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Caroline O'Rourke

@caroline-orourke.bsky.social
154 followers 186 following 8 posts

Elder Millennial ecologist, botanist, meadow fancier and dog botherer. Senior Research Associate at Floodplain Meadows Partnership bsky.app/profile/floodplainmead.bsk… (views and various nonsense my own).

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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
It's #Walesnatureweek We were so pleased to see floodplain meadows included on episode 4 of Iolo’s River Valleys in May. Thanks @iolowilliams.bsky.social & Cadno Media for highlighting this special habitat! Catch the episode on BBC IPlayer: tinyurl.com/bdzmvuvk
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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
#WythnosNaturCymru Roeddem yn falch iawn o weld bod gweirgloddiau gorlifdir wedi'u cynnwys ym mhennod 4 o Iolo's River Valleys ym mis Mai. Diolch i Iolo a Cadno Media am dynnu sylw at y cynefin arbennig hwn! Gwyliwch y bennod ar BBC iPlayer: tinyurl.com/bdzmvuvk
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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Briefly entrusted with Angus' special tool 😬 Can you guess what it's for?
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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
We love Clattinger and these are great pics xx
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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
What’s happening in #FloodplainMeadows in July? Weather permitting, the hay cut will be getting underway. It might seem destructive, but cutting and removing hay is essential to maintaining species diversity. Find out more about how the timing of haymaking is key here: tinyurl.com/y869stnh
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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
🌱 It's #nationalmeadowsday. So what exactly is a floodplain meadow anyway? 👇 Visit our website to find out more about this unique habitat: tinyurl.com/fs3t4ksb #floodplainmeadows #biodiversity #naturalfloodmanagement #sustainableagriculture #meadows #wildflowers
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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
Mae gweirgloddiau gorlifdir yn dod yn fwyfwy prin yng Nghymru, ond mae ymchwil newydd yn dangos eu bod yn llawer mwy cyffredin yn y gorffennol. Dysgwch fwy @antonyfjrth.bsky.social a thrwy'r ddolen ima: tinyurl.com/muhpu9yz
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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
#WalesNatureWeek Floodplain meadows are rare in Wales, but new research from @antonyfjrth.bsky.social shows they were more widespread in the past. Read more here: Investigation of the historic extent of floodplain meadows in three Welsh catchments: Dee, Usk, and Teifi: tinyurl.com/muhpu9yz
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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
Lovely day out at Portholme Meadow SSSI looking at soils and plants, to follow up our webinar series about the new CGS18 Floodplain Meadows Action in England. We compared soils and plants in drier and wetter parts of the site and talked drainage management. We also got hailed on!
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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
#30dayswild Family photo: Two Filipendula species hanging out together in a nice little floodplain meadow at @wildlifebcn Nene Wetlands Reserve. On the left we have meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) and on the right F. vulgaris (Dropwort).
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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
The field visits element of our training on the new CSHT action for floodplain meadows are now underway. Great to have @defrauk @naturalengland and @fwageast amongst others at our first on Portholme SSSI Cambridgeshire. There are still spaces available for Chertsey, Surrey on 18th June.
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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Our second field visit linked to our webinar series on CGS18 Action for floodplain meadows hosted by the wonderful Long Mead Foundation Pxon @longmead_tvwmrp and with @naturalengland. We avoided the worst of the rain in the beautiful barn and looked at soils and plants in the meadow.
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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
Gorgeous light and a curlew to keep us company made a very early start to beat the heat worthwhile. A lovely floodplain meadow restoration which is continuing to improve. Sometimes all you need is a change in management and time 🥰 #30dayswild #floodplainmeadows #waterrestorationfund
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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Miles King @milesking.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Wonderful trip to West Fermanagh with the @floodplainmead.bsky.social to explore the meadows around Lough Erne. Thanks in particular to Giles at @ulsterwildlife.bsky.social for arranging most of the visits. & our hosts at RSPB sites and @nationaltrust.org.uk at Crom, base for Springwatch next week!
