natural anti-inflammatories, antiseptics, and wormers. With their deep rooting systems these wildflowers also provide stability, aeration, and nutrients back into the soil they grow from.
Looking into soil health, we also took samples and measured the depth of topsoil to highlight the issues caused by compaction from overgrazing and the use of heavy machinery. We hope training sessions like this will help young farmers feel better prepared for a future in farming that is good for people, planet and plants.
Are you a farmer or land manager?
We want to partner with farmers and landowners who are eager to explore what diverse grasslands could do for them, their farms and for nature.
We can provide advice, technical support and information – which may help decisions around the SFS and your farm business.
There’s a role for everyone with the Glaswelltiroedd Gwydn project! We’re looking for volunteers who can:
We would love to hear from anyone interested in volunteering for Glaswelltiroedd Gwydn. Please contact volunteering@plantlife.org.uk for more details.
Follow us for further updates on the project!
If you would like to contribute to the funding of this project, please get in touch with Beth, our Senior Partnerships Officer at Beth.webb@plantlife.org.uk
The Nature Networks Fund (round two) is being delivered by the Heritage Fund, on behalf of the Welsh Government and in partnership with Natural Resources Wales.
We would like to thank all of the trusts and funders who support this project, including those listed below and the Mackintosh Foundation.
Wildflower meadows are often a defining feature of the summer, but when managed properly they can also be a vital habitat for wildlife and nature recovery.
Take a look through our guidance on managing meadows, the equipment needed, which seeds to choose and much much more.
It’s waxcap season in the Upper Ystwyth and Plantlife’s Sheena Duller explains why fungi and farming can go so well together.
Plantlife and our partners are calling on the UK Government to prioritise grasslands and commit to developing a Grassland Action Plan for England.
From mountain pastures to floodplain meadows, grasslands cover more than 40% of land in the UK.
They are a huge natural asset; vital for nature and people to thrive, for food production, and to combat climate change.
The true value of grasslands has been overlooked by successive governments in the UK.
The majority of our ancient wildlife-rich grasslands have been destroyed and they are now among the UK’s rarest habitats – with losses continuing today. Over-fertilised and monoculture fields now dominate our landscape, providing few benefits for nature, people or our climate.
It’s time for real action to make the most of our grasslands.
This would help to achieve national and international climate and nature targets, by driving the restoration, appropriate management, and creation of wildlife-rich grasslands, connected across the landscape.
Grasslands can provide many incredible ecosystem services and benefits – such as supporting wildlife, storing carbon, providing clean air and water, and producing nutritious food – but they could be doing so much more.
The untapped potential of grasslands continues to be overlooked by government – but protecting, restoring and managing these incredible habitats is crucial for tackling the climate and biodiversity emergencies.
We’ve written to the government to urge them to create a cross-departmental Grassland Taskforce. Unlike trees and peatland, there is no dedicated team or person in government for grasslands, despite them covering 40% of England.
The letter has been supported by more than 40 environmental organisations and charities including Pasture for Life, Bumblebee Conservation Trust, UK Youth for Nature and Campaign for National Parks.
Read our letter here.
To unlock the benefits of grasslands, a new approach is needed. We’re calling on governments in the UK to make the most of our grasslands.
This briefing covers how Plantlife and its partners are calling on the UK Government to make the most of grasslands and commit to developing a Grassland Action Plan for England’
This briefing highlights the value of grasslands as stable carbon stores in order to make the case for action by policy makers, researchers and land managers to protect these grasslands.
A review of the extent of semi-natural and/or species-rich grasslands in the UK, exploring trends overtime and between nations.
This report offers a review of existing literature and evidence on the numerous advantages associated with species-rich grasslands.
From mountain pastures to floodplain meadows, from road verges to private gardens and urban parks – grasslands are all around us. Nature-rich grasslands are sustainable solutions for nature, food, climate, economy, and health.
Discover the wealth of benefits provided by these biodiverse habitats and why we need to take action to make the most of our grasslands.
If your organisation would like to support this important call out please contact Jo.Riggall@plantlife.org.uk
As governments continue to undervalue grasslands, Plantlife is calling on policymakers to help farmers make sustainable choices.
Drive positive change for your local wildlife and local communities with Plantlife's LNRS Local Nature Recovery Strategy guidance.
Hywel Morgan
Learn from Hywel Morgan, Plantlife’s Agricultural Advisor, about how and why he made the switch to nature friendly farming on his 230-acre beef and sheep farm at the western end of the stunning Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons National Park).
‘I used to do lots of cultivating, reseeding, and fertilising. This impacts wild plant species and soil health, and releases greenhouse gases. I also realised that they were only short-term fixes and never really paid for the cost of the stress and inputs. Often as a farmer you feel you need to be producing at all costs, but financially, the cost of bought-in inputs has increased way past them being affordable.
I changed the system five years ago, after a conversation with a Civil Servant who said that, in the future, farmers would be paid for more nature friendly farming. The transition was challenging, both financially and mentally: the peer pressure to keep farming conventionally was huge.
Post-war the mindset was all about production, and tenant farmers would have lost their farms if they didn’t meet demands. This doctrine has influenced generations of farmers since. It’s meant we’ve lost the connection between how and why we produce the food, and we sometimes forget the benefits of wildlife within the farm system.
Making the change has meant a large reduction in costs and I can see – and enjoy – the benefits of working with nature.
I try to keep everything simple. I have cut out chemicals and fertilisers. This helps to reduce soil fertility and then encourages the growth of wildflowers and other grasslands plants that need low nutrient levels. I’ve seen many more Birds-foot Trefoil, Yellow Rattle, Yarrow, and Plantain since making the change. I’ve also got loads of different species of waxcap in my fields now, some are even of regional importance.
