Green hay is the practice of cutting wildflower rich meadows or roadside nature reserves just before they go to seed. The plants are mown and transported to a new site and are then spread over a prepared area. The cut plants can naturally release their seeds, though it is good fun having a stomp to help press the seeds into the ground! This practice will help increase the diversity of wildflower species and revive purely grassy areas. A meadow is an area characterized by grasses but the more species of plants and grasses that we can create, the greater the biodiversity of the invertebrates, such as insects and spiders. This is turn attracts a wider variety of other species such as birds and small mammals, then larger predators as well.
A volunteer spreading the green hay at Burston & Shimpling
The Claylands Wilder Connections team have worked with the local communities in South Norfolk - Stoke Holy Cross, Fir Grove, Burston & Shimpling, and Quaker Wood, as well as with a number of landowners to enhance their grasslands using green hay. In every area we had a lot of very keen volunteers who simply relied on us for delivering the hay and got on with the work themselves! We love that our volunteers gain so much enjoyment from the practice of green hay as wildflower meadows thrive from yearly tending. Gathering green hay from many species rich areas will not only grow the population of wildflowers, but will also create high quality green spaces that provide habitats for a variety of pollinators, including butterflies, moths, and grasshoppers.
When the meadows have been established the communities will be able to share their green hay harvest each year with other communities, growing wildflower meadows and local connections for years to come. Coronation Meadow at Fir Grove Farm is a botanically diverse habitat that has existed for over 20 years, owing to the annual introduction of green hay. It is a proven sustainable system to create strong natural habitats in the landscape.
All images by Helaina Parkinson