Coldham’s, Midsummer and Stourbridge Commons, Barnwell Meadows and Coe Fen: Trialling the Restoration of Grassland
The aim of the project was to trial the restoration of Cambridge City grasslands to improve biodiversity. Trials involved the restoration of 0.61 hectares (in total) of grassland in five separate, publicly accessible, locations. Some involved the diversification of the grassland to introduce native wildflowers, while others sought to increase the variety of grassland habitat structure to benefit invertebrates and other fauna. The trials aimed to inform what works best, with the potential to scale up this work if future funding can be found.
Cutting and ground preparation intervention was delivered August-November 2022.
Volunteers helped to establish the trial plots by removing grassland and re-seeding with suitable wildflower mixes. Plots were monitored and managed to promote establishment of the sown species, and a monitoring scheme was devised to record outcomes.
The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire & Northamptonshire were commissioned to establish the restoration trials, and engaged with Cambridge City Council, Cambridge Natural History Society, Cambridge Conservation Initiative, Cambridge Past Present & Future, and Anglia Ruskin University.
Before: Improved grassland (low species diversity) at Stourbridge Common.
Before: Abundant scrub on Barnwell Meadows .
| Dates | 2022-2024 |
| Status | Complete |
| Area of habitat created or improved | 0.61 ha |
| Location | Coldham’s Common, Midsummer Common, Stourbridge Common, Barnwell Meadows, Coe Fen (Cambridge) |
Partners and Funders
Funded by: UK Government’s Green Recovery Challenge Fund (delivered by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, in partnership with Natural England and the Environment Agency).
