It has been a very frustrating year so far for many of us, and at the Parish Grasslands Project that frustration is felt as keenly as elsewhere. No sooner had we launched our Climate Action initiative in February, and the various hubs were holding their first meetings and beginning to lay out all manner of plans, but the Coronavirus reared its ugly head and brought things to a virtual standstill. And, of course, plans for our normal PGP activities had to be put on hold.
We are particularly disappointed that we have not been able to hold the Flower Hunt for the pre-school and reception class children from St Briavels School. It is the first time in many years that this popular midsummer event, which gives the younger generation an introduction to wild flowers, bugs, beetles and butterflies, has not happened. This year, we were particularly looking forward to welcoming for the first time children from the Forest of Dean Children’s Opportunity Centre in Coleford. We very much hope the Flower Hunt will resume next year.
We have also had to abandon plans for a summer visit to the major meadow restoration project at the National Botanic Garden of Wales, near Carmarthen. This was at the invitation of Bruce Langridge, one of the instigators of the restoration scheme, who was one of the speakers at our meeting last October. Once again, we hope to revive this event next year.
In the meantime, while the Mackenzie Hall and the Assembly Rooms remain closed for meetings, it is difficult to know when we will next be able to hold our annual general meeting, postponed from March. With winter approaching (sorry to mention it!) it seems that in the short term indoor meetings are even less likely to be possible. It may well be that we hold a two-year event next year.
On a more positive note, we have been able to continue looking after two ongoing projects. The “Garden of Remembrance” in the moat at St Briavels Castle, contains examples of some of the wild plants that have become extinct in the two parishes in the last century. The flora survey that identified the extinctions is reported in an article by George Peterken and Elsa Wood in the current issue of the specialist magazine British Wildlife. We have a small number of copies of this excellent magazine. If you would like to borrow one, please get in touch via the website.
And work has continued to maintain the community orchard at St Briavels Playing Field. The apple blossom season came and went while the playing field was out of bounds, but the trees are currently bearing the beginnings of a modest crop of small apples. It’s heartening that some things simply carry on, pandemic or no pandemic. Of course, these will not be ready for picking for some time. When they are we will arrange a community event to share them. Watch this space!