Falmouth Buzz wildflower meadow guide given to pupils

The guide covers both the wildflowers found in the meadows and the bees that they attract. Its distribution is being organised by Jacqui Owen, the visitor and community engagement officer for Falmouth Town Council in partnership with Cormac.

Boscawen

Jacqui who has already used the meadows in projects with local schools said: “The wildflowers meadows have already brought so much joy to people of all ages in our community and visitors alike. This fantastic guide is an invaluable resource that can be used to really open up these areas to both children and adults, encouraging them to explore, understand and delight in all that nature has to offer, first hand.”

The meadows in Gyllyng Street and Boscawen Road were sown by volunteers from the local community and students from the nearby Tremough Campus in January and March.

Originally intended to be available only for download, it was the offer of sponsorship from local estate agent, Heather and Lay that has allowed it to be printed and for copies to be given to local schools and groups.

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John Lay, director of Heather and Lay said, “Heather and Lay are genuinely delighted to be associated with this outstanding local, community based initiative. The guide provides great information on Falmouth’s ‘Urban Buzz’ meadows and a wildflower guide for budding botanists. The importance of activities such as ‘Urban Buzz’ can’t be under estimated; reinforcing the need to educate, teach and enjoy nature first hand.”

Red tailed bumble bee Boscawen Road Meadow

The meadows were created in 2019 as part of the charity’s Buglife Urban Buzz project in partnership with Falmouth Town Council, Cornwall Council and Cormac. Most of the meadows were sown by local volunteers, one of whom was the guide’s author, Kevin Thomas.

Visiting the meadows as they flowered he saw that the wildflowers were not only attracting bees and other pollinators. Parents were also spending time with their children to look at both the flowers and visiting insects. This encouraged Kevin to write the guide to provide useful information for anyone visiting the meadows.

The meadows in Gyllyng Street and Boscawen Road were sown by volunteers from the local community and students from the nearby Tremough Campus in January and March.

Kevin commented that although the meadows were sown only three years ago, our lives are very different today. “The experience brought to everyone by Covid has highlighted the value of having easy access to local green spaces. A survey by Natural England in May 2020 found 90% of people thought natural spaces are good for mental health and wellbeing. Last summer also saw a raise in the numbers of some of our bee species visiting them. Our Urban Buzz wildflower meadows are clearly bringing benefits to both wildlife and the local community”.

You can download your copy of the guide here