As part of the Tawd Valley Park redevelopment, an ecological survey was recently carried out on the meadow to the north of Summer Street.  The survey identified that the habitat could be improved by carrying out an annual cut, with the cut hay material being removed, and the work has been carried out this week.

Cutting grasses prevents them forming a thick sward which chokes out wildflowers and removing the hay slowly reduces the nutrients in the soil, which also allows wildflower species to thrive.

By leaving the self-seeded trees, we are creating a locally rare habitat called wood pasture, where widely spaced trees are surrounded by grassland species. It particularly suits birds like the chiffchaff, bats and other ‘edge’ loving species.