My hedges are now allowed to grow taller and thicker, and only trimmed every three years. I have also planted a lot of trees and hedging over the last few years and created large pond.
Plants need recovery time after grazing so they can flourish. To allow this to happen I now do mob grazing, which is moving cattle in short bursts of high intensity grazing, and bale grazing, which is allowing livestock to feed off a whole, intact bale of hay. I have cut out bought-in feed apart for some hay, and focus on producing high quality, pasture-fed livestock.
I needed a better balance between grazing types, because sheep and cows graze in different ways, so reduced sheep and increased cattle numbers. Without the right management, sheep will nibble out pretty much everything, cattle graze in a less destructive way and are generally better for biodiversity. I’m always working to find out what balance is right for my land.
Government policy should reward smaller family nature friendly farms – it’s a reward for doing good things that benefit all of us. Banks and supermarkets need to support this move too as healthy nutritious food is part of the solution for climate, environment and peoples’ health. More farmer-to-farmer advice and support regarding regenerative agriculture is also needed to move to a sustainable future.
Achieving food security means eating locally and seasonally and certainly, we can’t have a stable food system when nature is in decline. I believe nature friendly farming should just be called “farming” and anything else should be called industrial or chemical farming.’
This summer Plantlife Cymru have worked closely with Carolyn Thomas MS, our Species Champion for Butterfly Orchids, to raise awareness of the importance of grasslands far and wide across Wales.
Species Champions are Members of the Welsh Senedd, chosen to represent threatened species found in their constituency and champion them both within the Senedd and across Wales. Carolyn Thomas MS is deeply passionate about supporting our wildlife, from nature friendly green space management to improving protections for our precious biodiversity.
This year, Carolyn was able to join us and North Wales Wildlife Trust for the big Butterfly Orchid count in our North Wales nature reserve Caeau-Tan-y-Bwlch, in June. Participating in the count meant she was able to contribute first-hand to the monitoring and understanding of a rare and beautiful species.
We counted the highest number of Greater Butterfly Orchids ever recorded at the reserve in over 40 years – some 9,456 flowering spikes of this rare plant were found within the diverse upland hay meadow near Caernarfon. Carolyn reflected on this important day in her Senedd statement on 28 June:
“Last Saturday, as the Butterfly Orchid species champion, I took part in a Butterfly Orchid count at a wildflower meadow, owned by Plantlife Cymru and managed by the North Wales Wildlife Trust. The meadow was rich in diverse species, which has created habitat in return for many animals and insects, such as butterflies, ladybirds, damselflies, crickets, spiders and tiny frogs. The place was alive and very beautiful.“
Another visit to a beautiful meadow just outside Mold in north Wales on National Meadows Day gave us the perfect opportunity to discuss some of the threats that our species-rich grasslands face. Our Species Champion was able to see first-hand how a lack of management was allowing scrub to encroach onto the valuable grassland habitat, but also to hear how the efforts of volunteers were protecting the grassland that remained.
Staff and volunteers from Plantlife Cymru and North Wales Wildlife Trust also talked about how incredibly precious fragments of species-rich grassland can too easily slip through the nets of protection and face damage from neglect, but also from development, agricultural use and inappropriate tree planting.
There was also plenty of time just to appreciate the joy of being in such a beautiful place! We were able to admire both Greater and Lesser Butterfly Orchids, as well as Common Spotted Orchids, carpets of Betony and Lady’s Bedstraw, and we were even treated to the sight of a Slow-worm. Some early Field Scabious was just coming into flower, and sheltered sunny meadow areas were alive with butterflies and moths.
In her statement to the plenary ahead of the visit which you can watch here, Carolyn emphasised to the Senedd the vital nature of thriving green spaces and advocated for the protection and restoration of our species-rich grasslands.
Thank you, Carolyn for supporting us in our mission to support grasslands and the wealth of species that rely on them!
How Plantlife is moving one of the most endangered wildflowers in Europe off the Red Data list for Great Britain.
The Fen Orchid Liparis loeselii, is one of the most endangered wildflowers in Europe, but successful conservation efforts have given hope for its survival. The orchid is only found in two areas of the UK:
We believe that the orchid could finally be removed from the Red Lists for both England and Great Britain.
After a decade of research and partnership work, the orchid has been re-discovered at former sites in the Broads, and the total population has estimated to have risen to over 15,000 plants through proper management.
The orchid has also been reintroduced to its former sites in Suffolk, and the signs are encouraging that it will become established in some of its old homes.
In South Wales, the conservation effort to restore the fragile dune habitat at Kenfig and to rediscover the plant at former dune locations.
At Kenfig numbers had dropped from a conservative 21,000 at the end of the 1980s to just 400 when conservation work began.
After almost 10 years of work, over 4000 Fen Orchids have been counted, more than double the highest number seen in the last two decades.
The orchids once grew at eight dune sites along the south Wales coast, but a lack of active management led to their disappearance. The success at Kenfig gives hope for other dune sites like Whiteford and Pembrey, the former of which the plant has recently been re-found after searching.
45% of flowering plants are at risk of extinction.
Donate today to help us take action for the unsung heroes of our ecosystems, wild plants and fungi.
The effort Greena Moor Nature Reserve management team put in place to save the Three-lobed Water Crowfoot.
Discover 4 new walk ideas and Scottish spring adventure inspiration from Plantlife Scotland’s Communications and Policy Officer, Erin Shott.
Alistair Whyte, Head of Plantlife Scotland shares his thoughts on Scotland's Plant Relict, Purple Oxytropis
We will keep you updated by email about our work, news, campaigning, appeals and ways to get involved. We will never share your details and you can opt out at any time. Read our Privacy Notice.
