Hundreds of wildflowers to be planted at meadow

A project to preserve vulnerable vegetation and wildlife will see hundreds of wildflower plants introduced to an upland hay meadow.

Friends of the Lake District (Fold) wants to plant 1,500 wildflowers on land at Mazonwath, in Little Asby, Cumbria, to help reintroduce many native species lost through some farming practices.

A spokesperson for the environmental charity said plant roots were good for moisture retention and soil health, with their texture playing a part in slowing the flow of overland water.

They added: "Conservation work like this is really important to help our insects and birds have a home into the future."

Fold is calling for volunteers to help join the planting efforts on 13 October and more information on how to join is available on the charity's website.

The charity will be planting great burnet, bird's foot trefoil, black knapweed, cranesbills, oxeye daisy and vetches.

The organisation is working with Cumbria Wildlife Trust as part of the Cumbria Seed Bank Project, which aims to reverse the decline of grassland habitats in the county.

The two-year project in partnership with Kew Millennium Seed Bank, aims to collect, store and sow seed from rare and declining grassland species that are found in Cumbria.

A Fold spokesperson said: "The aim is not only to introduce harder-to-establish plants that are missing from grasslands, but to also use this project to inform future work to safeguard vulnerable populations of plant species in Cumbria, so that these wildflower species are not lost forever."

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