Since the 1960s, Cheshire has lost an alarming 99% of its wildflower meadows. In order to turn things around, the Trust is calling on people to take part in a citizen science project to help find more space for wildflowers.
From today, members of the public are being asked to submit a photo of green spaces and road verges that might be good for wildlife. By tagging their location, the aim is to develop a map showing all the potential wildflower sites right across the Cheshire County. These photos can help the Trust work out where might already be good for wildlife and where has the potential to be restored.
James Melling, the Trust’s Wilder Campaigns Officer commented:
‘We really wanted to do something different this year. Normally we ask people to hold off giving the grass a cut to give wildflowers a chance to emerge. While that is something we are still encouraging, it’s becoming clear that we need much bigger change to happen in order to support nature’s recovery.
We recently called on the Government to protect 30% of land for nature by 2030. Cheshire needs to contribute to that target so we want people to start looking at the spaces around them and asking the question ‘could this be better for wildlife?’
To submit a photo, people need to use the submission form: https://www.cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/road-verge-submission-page.
From there, photos can be uploaded with details of their location. Once a photo has been reviewed by the Cheshire Wildlife Trust team, the site will appear on a map with an indication of its current value for wildlife.
Community groups and individuals are also being encouraged to take part in the campaign through taking their own actions.
James adds:
‘This citizen science project is just a starting point because there’s so much more you can do. You can write to your councillor, start up your own community group or even just make a wildflower patch at home. We’re calling on everyone to Go Wild for Wildflowers so let us know what you’re doing something to help. We all have a role to play in inspiring others so, by sharing our stories, we can hopefully create change on a much bigger scale.’
More resources and advice on wildflowers can be found at: https://www.cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/go-wild-wildflowers.