Brush Cutting in the Hidden Meadow

Last week we welcomed volunteers from the Chiltern Society who brought a large group of nearly 30 volunteers to help with brush cutting and clearance in the Hidden Meadow.

Our hidden meadow is a area of chalk grassland - an internationally rare, fragile and wildlife-rich habitat. The compact, resilient grass plays host to a multitude of flora and fauna. Amazingly, up to 40 distinct plant species might thrive within a single square meter of chalk grassland. Such plant diversity, in turn, supports a wide insect variety.

The expansion of chalk grassland is likely associated with the Middle and New Stone Ages (11,700-2,000 BC) when people started to settle and farm, clearing the woodlands for fuel and livestock. Grazing in the clearings prevented the natural succession of grass back to woodland, and stopped more vigorous plants from taking hold.

On todays chalk grasslands, the encroachment of scrub is a problem, whether from a lack of traditional livestock grazing or a lack of natural grazing by herbivores, such as rabbits. Vigorous plants take over and shade out more delicate herbs and flowers, ultimately affecting the invertebrates that rely on them.

The work that the Chiltern Society volunteers did will help maintain this unique area of biodiversity. We are incredibly grateful for their hard work and support and look forward to welcoming them back again later this year.