HRH The Prince of with members of the Coronation Meadows team in Coach Road Field, Battle, the meadow for East . The team from left to right: Estate manager and Coronation Meadows steering group member, Keith Datcher; owner of the meadow, Harry Wills; and Plantlife’s Coronation Meadows Project Manager, Dan Merrett Photograph ©Robin Bell/Plantlife

2 Foreword Plantlife 25th Year Annual Review 3 Conservation successes 2014-15

Over 1,000 hectares of Meirionnydd Oakwoods In , over 50 land managers were trained Important Plant Area have been mapped for lichens, at demonstration days held in coastal pasture, revealing species never before found in Wales pinewoods and Atlantic woodlands. They are able and underlining how important these temperate to draw on data gathered by our volunteer Flora rainforests are. The 18-month project saw the return Guardians through the National Biodiversity Network. of grazing and 30 land managers trained in the This year, land managers have also had access identification and management of rare lichens. to detailed information about Atlantic woodland, The project also resulted in £40,000 being injected pinewoods and oceanic heath across Scotland,

Laurie Campbell into the local economy. as well as the coastal pasture of the north coast. Partners: Landowners can use this guidance to incorporate RSPB, National Trust, Woodland Trust, Natural national conservation priorities into their own Resources Wales, Snowdonia National Park Authority, business practices.

Lobaria pulmonaria) © individual landowners Partners: Funded by: Forestry Commission Scotland, Scottish Government, • The Welsh Government’s Resilient Ecosystems Fund Scottish Natural Heritage, Bumblebee Conservation • Ashley Family Foundation Trust, RSPB Scotland Funded by: • Scottish Natural Heritage • Forestry Commission Scotland • Albert George and Nancy Caroline Youngman Trust Atlantic woodland in Scotland, tree lungwort (

4 Conservation successes 2014-15 Plantlife 25th Year Annual Review 5 Conservation successes 2014-15 ©Andrew Jeffery/Plantlife ©Andrew At most of the coastal sites on IPA, rare plants had become distant memories, but we’ve restored over two kilometres of heathland The Lizard, yellow centaury (Cicendia filiformis) ©Hans Hillewaert 3.0 - CC BY-SA Fen orchid (Liparis loeselii) North Goonhilly Down, the Lizard ©Steve Townsend trackways and created 25 pools. We’ve cleared large areas of invasive cotoneaster Eighteen hectares of sand dune at Kenfig IPA Today, chamomile, pillwort, from Portland to help save the rare and intricate – the last-known site in Wales for fen orchid – shoreweed, three-lobed crowfoot lichens and mosses that give this landscape its have been scraped free of marram grass and and pennyroyal mint are again international importance. Early results herald the we are starting to witness the results. There are thriving, where for decades return of the white orchid autumn lady’s-tresses resurgences in populations of nationally rare they have been absent. and other native beauties such as Portland spurge, species such as knotted pearlwort, lesser water- Partners: bird’s-foot-trefoil and horseshoe vetch. In turn, plantain and shoreweed. Botanical Society of Britain these flowers attract the special butterflies Partners: and Ireland, Wildlife of Portland, such as Adonis Blue. Natural Resources Wales, Trustees of Kenfig Trust and Natural Partners: Corporation, Bridgend County Borough Council Funded by: Countryside (Dorset County Council), Funded by: • SITA Trust , Dorset Biodiversity Partnership, • Natural Resources Wales • Natural England • Million Ponds Project Funded by: • Esmée Fairbairn • SITA Trust • Environment Wales

