Have you had a stroll around the green spaces in the South of town recently? If so you cannot have failed to see the difference in the fields behind the Martello Tower and around Cricketfield Road. They are bursting with a diverse range of plants which are in turn attracting new varieties of birds and insects. All thanks to a new mowing regime implemented by Seaford Town Council.
A coalition of local environmental groups (On the Verge, Trees for Seaford, Seaford Natural History Society, The Seaford Community Partnership, and others) have been working with the Council to explore “re-naturing” our green spaces. The council has agreed to an environmentally friendly mowing pattern. Some zones will remain unmown to allow plants to flower and spread seed throughout the summer, whilst providing food and shelter for wildlife. Within those areas, paths have been mown to allow walkers and their dogs to stroll through the developing meadows. As the meadow matures it will develop a more diverse flora and fauna. We expect to see a thriving and diverse range of insects, bees and butterflies feeding on the flowers that the new mowing regime allows to flourish. Increasing biodiversity will also provide more pollinators for the fruit and veg. of local gardeners.
As a bonus these areas will provide educational opportunities for botanists of all ages who will be able to study the development of floral communities in three distinct areas of the meadow; mown, unmown and footpath. The Seaford Community Partnership has already provided local schools with all the equipment they need to do just that.
Just two weeks after the new mowing regime began, new communities arising
Last summer local botanists (and SNHS Members) Dr Sarah McKenzie, Judy Pepper and Jenni Empson-Ridler found 46 different plant species in a short survey of Pump Field.
We wonder how many they will find when they repeat their survey this year?