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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
Lovely blog from FMP steering group member Debbie Wilkins on how managing species-rich floodplain meadows has benefitted her farm business. She has some beautiful meadows! www.nffn.org.uk/resources/na...
nffn.org.uk
Nature-friendly floodplain management delivers financial returns | Nature Friendly Farming Network, NFFN
Help fund our work to amplify nature-friendly farming’s benefits to farmers and policymakers across the UK
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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
So pleased Welsh floodplain meadows are getting some love on Iolo's River Valleys. Thanks @iolowilliams.bsky.social  🥰 Watch from 5:17 & see our website for more info. tinyurl.com/bdzmvuvk @openuniversity.bsky.social @openuniversitystem.bsky.social @natreswales.bsky.social @northwaleswt.bsky.social
tinyurl.com
Iolo's River Valleys - Series 2: 4. Dee
Iolo explores the stunning Dee valley, from wintering birds along the estuary to displaying black grouse on moorland, rare freshwater-pearl mussels and spawning sea trout.
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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
Spring into our latest newsletter for more on: Recent changes to GRH6 in SFI New papers on history & Scottish wet grasslands CGS18 training webinars Grasslands Ecosystem Services Toolkit for Farmers Landscape Recovery Local Nature Recovery Strategies ...and more tinyurl.com/yv68a9jf
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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Last week FMP staff attended a British Society of Soil Science workshop to deepen our knowledge of how soil properties help us understand hydrological regime, water storage capacity, management history and more. Read more on floodplain meadow soils in our technical handbook: tinyurl.com/mw6hmjtc
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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
What’s happening in #FloodplainMeadows in May? Plants are growing thick and fast now for the spring flush. Golden buttercups and shaggy meadow foxtail flowers are in the mix. Find out more about the rich biodiversity of these special habitats here: tinyurl.com/bd2e7zy7
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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
A fabulous soil profile from a floodplain in Oxfordshire showing mottling. This tells us that there is water movement in the soil profile and at this depth (about 80 cm) makes it suitable for restoration to a more species rich sward.
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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
We've been out and about on the Nene this week with @wildlifebcn.org, @therrc.bsky.social, the Nene Rivers Trust and Fjordr (@antonyfjrth.bsky.social) discussing our #waterrestorationfund project. #RiverRestoration #floodplainmeadows #NaturalFloodManagement www.instagram.com/reel/DYFMzay...
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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
Find out more about our long term monitoring of snakes head fritillaries at North Meadow NNR and get involved here: floodplainmeadows.org.uk/discover/lea...
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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Its #worldcurlewday. Curlew are in serious decline and floodplain meadows are one of their main breeding habitats in lowland England. Our management guidelines, developed with @wwtworldwide.bsky.social, provide advice on protecting curlew in species-rich floodplain meadows: tinyurl.com/4nbnfcru
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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 14/03/2026
On #internationaldayofactionforrivers consider the special habitats that live alongside our rivers. Traditional haymaking is a sustainable land management technique that exports nutrients from river systems, supporting recovery from half a century of eutrophication. More here: tinyurl.com/42d3x486
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Antony Firth @antonyfjrth.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
It is freshwater Friday, so a good time to flag our recent open access article with @floodplainmead.bsky.social on using a historic landscape approach to identify former meadow habitats with origins in the early medieval period: link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com
Historic Floodplain Meadows in the Landscape: Investigating Anthropogenic Habitats Important for Nature Conservation, Carbon Sequestration and Flood Attenuation - Environmental Management
In contemporary river valley floors, floodplain meadows are associated with rare grassland plant communities that are important for their conservation value. This article outlines a desk-based method ...