6 Conservation successes 2014-15 Plantlife 25th Year Annual Review 7 Plantlife is a key player in the Government’s new National Plant Monitoring Scheme (NPMS). This Numbers of enables scientists, for the first time, to carry out an annual stock take of the UK’s wild plants and their clustered habitats, with volunteers providing evidence of which Wildflowers Count©J Williams bellflower, widespread plants are increasing or declining, as well as indicating the changing state of our habitats rare in , such as grassland, fenland and even road verges. are up 7 times Over 1,100 volunteers have signed up so far, and have been supported by Plantlife with a suite of survey materials and training workshops. News from our reserves Meadow clary population Partners: Highest numbers of green- • Centre of Ecology & Hydrology grown by • Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland winged orchid and greater 5 times in butterfly orchid ever Funded by: one year at • Joint Nature Conservation Committee recorded at Joan’s Hill Farm Ranscombe Plantlife and IUCN-Mediterranean are working with Rare moss Orthotrichum Farm Reserve nine national partners on the Conserving wild acuminatum was recorded plants and habitats for people in the south and east Mediterranean (IPA Med) project. Here, at Joan’s Hill Farm – it has Highest ever groups of local volunteers are conducting not been seen in Britain numbers monitoring and conservation within more since 2009 of greater than 15 Important Plant Areas. Funded by: butterfly • MAVA Foundation orchids at Caeau Tan Over 1,100 volunteers y Bwlch have signed up to the National Plant Reserve, just Monitoring Scheme under 5,000

8 Plantlife 25th Year Annual Review 9 Sixty-two new meadows, totalling 225 hectares, Partners: have been restored using Cotswolds Conservation Board, green hay and seed since 40,000 people are engaged Valley Countryside the Coronation Meadows

in our Save our Magnificent Partnership, National Trust Wales, Photograph ©Chris Ellery/Plantlife project was launched. Meadows project: Northumberland Wildlife Trust, RSPB, , Partners • Over 1,300 people trained , Ulster , Rare Breeds in the skills needed to look Wildlife, Wildlife Trust Survival Trust after meadows. • Approaching 400 farmers Funded by: Funded by: and landowners were given • Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) • Biffa Award advice on how to manage their • Natural England • CWM Community & meadows and grasslands. • Scottish Natural Heritage Environmental Fund • 129 hectares of grassland • Natural Resources Wales • A gift from Peter have been maintained. • Community Foundation of Tyne Baldwin and • 78 hectares of meadow restored. & Wear and Northumberland Lisbet Rausing

Collecting green hay at Hollybed Farm Meadows, Malvern, Worcestershire, with help from Worcestershire Wildlife Trust volunteers

10 Plantlife 25th Year Annual Review 11 12 Ireland. Northern and favourite in Scotland, Wales but primrose was the firm received the most overall votes, 10,000 votes cast, the bluebell flowers.wild out which are our favourite we held apublic vote to find To celebrate our 25th birthday, With just under

Bluebell ©Bob Gibbons

Road verge in May, Pimperne, Dorset ©Luke Morton/Plantlife Before... After... Plantlife 25th Year Review Annual of over 12,000 hectares. area an Plantlife guidelines, managed verges signed up to for nearly 12,000km of council- wildlife. rural road verges better for for councils to manage our people have joined the call in just 24 hours. Nearly 16,000 of signatures on our petition helped usdouble the number year, This Councils responsible responsible Councils viewers viewers 13

Same road verge in June, Pimperne, Dorset ©Luke Morton/Plantlife In 2014-15, £3 million was spent Plantlife saving and celebrating wild flowers. in numbers Here’s how we spent your money...

Income Split Charitable Trusts 7% Appeals 4% Legacies 19% Membership 10% Investment income 6% Grants 47% Nature reserves 2% Other 5%

Activities Cost Split Nature Reserves 4% Conservation projects 60% Advice, policy 10% and campaigns International projects 6% Outreach and education 7% Data and surveys 4% Communication 9%

