An appeal to safeguard for future generations two ‘precious’ flower-rich Shropshire meadows has secured the backing of Shrewsbury MP Julia Buckley.
Aiming to raise £240,000 to buy the meadows at Minsterley, a campaigning group describes the land as being of “both county and national importance”.
“These are truly precious meadows that need to be cared for by people who really understand their value,” said Mrs Buckley, who has written to the National Lottery Heritage Fund in support of the ‘Save Minsterley Meadows’ campaign.
She said: “There has already been amazing public response to this appeal – and no wonder. These meadows are very special.”
The Middle Marches Community Land Trust and the Marches Meadow Group say they are determined to protect the meadows, which adjoin Callow Lane, to be appreciated and enjoyed by generations to come.
The meadows have been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest – and apart from being valued for boasting many different species of wild flowers, the area is well-loved as a natural leisure facility by local families and dog walkers.
Mrs Buckley added: “I’ve been told these extraordinary sites feature 5,000 green-winged orchids, for example, that’s 99 per cent of all those varieties known to exist right across Shropshire. So these meadows need our protection so that future generations can enjoy the richness of this beautiful natural habitat.”
So far, around £152,000 has been raised in pledges towards the appeal.
Peter Carty, chair of Marches Meadow Group, said the green-winged orchid used to be a very common plant, but had “declined a lot”.
Mr Carty said: “That also tells us that these meadows have got special soils with complex fungal relationships and that we therefore need to do nature recovery and habitat restoration in other meadows that our group is working on.”
“We need our insects to be pollinators to pollinate our crops. We need to see nature, enjoy nature, to feel health and wellbeing. We need our soils to be in better condition. We need our rivers to be in better condition. This project here in Minsterley is part and parcel of putting a jigsaw piece in the future map of a much richer landscape.”
If the appeal and the purchase of the meadows is a success, the meadows would be owned by the Middle Marches Community Land Trust, a local community-led Trust dedicated to helping to create an ecologically healthy and sustainable countryside. The Marches Meadow Group would help manage and look after the meadows.
More information is available on the Trust’s website.
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