This site features material inspired by PhD research into sustainable management of floodplain meadows to balance production of a hay crop with biodiversity conservation.
Latest from the Blog

Talk: Hay Days, meadow science for biodiversity and agriculture
This talk was orginally published as part of the Denbigh School STEM Lecture Series 2021. In this video PhD student, Vicky Bowskill, talks about the science of meadows, including: What meadows are and why they are important for both nature and farming; How the things we do to manage our meadows can affect the lifeContinue reading “Talk: Hay Days, meadow science for biodiversity and agriculture”

How hay makes meadows
This article was originally posted on the Agricology website. Read the full article here. A healthy floodplain meadow in June is a spectacular sight, teeming with life in every hue. So, it may seem odd that this is also the time farmers choose to mow it all down for hay. But they’ve been doing thisContinue reading “How hay makes meadows”

Edible Meadows: flavours from the floodplain
“Plants know how to make food and medicine from light and water, and then they give it away.” Kimmerer, Robin Wall. Braiding Sweetgrass As the remembered beauty of summer meadows fades under the autumn leaves, we can we still enjoy our connection with that fleeting riot of photosynthetic joy. Hay has been the way we’veContinue reading “Edible Meadows: flavours from the floodplain”