A look back at the work of our meadows volunteer group for 2025!

A review by Centre Manager, Grant Wilson...

It’s only when we pause and look back that we begin to realise that all the little projects we work on each week add up to creating a huge positive difference to our little corner of Shropshire.

Threats to the natural world are everywhere- flooding, climate change, habitat loss, pollution etc. and can sometimes feel overwhelming but I feel that if we all focus on our own little patch and try to make room for nature in our busy lives then maybe there is still hope.

Certainly in the seven years that OMG has been operating, there has been a huge improvement to the area both as a wildlife refuge and as a vibrant place to visit. That’s all down to the hard work that everyone puts in.

Let’s have a look back on the highlights of 2025!

January

The main job in January was coppicing. This ancient method of managing woodland to produce wood in useable sizes, had an accidental benefit for wildlife by allowing sunlight to reach the woodland floor, creating an “understory” of woodland plants such as Wood Sorrel, Celendines, Bluebell and Wood Anemone. By continuing to manage our woodland in this way, we have allowed many new species to thrive.

February

We worked on the Withy beds. Again, borrowing from an ancient way of managing willows to produce useful “whips” for basket weaving etc, we cut our withies back annually and some of the whips are used on weaving courses, to make hurdles or to re-plant in the maze. Our 50 ish trees are 20 years old now but by pollarding them, they will live for many more years.

March

It’s not all about nature recovery work- in March we turned our attention to the car park, cutting back some of the trees and shrubs which were eating into our much-needed car parking spaces.

April

The weather picked up and we spent some time building a new set of steps to the river at Kingfisher Corner. It’s important that our meadows are as accessible as the can be and this work opens up direct river access to many more people.

May

It’s always good to learn about nature and to find out what impact the work we carry out has on wildlife and Ian treated to the group to a session surveying the local insects and plants.

The meadows are home to nearly 300 species of plants and almost as many insects, although it’s likely there are many more still to be recorded. Regular survey work is essential in helping us create this record and we work with lots of different organisations who share their knowledge and help compile an accurate record of all the creatures that make the Onny Meadows their home.

June

The warmer weather saw us once again up against our old foe Impatiens glandulifera- Himalayan Balsam to you and I. Himalayan Balsam is classed as an “invasive alien species of concern” in Europe and as such needs to be controlled. The problem is that it out-competes native species and dominates the river bank. As an annual, it dies back in the winter leaving the bank bare and exposed, leading to increased erosion and silting up of rivers.

We will never eradicate this pernicious weed, but as each flower head can release up to 700 seeds, each one we pull dramatically reduces the rate it can spread. We will continue with this work next year and the year after- and the year after that ad infinitum!

July

July is haymaking month in Shropshire and although the bulk of the work is carried out by a contractor, we still have an important role to play gathering Yellow Rattle seed and cutting and raking those areas which aren’t accessible by tractor.

Hay meadows were once common across the UK, but 97% of them have been destroyed since World War II, so it’s absolutely vital these extremely rare and valuable habitats are restored and maintained. Flower-rich meadow forms the base of a food chain which supports pollinator insects, insectivorous birds and mammals and apex predators such as Owls and Foxes. We are forever grateful to our Onny Meadows Group for the work they do every year to protect this special habitat.

August

August seemed like a good time to tackle the phragmites reeds which are choking the Dragonfly Pond. It’s dirty, hard work but as usual, the OMG team took it in their stride and we managed to cut back a good area of reed. We’re going to need to redouble our efforts on this next year as the reed is currently growing at a faster rate than we are cutting it back. Left unchecked, the reed would soon colonise all the open water, effectively killing off the pond so we need to find a balance between healthy reedbed- essential for dragonflies and birds such as Reed warbler and Water Rail- and good areas of open water.

September

We cut back a big section of Blackthorn which had encroached onto the meadow bank. Again, it’s about balance- Blackthorn provides a good autumn food source for birds and is a great place for birds such as Bullfinch and Blackbird to build their nests, the sharp thorns offering protection from predators like Sparrowhawk- but it would soon take over the meadow area so by cutting back a small area each year, we can maintain this much needed balance.

October

In October, we cleared another area of Blackthorn in front of the hedge at the end of the Events Field. This hedge was laid last winter and clearing away all this vegetation increases the amount of light getting to the hedge and also opens up a fine vista to the south, looking over Norton Camp.

November

We invited our friends from the Shropshire and Staffordshire National Trust Volunteers (SSNTV) for a guest session in November and they took on some coppicing work on the Willows around the ponds. Cutting back the bankside vegetation allows more sunshine to reach the water’s surface, making the area warmer and providing optimum hunting conditions for dragonflies. It also creates “Dragonfly Doorways” which facilitate easier transit between the river and ponds. 2025 has been such a good year for Dragons and maintaining the ponds to create prime habitat for them is a key feature of our management plan.

December

We continued to learn the ancient art of hedge laying! Hedge laying is another dying countryside craft which we are helping to keep alive. Traditionally, hedges were laid to create stockproof barriers, keeping sheep in and predators out, but it also regenerates hedges by encouraging regrowth from the pleachers (the stem which is cut and laid down).

We laid a length of around 80 metres of hedge and it’s planned to do another section in January. In time all our hedges will need to be laid, hence we don’t plan to plant any more as it’s really time-consuming work. We currently look after around 3km of hedges, having planted around 800 metres over the last five years and they will provide food, refuge and nesting sites for invertebrates, mammals and birds for many years to come.

Summary

We’ve had some impressive wildlife sightings this year- Willow Emerald Damselfly was only the second ever record in Shropshire and we are one of only a handful of sites where Small Red-Eyed Damselfly breeds. Our reedbed habitat (extremely rare in South Shropshire) continues to provide a home for Water Rail and Reed Warbler and the river Onny is still healthy enough to support crayfish, trout, otter and dipper- all species which don’t tolerate pollution.

We were also delighted to see Great White Egret on the Squelch wetland in the autumn, but what’s really important is the number of common species that are able to thrive here. By managing the area mindfully and allowing certain areas to grow wild, we have managed to create myriad niche habitats loved by plants, insects, birds, amphibians and mammals. By inspiring others to do similar in their own gardens, maybe there is a chance for nature to return and bring joy to all our lives.