The Hardwick Green Meadows community engagement project went hand-in-hand with our purchase of these rare floodplain meadows to help us raise the profile of these beautiful grasslands within the local community whilst building lasting relationships with those in the area that are passionate and curious about the natural world. Through a variety of events and initiatives the Trust was able to connect with partnership organisations, local people and local stakeholders in different ways. With Hardwick Green Meadows representing just over 1% of all remaining floodplain meadows across the UK, it’s vitally important that we continue to recognise their value and do what we can to conserve them.
A part-time officer (initially Mandy Butterworth and latterly Liz Bunney) delivered this multi-faceted project, co-ordinating all of our partnership work, volunteers and other resources over two years. We learnt vital information about local floodplain meadows and their historic management, which can help in future management decisions, and we have learnt a lot about the area's culture, which helps us to better understand the key themes affecting how people lived in this rural setting and the role floodplain meadows and other natural features, including agriculture, play in people’s lives.