Where can you find over 150 different plant species, including three species of Orchid? …at the
Chelsea Flower Show? A nature reserve? Try – a small private airfield in the centre of Cornwall!
This biodiversity gem was uncovered by Ian Bennallick- a Cornwall County botanical recorder. A
Chance encounter, Ian spotted what looked like Orchids in the airfield, and on closer inspection
revealed three different species – the Southern marsh, Heath spotted and Greater butterfly Orchids.
‘Bodmin Airfield is one of the largest remaining examples of a traditional hay meadow in the South
West’, Jay Gates, Airfield Manager, Bodmin Airfield
Bodmin Airfield is one jewel in a collection of wildflower ‘Donor’ sites available through the
‘Meadow Match’ project. This provides a wildflower meadow ‘dating agency’, matchmaking existing
and new sites of flower-rich habitat. Meadow Match is run by Wildflower Collective – a not-for-profit
company in collaboration with the University of Exeter.
Since 2019, Meadow Match has helped create 37 hectares (the equivalent of 37 rugby pitches), of
new wildflower habitat and is supporting the National Trust, the Duchy of Cornwall Estates, Cornwall
Council and many private landowners and farmers to become ‘Receptor’ sites of vital wildflower
seed.
“It’s been fantastic to become part of the Meadow Match network of meadows and to connect
with some great donor sites like Bodmin Airfield within proximity to Cotehele. This network has
and will enable us to create more wonderful wildflower meadows on our wider estate, which
ultimately means we’ll continue to deliver our organisational goal of Restoring a Healthy Beautiful
Natural Environment.” George Holmes, Lead Ranger, Cotehele, National Trust.
Rare biodiversity treasures like Bodmin Airfield are invaluable in our fight to help nature thrive and
to mitigate climate change. Wildflower meadows can harbour more plant species than tropical
rainforests, over small areas, and capture and store carbon. However, the loss of flower-rich habitat
including 97% of our meadows over the last century, has resulted in drastic biodiversity declines,
most notably in farmland birds and pollinators such as butterflies and bees.
Wildflower Collective is part of a grass-roots movement to create more wildflower habitats using
seed and hay containing flower species characteristic and adapted to the local area. The Meadow
Match project works in collaboration with the Meadow Makers’ Network, a friendly community
group with an online forum and meadow maps connecting over 700 passionate members across the
South West of the UK.
Wildflower ‘Donor’ sites are in, and adjacent to, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
Teaming up with Cornwall and Tamar Valley AONBs, and their Farming in Protected Landscapes
project, the Wildflower Collective is helping to, find ‘Donor’ sites to create more meadows.
Wildflower Collective aims is to create 1 square metre of new wildflower habitat for every resident
in Cornwall, Devon and the Isles of Scilly. Meadow Match is helping to achieve this along with other
approaches such as exploring business-led opportunities –t hat create new wildflower habitats
connecting people to nature, boost biodiversity and deliver financial gains.
What can you do to help wildflower meadows?
Join or support Meadow Match! If you have a wildflower meadow site or want to create your own
find out more here.
Let nature thrive! Start with simple but effective ways to make space for nature – reduce the number
of times you mow your lawn or leave a wild area in your garden or community greenspace. For
support whatever the scale of your meadow join our Meadow-Makers’ Network at
www.moremeadows.org.uk.
Meadow Match is run by Wildflower Collective in partnership with the University of Exeter, The
Halpin Trust and the SWEEP project. For more information on Cornwall AONB and the Farming in
Protected Landscapes project visit www.cornwall-landscape.org