Friends of the Lake District (Fold) has announced a conservation initiative to introduce hundreds of wildflower plants to a site at Mazonwath in Little Asby, Cumbria. The project aims to restore native plant species that have declined due to historical farming practices affecting the upland hay meadow ecosystem.
The organization will plant six wildflower species including great burnet, bird’s foot trefoil, black knapweed, cranesbills, oxeye daisy, and vetches across the 1,500-plant installation. According to a Fold spokesperson, the root systems of these plants provide multiple environmental benefits, including improved moisture retention and soil health, while also helping to reduce the speed of water runoff across the landscape.
Fold is partnering with Cumbria Wildlife Trust on the Cumbria Seed Bank Project, a two-year initiative developed in collaboration with Kew Millennium Seed Bank. This broader effort focuses on reversing grassland habitat decline across the county through seed collection, storage, and propagation of rare and threatened grassland species native to the region.
The planting work is scheduled for 13 October, and Fold is actively seeking volunteers to participate in the activity. The charity emphasized that restoration projects of this type are essential for maintaining insect and bird populations and their habitats. Project leaders stated that the long-term goal extends beyond establishing difficult-to-grow plant species in grasslands, aiming instead to generate knowledge that will guide future conservation efforts to protect vulnerable plant populations throughout Cumbria from permanent loss.
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