14 Plantlife 25th Year Annual Review 15 Thank you...... to our loyal supporters, who have • Worcestershire Wildlife Trust • Elmgrant Trust contributed their time and money: • Wye Valley AONB volunteers • Emily Weircroft • Adrian Darby OBE • Wildlife Trust • Equitable Charitable Trust • Andrew Lingham, Court Farm, • Ernest Cook Trust Upper Halling, Rochester, Kent Grant-giving organisations/ • Ernest Kleinwort Charitable Trust • Berkshire, Buckinghamshire partners • Esmée Fairbairn Foundation Patron: HRH The and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust • Biffa Award • Fitzmaurice Trust • • Big Lottery Fund • Four Winds Trust Prince of Wales • Beacons National Park • Caithness & North Sutherland Fund • Garfield Weston Foundation Plantlife HQ, 14 Rollestone • Bridgend County Borough Council • EuropeAid for Macedonia • Godinton Charitable Trust • Butterfly Conservation East • Forestry Commission England • Gower Society Street, Salisbury SP1 1DX Midlands Group • Forestry Commission Scotland • H B Allen Charitable Trust 01722 342730 • Carmarthenshire County Council • GrantScape • Hamamelis Trust [email protected] • Conservatoire botanique national • Heritage Lottery Fund • Helen Gillman’s Trust de Bailleul • Highland Council Landfill • Hemby Charitable Trust Plantlife Scotland, Stirling • Conservatoire d’espaces naturels Communities Fund • Herefordshire Community Fund 01786 478509 du Nord et du Pas-de-Calais • INTERREG IVA France (Channel) • High Landscape Trust [email protected] • Conway County Borough Council – England European cross-border • Hugh Fraser Foundation • co-operation programme, which is • Ian Addison Charitable Trust Plantlife Cymru, Cardiff • Cotswolds Conservation Board co-financed by the ERDF • J H F Green Trust 02920 376193 • • MAVA Foundation Pour La Nature • J Patston Charitable Trust [email protected] • Denbighshire County Council • Natural England • John Coates Charitable Trust • Flintshire County Council • Natural Resources Wales • John Spedan Lewis Foundation www.plantlife.org.uk • Herefordshire Nature Trust • North Wessex Downs AONB • Laspen Trust • Isle of Anglesey County Council Sustainable Development Fund • Leggett Charitable Trust • • Scottish Natural Heritage • Leslie Mary Carter Charitable Trust Plantlife is a charitable • • SITA Trust • Margaret Murdoch Charitable Trust company limited by guarantee, • Medway Valley Countryside • The Campaign for National Parks • Miss K M Harbinson’s Partnership (Park Protector Award) Charitable Trust company no. 3166339 • Ministry of Defence • The CWM Community and • Mrs M A Lascelles Charitable Trust Registered in England and • National Museums Wales, St Fagans Environmental Fund • Naturesave Trust Wales, charity no. 1059559 • National Trust • Veolia Environmental Trust • New Grove Trust • National Trust Wales • Welsh Government Resilient • Norman & Evelyn Proffitt Trust Registered in Scotland, • North Wales Wildlife Trust Ecosystems Fund • Pamela Matthews Charitable Trust charity no. SC038951 • Northumberland Wildlife Trust • WREN Biodiversity Action Fund • Percy Hedley 1990 Trust • Our nature reserves volunteers • Peter and Sheila Gosden ISBN 978-1-910212-23-3 • Radnorshire Wildlife Trust Charitable trusts Charitable Trust October 2015 • Royal Botanic Gardens Kew • A & N Daniell Charitable Trust • Rainford Trust • RSPB • Albert George and Nancy Caroline • Robert Kiln Charitable Trust designbyStudioAde.com • RSPB Wales Youngman Trust • Rowlands Trust Cover: Road verge in Dorset • Rutland Natural History Society • Alfred Williams Charitable Trust • Sandra Charitable Trust ©Joss Barratt/Plantlife • Scottish Wildlife Trust • Ashley Family Foundation • Seven Pillars of Wisdom Trust • Snowdonia National Park • Banister Trust • Spear Charitable Trust • Somerset Wildlife Trust • Calleva Foundation • St Mary’s Charity • South East Wales Biological • Carew Pole Charitable Trust • Stuart Heath Charitable Settlement Records Centre • Cecil Pilkington Charitable Trust • Sylvia and Colin Shepherd • Staffordshire Wildlife Trust • Chapman Charitable Trust Charitable Trust • Wildlife Trust • Clark Bradbury Charitable Trust • Tay Charitable Trust • • Community Foundation Tyne & • William Dean Trust • The Forestry Commission Wear and Northumberland • Woodward Charitable Trust • The Naturesave Trust • Craignish Trust • Ulster Wildlife • D S Smith Charitable Foundation Many thanks also go to our loyal • University of Wales, Aberystwyth • Dorothy Whitney Elmhirst Trust members and all our volunteers • Wales Biodiversity Partnership • Dovehouse Trust for their valued support. • Wales Government • D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust • • Eda, Lady Jardine Charitable Trust