This summer saw us taking part in a number of art related activities, working locally to explore floodplain meadows through a diversity of perspectives. Using the arts at events such as festivals is a incredible valuable way of connecting people with the work we do and the reasons why we should cherish floodplain meadows. We are developing more plans for 2026 including the potential for using the meadows as place for children to enjoy reading. Please do get in touch if you are interested in developing an idea.
North Meadow Snake’s head fritillary and pollinator arts workshop
We worked once again with the artist Alice Walker in developing a creative day to celebrate the snake's-head fritillaries and their pollinators found at North Meadow National Nature Reserve. On a very sunny and hot Sunday in June, attendees were given the opportunity to enjoy the cool of Jenners Hall whilst drawing, painting and sculpting their own fritillaries. We were welcomed in by Chris Atkins, Deputy Town Cryer for Cricklade, splendidly attired in a beautiful embroidered waistcoat and tricorn hat topped off by its own fabric fritillaries.
Alice provided a number of activities for us to do, including illustrating our own wooden bookmarks and creating pointillism style woodcraft inspired by the colours of the meadows when the fritillaries are in bloom. She also created and started a map of the reserve that the community are invited to continue completing. The map included the old names for North Meadow – a way of remembering the cultural heritage of North Meadow and keeping it alive.
One of our asks to Alice was to provide creative resources for other groups and individuals, so she led us through the construction of our own pipe cleaner fritillaries – a welcome addition to our series of floodplain meadow pipecleaner species! There is also a helpful step-by-step guide on how to make the fritillaries https://youtu.be/PRRdBHcVpJc and a pdf version of the instructions here https://floodplainmeadows.org.uk/sites/default/files/resources/Pipe%20cleaner%20Fritillary%20instructions.pdf
There will be another opportunity to have a go at making these at our Snake’s-head fritillary count winter workshop - more details to follow.
Attendees at our snake's-head fritillary and pollinator arts day
Milton Keynes International Festival
We were invited to join the Festival’s ‘Cabaret of Ideas’, an event described as speed learning, on Saturday 26th July. Over two hours we spoke to different groups about the work of the FMP and the value of floodplain meadows. There was a lot of interest in meadows local to Milton Keynes including the potential to present to a community group in the future.
https://ifmiltonkeynes.org/event/cabaret-of-ideas
Outer Hebrides Wildlife Festival
The Species on the Edge project is a collaboration of eight conservation organisations, working with communities across Scotland’s coasts and islands to save our rarest and most vulnerable species from extinction. Part of this Heritage Lottery Fund project aims to engage locals and visitors to the area to deepen connections with the wildlife and habitats. Since 2019, the FMP has been visiting meadow sites in the Outer Hebrides, first recorded as species-rich more than 35 years ago. Whilst the FMP are not partners in the Species on The Edge programme we have been developing a relationship with the project team, and were invited to give a talk as part of their Outer Hebrides Wildlife Festival. Our talk “Discovering a Uniquely Scottish Ecosystem – how we are sustaining the Oceanic Wet Grassland of the Outer Hebrides” highlighted how the FMP are working in consultation with NatureScot and The University of Edinburgh to protect, restore, and promote the sustainable use of Oceanic Wet Grassland systems to benefit people and nature. We hope to be able to do further talks and activities on the Outer Hebrides. Watch this space!
Bartonsham Meadows[ER1]
2025 saw an art extravaganza based around Bartonsham Meadows in Herefordshire.
The project at Bartonsham Meadows is funded by NLHF via the Herefordshire Wildlife Trust (HWT), initiated after significant soil loss occurred when a series of permanent grassland fields were ploughed just before a major flood in 2020. A community group formed to persuade the landowners (Church Commissioners) to allow the Herefordshire Wildlife Trust to take the site on as a long-term nature restoration project.
This was realised in 2023, and the HWT established a long term vision for the site, part floodplain meadow restoration and part natural regeneration.
The FMP and Herefordshire Meadows alongside other partners were then involved to help establish scientific monitoring of the soil and plants, and train volunteers to be able to take this on long term. A community engagement officer was employed to oversee activities.
Alongside this, a major arts programme was launched which was run by Arts&Heritage , working with nationally recognised artist Rebecca Beinart who commissioned additional artists to print, dye, mould and sculpt using soil. The art activities included participatory workshops on land ownership, folklore, multi-species relations, soil structure and seasonal change and culminated in gatherings that combined sensory installations, visual art and food to celebrate the meadow’s restoration
We were involved at various stages and are now exploring how we can help take this forward to extend the concepts elsewhere, with a focus on soils in particular.
https://floodplainmeadows.org.uk/keep-updated/news/midsummer-meadows-gathering
Bartonsham Meadows | Herefordshire Wildlife Trust
Rebecca Beinart at Bartonsham Meadows • Arts&Heritage
