It was a real pleasure to be able to be able to share our research on floodplain meadows as part of the sessions run by the Open University in Northern Ireland during the N.I Science Festival 2026 which took place over the February Half Term in Belfast. The FMP were invited to present information on the role we play as advocates for floodplain meadow management, and floodplain meadow restoration as a tool for tackling the climate emergency.
Olivia Nelson shared how The Open University could use its experience working with local partners, to extend its role in restoring floodplain meadows into Northern Ireland, by using art, history, and science to understand their cultural significance, raise awareness of their decline, and inspire conservation efforts to bring them back to life. It gave us an opportunity to run creative sessions encouraging families to craft pipe cleaner meadow species and colour in the beautiful illustrations created by Alice Walker (https://www.alicewalkerart.co.uk/), an artist we have worked with in Oxfordshire.
The day itself attracted over 700 people and was a great way to introduce floodplain meadows to a new audience. It was also a chance to say hello to those working on nature recovery and farming at the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) and catch up with colleagues at the Open University in Northern Ireland.
The FMP team are exploring opportunities for expanding its work in Northern Ireland and we have plans to visit a number of grassland land sites around Fermanagh and Enniskillen this May with fellow grassland conservationists from the RSPB in Northern Ireland and the Ulster Wildlife Trust. We are also hoping to bring along civil servants from DAERA and the new OU Director in NI. New horizons for the FMP beckon!
Video link: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7427788359927848960/