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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
What’s happening in #FloodplainMeadows in March? Underground activity becomes evident as early flowers like dandelions burst into life, bringing a splash of early colour and welcome nectar for hungry pollinators. Find out more here:https://tinyurl.com/44ujx98k
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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Last night's winter workshop on snake’s-head fritillaries at North Meadow NNR at the Cricklade Club was a resounding sucess 😄. Data shared and crafts enjoyed. If you'd like to join us, sign up for this year's fritillary count on 23rd April here: tinyurl.com/4j5r6s4y
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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
How Can Art Save Meadows? Find out in this lovely article by @openuniversity.bsky.social team @artandecology.bsky.social, @vickybowskill.bsky.social and our own Emma Rothero 👇 (Image: ‘Long Mead in Late June’, by Julia Loken) tinyurl.com/mssv8usy
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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 19/02/2026
New blog from our director, Professor David Gowing, @openuniversity.bsky.social on the long-term monitoring at Somerford Mead. tinyurl.com/5cswcf7p
tinyurl.com
Securing the future of monitoring data from the Somerford Mead long-term experiment — ECOLOGICAL CONTINUITY TRUST -
David Gowing writes about securing the future of monitoring data from the Somerford Mead long-term experiment for the Ecological Continuity Trust (ECT).
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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
The sun came out briefly yesterday. We are longing to be back in the meadows rummaging around in quadrats. Not long to wait...
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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
Very much in agreement with the concerns raised by The Wildlife Trusts here. Maize is incredibly damaging to floodplains. tinyurl.com/2tvz8xfw
tinyurl.com
Maize growth for energy: A growing threat to soil health | The Wildlife Trusts
Maize grown for biogas is accelerating soil erosion and river pollution – yet Government support for the sector continues. Gemma Lane, Land Use Policy Manager, explains why this threatens our soils, w...
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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
Join us for a free winter workshop to hear about the latest findings from the annual snake’s-head fritillary count at North Meadow NNR and craft your own fritillary. 🍰Refreshments and cake will be provided 🫖 Sign up here: tinyurl.com/6xjyhftc
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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 25/02/2026
Yesterday we delivered the last of four training webinars for 231 stautory agency staff from @naturalengland.bsky.social, DEFRA, and EA on the new Floodplain Meadow CSHT Option. Anyone giving advice on or hoping to apply for the option can register for the next series here 👇 tinyurl.com/84chmc7p
tinyurl.com
Training Webinars for CSHT CGS18 Floodplain Meadows | Floodplain Meadows Partnership
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Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
🥳🌱New Paper!🌱🥳 Check out how we have been working with our friends at Fjordr to detect historical locations of floodplain meadows using physical and documented traces in the landscape, suppporting the case for restoration. 👇 tinyurl.com/y8frpr2h
tinyurl.com
Historic Floodplain Meadows in the Landscape: Investigating Anthropogenic Habitats Important for Nature Conservation, Carbon Sequestration and Flood Attenuation - Environmental Management
In contemporary river valley floors, floodplain meadows are associated with rare grassland plant communities that are important for their conservation value. This article outlines a desk-based method ...
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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI) @bsbibotany.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
The latest issue of #BritishandIrishBotany is out! It's our Open Access, online scientific journal. 6 papers inc @bsbiscience.bsky.social on garden escapes, a new hybrid grass, @floodplainmead.bsky.social on Scotland's wet grasslands, a hawkweed, drift seeds & sea bindweed: bsbi.org/about/news/l...
The yellow flowers of American Skunk-cabbage bloom in the bog garden at RHS Harlow CarrSea Bindweed, with pink and white trumpet flowers, blooms in a sand-dune on the Sefton Coast
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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
Check out our new paper on the newly defined oceanic wet grasslands of Scotland in the latest issue of British and Irish Botany 👀👀 @bsbibotany.bsky.social @naturescot.bsky.social britishandirishbotany.org/index.php/bi...
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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
Check out this new @journalofecology.bsky.social paper on Geranium sylvaticum. Produced by @openuniversity.bsky.social, @ukceh.bsky.social, @naturalengland.bsky.social, North Pennines AONB Partnership, University of Lincoln and Royal Agricultural University Read for free here: tinyurl.com/4vrn979j
tinyurl.com
Biological Flora of Britain and Ireland: Geranium sylvaticum*
Geranium sylvaticum is a perennial forb of upland grasslands, woodlands and riverbanks in northern Britain, with scattered native occurrences also in Wales, central England and Northern Ireland. It h...
