Updates

On Saturday 30th June Roe Valley Country Park hosted Don’t Mow Let It Grows Bee identification training event. We all learned a great deal about our native bee species, how to identify them and what we can do to help them.We braved the heat to spot some in the surrounding meadows, and a few made an appearance, but as our trainer for morning explained it can get too hot for our bumble bees too, as they are wearing their own stylish fur coats! … [Read more...] about Don’t Mow Let It Grows Bee Identification Day

Sat 30th June, Roe Valley Country Park, Limavady We will be hosting a bee inspired morning of events with Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) at Roe Valley Country Park. There will be 2 events running simultaneously: Bee identification workshop, 10 – 12noon, for those interested in learning about our native bees, their identification and habitats, led by Aoibhinn Corrigan, NIEA. This will be in the form of a short talk followed by identification in the field. Please dress appropriately for the outdoors including waterproofs and sturdy footwear. Children under 18 must be accompanied … [Read more...] about Bee Inspired

Sat 9th June 11am-5pm & Sun 10th June 1pm-5pmCome along and visit the Don’t Mow Let It Grow roadshow, learn about the project and enjoy the free family activities.If anyone would like to volunteer at the event and help with the activities, please contact Rachel.Bain@causewaycoastandglens.gov.uk … [Read more...] about Don’t Mow Let It Grow Road Show at the Salmon & Whiskey Festival, Bushmills

Thurs 31st May 7.30-9pm Dance studio, Roe Valley Arts Centre, Limavady Come along to an evening of short talks inspired by our pollinators. Hear from Catherine Bertrand, Butterfly Conservation about our beautiful butterflies and marvellous moths. Melina Quinn, NIEA, will talk about the ambitious work of the All Ireland Pollinator action plan and the many ways you can get involved. Rachel Bain, will share with you the inspiring Don’t Mow Let It Grow grassland project. Jim Loughrey, Roe Valley Beekeepers’ Association, will talk about the wonder of honeybees and the invaluable contribution they … [Read more...] about Pollinator inspired Talks – 31/5/18

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