Brownies support planting of new wildflower meadow at Westminster Park

The 18th Chester Brownies group joined the Friends of Westminster Park this spring to help sow a wildflower meadow in a section of the park.

It was a true joint effort to get the site prepared with Cheshire West and Chester Council preparing the ground, using machinery provided by Nature Recovery Corridors and the Networks for Nature projects. Followed by volunteers doing the final ground prep. The brownies then came along to sow the seed. The group were able to learn lots of new skills as part of this activity, which contributed to helping them achieve their Go Outdoors Award, including using a map, identifying features (such as the pond), measuring out areas for sowing, weighing our the right amount of seed, mixing it with sand and then sowing it. Finally, they pressed it into the soil (not too hard, or "not like an elephant" as they were instructed).

Each Brownie had their own area to sow across the 600m2 patch. Everyone had lots of fun getting involved and we can’t wait to see the area in bloom this summer.

Wildflower meadows provide a lovely splash of colour across our communities but also play an important role providing rich nectar and pollen sources for bees, butterflies and other insects. Just one square metre of meadow can support hundreds of flowers, creating vital food and breeding habitats that also support birds, bats and small mammals.

For practical guidance, local evidence and examples of meadow creation, visit Cheshire Wildlife Trust’s Pollinating Cheshire project:

Cheshire Wildlife Trust – Pollinating Cheshire

This page explains why wildflower meadows matter in Cheshire, how they are created using local seed, and how councils and communities can get involved.

For information about the Friends of Westminster Park, visit: https://www.westminsterpark.org.uk/