A change of scene

Today I headed north to the Lincolnshire Wolds to attend a free workshop on seed collection provided by staff from Kew, organised by the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust as part of their LoveLincsPlants project. I dithered about whether to make the effort as it's a three and a half hour round trip, but it was well worth it.

The two trainers were excellent, and it was good to meet new people and catch up with others that I haven't spoken to in person for over eighteen months. I now have the skills to collect seed for the Millennium Seed Bank - there's a lot more to it than just grabbing a handful of seed-bearing heads - it even involves a modicum of maths as well as elements of seed quality control!

After the training course was over I had a very short walk round Red Hill NR. This is one of the Coronation Meadows, and has a core area of species-rich chalk grassland which has been used to re-establish wildflower-rich grassland on a large area of former arable land. All the grassland you can see in the middle distance has been created this way. An inspiring site, and an area that I'd like to re-visit when I have a bit more time available.