ACTION for Wildlife will be giving people an opportunity to make hay while the sun shines this month, with the launch of a haymeadow workshop.
The group?s Dartmoor Biodiversity project section has organised a 2-hour workshop to give people the opportunity to discover more about Dartmoor?s haymeadows and ways to ensure their survival.
The workshop will include a lesson on creating a haymeadow habitat in the garden, as well as an introduction to the habitat?s wildlife including a striking array of plants such as the greater butterfly orchid, yellow rattle, knapweed, ox-eye daisies and eyebright.
Traditional haymeadows are in decline, and their specialist habitats are becoming small and fragmented, meaning important species are at risk of disappearing altogether.
Action for Wildlife project officer Frances Cooper said: ?It?s an ideal opportunity to ensure that haymeadows rich in wildflowers do not become a thing of the past.?
Part of the Dartmoor Biodiversity project remit is to educate people about this increasingly endangered Dartmoor habitat, and the project hopes this will assist the haymeadow?s survival.
The workshop will take place at Southcombe House, Widecombe, where landowner Dr Seale has four acres of this scarce habitat.
Visitors are asked to meet at 10am on Saturday June 19 at Widecombe-in-the-Moor Teignbridge District Council car park from where there will be a ten minute walk to and from the haymeadow.
The event is free of charge and visitors are asked not to bring dogs due to the delicate nature of the habitat. For more information contact Frances Cooper on 01626 831072.
Anyone who cannot make it to the workshop can find out about the haymeadow habitat in the leaflet Biodiversity in Your Own Backyard: How to Create Your Own Dartmoor Haymeadow which can be requested from Action for Wildlife on 01626 831072.
There will also be a chance to visit the ancient haymeadows near Postbridge on Wednesday July 7 ? for more information contact DNPA information officer Claire Partridge on 01626 832093.