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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
It's #worldsoilday 🥳Floodplain meadow soils are ecosystem service superheros. Watch Professor David Gowing's video on floodplain meadow soils here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIki... Learn more about floodplain meadow soils in the OU's FREE course here: www.open.edu/openlearn/na...
youtube.com
Soils of Floodplain Meadows Professor David Gowing
YouTube video by FloodplainMeadows
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Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 20/10/2025
PhD opportunity 👇 Come and work with our awesome team to explore whether our understanding of niche segregation can be harnessed to predict the response of vegetation to alterations in hydrological regimes that are likely to result from global change. 🌱 centa.ac.uk/studentship/...
centa.ac.uk
2026-OU07 The role of the hydrological niche in predicting vegetation response to climate change – CENTA
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Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 14/10/2025
theconversation.com/how-the-nati... Lovely article from @artandecology.bsky.social on our recent joint project with @nationaltrust.org.uk, looking at how how art and visual culture can help us better understand and engage audiences with meadow restoration 🥰🌱 Read it here: tinyurl.com/39r2kkk2
theconversation.com
How the National Trust’s art collections can shape meadow restoration
Treasures inside the National Trust’s cultural collections can also draw attention to what is going on outside these estates.
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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 22/07/2025
And that's a wrap for fieldwork across @nationaltrust.org.uk sites on our joint TREASURE project. We've been from Norfolk to Dorset to Cumbria and everywhere in-between. This autumn we'll be using the data collected to provide restoration and management advice, but now it's time for a lie down! 😴
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Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 25/06/2025
Lovely to see floodplain meadows celebrated by senior advocacy stakeholders. Let's work together to restore floodplain meadows at a landscape scale 🥰
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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 25/06/2025
A great morning hosting ‪‪@tonyjuniper.bsky.social‬ & Alan Lovell Chair of the Environment Agency at Achurch Meadow, a wonderful example of floodplain meadow in Northamptonshire. Looking forward to working together to realise potential of this special habitat on a greater scale. Thanks to Kevin too!
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Caroline O'Rourke @caroline-orourke.bsky.social · 25/06/2025
Top notch advocacy by @floodplainmead.bsky.social Heads of @naturalengland.bsky.social and the Environment Agency got to appreciate the many benefits of floodplain meadows 🥳
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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 18/06/2025
Beautiful great burnet (Sanguisorba officinalis) for #wildflowerwednesday Did you know this, classic indicator of floodplain meadows has roots up to 2m deep? Read more here: floodplainmeadows.org.uk/about-meadow...
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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
As part of the #SpeciesOnTheEdge #OuterHebrides Wildlife Festival, join us online on 25th June 18:30 to hear about our research on a uniquely Scottish ecosystem, the astonishingly species-rich Oceanic wet grasslands. Sign up here: forms.office.com/pages/respon...
forms.office.com
Microsoft Forms
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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 17/06/2025
Our summer intern David has been hard at work learning his rush species today. Left to right: Compact, soft, and hard rush. We also had some hybrid material but I let him off because I'm nice like that 😅
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Reposted by Caroline O'Rourke
Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 12/06/2025
Today's merry band learning about floodplain meadow soils, hydrology, vegetation,and management are @nationaltrust.org.uk staff. Part of our TREASURE project, helping to raise the profile of floodplain meadows, share best practice and highlight restoration opportunities. + bonus tansy beetle 🪲😍.
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Floodplain Meadows Partnership @floodplainmead.bsky.social · 11/06/2025
Day 2 of training @naturalengland advisors covered assessing restoration potential/eligibility for the floodplain meadow CS option we helped develop. We also saw Long Mead's plug planting programme, a fantastic volunteer project producing floodplain meadow species for restoration projects 😍🌱
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Art and Ecology @artandecology.bsky.social · 11/06/2025
I've been really lucky to be working on a project with @nationaltrust.org.uk and @floodplainmead.bsky.social on the role that art can play in promoting floodplain meadows restoration. Short film on its way...
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