Cows return to the Meadows!
We are pleased to announce that cows have returned to the meadows! Nine black Angus heifers or yearlings have been introduced into the far fenced meadow; Oak Meadow. As they are all black they really stand out. They are well behaved and not nearly so inquisitive as the previous ones. The grazing helps open up gaps in thick grass sward and allows a wider range of more delicate plants to develop and seed into the bare patches, enhancing the diversity of the Meadow. Once the grass is reduced they will be then moved to West Meadow that was fenced last year.
Cattle with their large mouths use their tongues to twist around longer vegetation and pull, which can help to open up the sward, giving space to allow more delicate plants to develop. Their large mouths also mean they are non-selective grazers and will just munch away as they move through the grassland, often leaving areas of longer, coarse grasses to create a more diverse structure – this leaves places to hide for things like butterflies or small mammals. They may also leave some patches of plants traditionally considered ‘weeds’, such as thistles or docks. Within a natural landscape, these have their own benefits, both have insect species that rely on them uniquely, and as the land is not being intensively managed for agriculture, they are not a problem. If any species does spread or become dominant, selective management may be used to ensure we have as diverse a mix as possible on the Meadows.
We’d like to remind users that people and dogs are still extremely welcome, but please keep your dog under control and away from the cattle. If the cattle become stressed, they can run around more quickly and become a danger to other users, and dogs also risk getting kicked and badly injured. Similarly, please do not get too close or pet the cattle, they may become over-friendly and approach other people who may be more nervous around animals.
Native Hedging
A new native hedge of 170 metres has been planted on the east end of Manor field with help of 11 volunteers and the work was completed in less than 3 hours. Over 1,000 whips were planted during the course of the morning. A huge thank you to those who were able to come and help on the day.
This hedge divides the natural scrub area from the meadow grass and will provide a great additional habitat for the local wildlife.
November & January Flooding
The meadows continue to demonstrate how important the flooding is in protecting the Town Centre though the recent flooding seen on the meadows in November and in January was not caused by the river overflowing but just the rain falling on already saturated ground. Here are a few pictures of the flooding that was seen.
Invertebrate Surveys
Finally, as part of a Natural England/Surrey Wildlife Trust Nature Recovery Project, the Trust has been awarded a sum of money to repeat invertebrate surveys that were done in 2017 as part of the baseline management plan. Surveys will take place on three separate days during Spring and Summer (weather dependent), and our invertebrate expert, Scotty Dodd, has kindly offered that these can also be training days for members of the Trust and other local groups who are interested in surveying and learning more about our smaller species. If you would like to get involved with these, please let us know by emailing info@bishopsmeadowtrust.com and we will share the survey dates when we have them.
We hope that you enjoy the start of spring and the sight of the cattle grazing contentedly!
