We caught up with the team at Plantlife to get an update on their conservation work, here’s an insight into all the amazing work they’ve been doing.
At Plantlife, our mission is to secure a world rich in wild plants and fungi. Protecting them will lead to a world full of colour, beauty and life while allowing the plants and the animals which depend on them to thrive. We regularly join forces with others to ensure our impact can go further- by working together, we can protect the vital habitats which so many plants and animals call home.
Plantlife’s recent achievements
-
We took part in a hugely successful Meadow Makers initiative. This helped to restore more than 400 hectares of grassland which is home to a huge variety of species.
-
An important project to increase the resilience of temperate rainforests in south west England came to an end. We worked with partners and local communities to survey 300 sites to get a snapshot of their health. This information has helped us better understand how to protect some of our rarest lichens.
-
We joined forces with Natural England and landowners to launch an ambitious 10-year project to save Juniper from extinction.
-
We have created a nationwide movement to leave lawns unmown for nature for 7 years, with No Mow May encouraging millions of garden owners to welcome wild blooms back to their communities
Why we need to stand up for plants
2 in 5 plants are estimated to be threatened with extinction.
Wild plants and fungi are the foundation of all life on Earth. At Plantlife we enhance, restore, protect and celebrate our natural heritage through working with landowners, other conservation organisations, public sector bodies, the private sector and the wider public. Through our work we connect people with nature so that everyone in society can enjoy and help protect the natural world around us.
We work across the UK’s grasslands, mountains, temperate rainforest, coasts, heathlands, arable farmland and peatlands to ensure our more common plant species do not become at risk. Since 1989 we have helped to create and restore 15,800 acres of meadows, bringing life back to our landscapes.
Making meadows for the future
Species-rich grasslands are extraordinary ecosystems, with native wild plants at their heart. Soils bursting with life, fungal networks covering unknown thousands of miles, carbon uptake, flood mitigation, nutrient-rich additive-free grazing, and the inspiration for iconic artists and writers over the centuries – meadows and grasslands are simply magnificent in many more ways than first meets the eye.
Yet a staggering 97% of wildflower meadows and 80% of chalk grasslands have been eradicated since the 1940s, now covering less than 1% of UK land. Of the remaining three percent, 75% exist in small fragments making them especially vulnerable to eradication. This really is a habitat on the brink.
Plantlife spearheaded the hugely successful Meadow Makers project that restored over 400 hectares of species-rich grassland across England and involved over 12,000 people in meadow making. The legacy of the Meadow Makers project promises to make a positive difference for our grasslands for years to come.
Together with communities and land managers we:
-
Restored 400ha species-rich grassland at over 100 sites with new post-restoration management regimes put in place
-
Advised on the management of a further 100ha of land
-
Improved over 12,000 people’s meadow knowledge and skills by taking part in face-to-face and online training sessions and knowledge sharing events.
What are Plantlife doing to protect wild plants in the UK?
We are protecting scarce and important species and habitats, such as hay meadows, chalk grassland, limestone pavement, grassland and blanket bog, and advancing conservation initiatives and best practice so that plants and fungi everywhere can thrive. This has had a major impact over the years, with many plants increasing in number as a direct result of our work. At present, we have a particular focus in the UK on grasslands and temperate forests due to their critical vulnerability.
Did you know that only 3.2% of the England’s land and sea is protected? Plantlife also owns 23 nature reserves covering nearly 4,500 acres across England, Scotland, Wales and the Isle of Man. These wild and wonderful spaces are home to 3,495 plant species which will continue to be protected thanks to your donations.
Together we can tackle the climate and nature crisis
Nature is in crisis. We need urgent action. Working in partnerships, we are able to reach all people and all sectors of society who can contribute to tackling the climate and nature crisis we face.
We are convinced that the complexity and urgency of the challenges our world faces can only be successfully addressed through partnership working. By using our skills and knowledge to accelerate plant and fungi conservation and collaborating with others over the next decade, we aim to harness the interest, ability and resources needed to drive positive change at speed.
Plantlife also work overseas by contributing to international conventions on climate and biodiversity and we are a registered COP Observer. Working with the Global Partnership for Plant Conservation we were instrumental in the creation of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation and the initiation of Important Plant Areas across the world – planning their conservation with government and community groups.
What we’ve achieved with your contributions
Our ability to secure a world rich in plants and fungi is dependent on the generosity of grant givers, companies, institutions, individuals and thousands of our members. We continue to be inspired by the commitment and passion shown by so many in supporting our work.
With contributions from our corporate members such as Nature’s Best, during 2021/22 we were able to achieve incredible things.
-
Our volunteers in the Brecklands discovered the first new site for native Grape-hyacinth for several years. They also found Creeping Marshwort, an endangered species which is only found at three sites across the country.
-
We discovered record numbers of Marsh Saxifrage – which is one of our most threatened plants – at Munsary Peatlands Reserve in Caithness.
-
The number of Man Orchid and Clustered Bellflower plants increased at Ranscombe. Both of these threatened species recorded their best every year thanks to the way our team has managed their habitat.
-
Working with partners in the Cairngorms, we helped discover several species new to the UK, and one species new to science. This has significantly increased our knowledge of fungi in mountain soils.
None of this would be possible without the support of partners like Nature's Best. If you want to see a world rich in plants and fungi, you can see how you can be part of this mission by visiting our website www.plantlife.org.uk
What’s coming up:
-
Keep an eye out for our continuing #NoMowMay campaign throughout the summer: https://www.plantlife.org.uk/campaigns/nomowmay/
-
Look out for National Meadows Day on Saturday 1 July and guidance on how to take part #NationalMeadowsDay
To find out more about our partners at Plantlife click here.
Bibliography:
-
Cbd.int. (2019). Global Strategy for Plant Conservation. Available online: https://www.cbd.int/gspc [Accessed 13 Feb. 2019].
-
Plantlife. (2019). UK. Available online: https://www.plantlife.org.uk/uk [Accessed 13 Feb. 2019].
