Andy Turner

Sat 26th May 2pm – 5pm, starting Ballymoney Townhall, Townhead Street, Ballymoney This will consist of a brief indoor session before heading out to one of the projects grassland sites to find out exactly what is involved and brush up on our species identification skills. The training will be led by Dave Allen, Allen & Mellon Environmental, Dave has forgotten more about grassland species and management than most people will ever know! We will be focusing on some of the more common species, both positive and negative indicator species, as well as seeing what else we come across. As a … [Read more...] about Don’t Mow Let It Grow Volunteer Surveyor Training

The first signs of the long overdue spring have arrived with the dandelions and the cuckooflower.The orange-tip butterfly, a distinctive species of spring, relies on the cuckooflower for its caterpillar food plant, and the Dandelions as a source of nectar.  These early wildflowers are also important for our bee species including our bumblebees and solitary bees which rely on the dandelions as a source of early nectar as they provision their nests in order to raise their young, critical for maintaining and growing our pollinator population which has been in decline for several decades now. … [Read more...] about Spring has arrived!

Riverside Park stepped back in time on Saturday the 7th of April, when the Don’t Mow Let It Grow project volunteers learn how to manage a meadow using an Austrian Scythe.Scything is a traditional hay meadow cutting technique and is perfect for managing our meadows, as well as for areas that are more tricky to manage with modern machinery. Neil Foulkes, expertly guided the volunteers through a beginners training session on the traditional skill and art of scything. They learn how to set up, sharpen and maintain an Austrian scythe, along with safe use and correct cutting … [Read more...] about Scything Through Riverside Park

 Scything is a traditional hay meadow cutting technique and is perfect for managing your own meadows, as well as for areas that are more tricky to manage with modern machinery. Join Neil Foulkes for a beginners training session on the traditional skill and art of scything. You will learn how to set up, sharpen and maintain an Austrian scythe, along with safe use and correct cutting techniques. Only 2 places left. Please contact Rachel Bain if interested - Rachel.Bain@causewaycoastandglens.gov.uk … [Read more...] about Austrian Scythe Training 7th April

Key information gathered from the Public Perception Survey, which was carried out to provide evidence to support the benefits of Don’t Mow Let it Grow, includes:In total, 263 people participated in the survey in 2017 Around 98% of respondents think it is important to manage areas in NI for wildlife 87% of respondents prefer the longer grass shown in photos to shortly mown grass The highest proportion of people felt it was important to help endangered pollinators, followed by providing an area where wild flowers can provide food for wild life, providing an area where wildflowers … [Read more...] about Public Perception Survey Results 2017

Like many land managers the wet weather this year has made it extremely difficult for us to cut and remove the grass from our don’t mow site, but we were able to take advantage of a weather window last week, when the ground had dried up enough to get machinery on site, to cut and bail one of the bigger grass areas in Riverside Ballymoney. While the grass is no longer good for fodder we were able to take it to our green waste site for composting.https://vimeo.com/247169999It is important to try and cut and remove the grass ideally late summer, weather permitting, to help reduce the … [Read more...] about Mowing in Riverside Park, Ballymoney

Oliver won first prize for fancy dress for the Garden Theme at Ballymoney and District Gardening Show.We think he did a great job!!  … [Read more...] about Congratulations Oliver