Hallow Fields - 45 acres for nature and people

Aim

To restore 45 acres of farmland to nature-rich grassland, orchards, marsh, and woodland, for wildlife & everyone.

Project Aims & Partnership

The RSPB Worcester & Malvern Local Group are working with Malvern Hills District Council (MHDC) in restoring 45 acres of degraded agricultural farmland just north of Worcester city. This project increases both biodiversity and carbon sequestration, fighting climate change and the nature crisis. We aim to create flower-rich flood meadows, marshes, orchards, new hedges and beautiful ponds buzzing with insects, home to many animal, bird and plant species. Hallow Fields will become a place for education, connection to nature and quiet enjoyment for local people for generations to come.

Alastair Pounder, MHDC (centre) with Janet Jones & Nick Skilbeck, RSPB; photo by Zoe Smith

Baseline Surveys

We are currently working with several local specialist groups to determine which species of birds, bats, butterflies, moths, reptiles, plants and fungi live at Hallow Fields. These baseline records will inform our choice of nature conservation options and enable us to monitor improvements in biodiversity on site as we implement our conservation management objectives. Butterflies provide a good example: there are currently just a few species around the site but the return of prolific wildflowers to the fields and the increase in hedgerows and scrubby areas will see butterflies increase in abundance and biodiversity.

Butterfly surveyors by Mike Hails

Nature Conservation

Funds raised will be used to:

1 - Extend the existing marsh for the benefit of wetland species, including Snipe and Reed          Buntings;

2- Plant 1.5 km of hedges, including a double hedge that will be great for declining                       farmland birds, including stunning Bullfinches;

3- Restore the floodplain fields to beautiful flower-rich meadows full of butterflies, bees             and other insects, where harvest mice can weave    their nests between the stems;

4- Remove leylandii trees to allow more light into the woodland and reinvigorate the                   ponds for newts and aquatic invertebrates.

Hedge planting by Alastair Pounder

Education & Involvement of Local Groups

The involvement in this project of local groups and educational organisations is extremely important to us. Students from Wildgoose Rural Training, a local care farm offering day activities to people with additional needs, are helping us with an earthworm survey so that we can monitor these animals that are so crucial to soil health. A scythe training and work session is planned for local people to become skilled in this conservation technique and to help us maintain tussocky grassland on site to increase the abundance of small mammals and insects, which, in turn, may become prey for owls and raptors, fuelling a more complete ecosystem. As the habitats develop and mature there will be many exciting opportunities for local schools and the University of Worcester to use the site as a very valuable educational resource and outdoor work space. Inspiring young people to connect with the natural world is vital for the future health and conservation of our environment, and indeed the future of our planet!

Children pond dipping by Rosie Dutton (rspb-images.com)

A Vision of Hallow Fields in the Future

Gazing forward in our mind’s eye, we can envisage beautiful meadows, colourful with wildflowers and humming with insect life, over which Kestrels hunt by day and Barn Owls at dusk. Reed Buntings and warblers sing amongst the purple loosestrife of the marsh in Spring, whilst Snipe are common Winter denizens. Tall, bushy hedges laden with nuts and berries sustain Winter visitors and provide a secure breeding environment for many birds, mammals and invertebrates. Healthy ponds brim with newts, are visited by grass snakes and provide drinking and bathing opportunities for many creatures. Funding this project will enable our dreams to attain reality.

Kestrel by Nick Skilbeck

This project successfully funded on 11th May 2023