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Moving from fortnightly mowing of these areas to an annual cut at the end of the summer, the aim of the changes is to provide more habitats for many species which have suffered severe declines in recent decades.
After the start of the 'rewilding champions' project was delayed by the pandemic, volunteers with training provided by Avon Wildlife Trust have been surveying sites across Clevedon, Nailsea, Portishead and Weston-super-Mare since August.
Early results look promising with a marked difference in the abundance of plant and insect species recorded between areas of longer grass and those which remain regularly mown, even after just one summer. In some areas volunteers recorded more than five times the number of species.
“As we alter the way we manage some of our land to the benefit of our local wildlife, it’s important that we are able to monitor the changes to biodiversity,” said Cllr Mike Solomon, North Somerset Council’s executive member for neighbourhoods and community services.
“The project is a significant transformation in how our open spaces are managed, so working alongside Avon Wildlife Trust and with the help of enthusiastic North Somerset residents, we have been able to show some tremendous initial results. It doesn’t take long to notice the positive difference to plant and insect species in the uncut areas, compared to those regularly mown.”
Supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, a major aim of the project is to provide opportunities for local people to gain new skills and engage with their local open spaces.
“Considering we’ve only had a small window for monitoring towards the tail end of this summer, our results so far are encouraging,” said Jamie Kingscott, the project manager at Avon Wildlife Trust. “We’re looking forward to next year when we can make the most of the full survey season. We’ll be offering lots of free training and survey sessions for anyone who wants to get involved.”
Though the main survey season for pollinators is now at an end, there are a number of events through the autumn and winter months, followed by a packed season of sessions next year. You can find out more about the project and how to get involved and see the list of events at: www.avonwildlifetrust.org.uk/NSRewilding.