Rattle on through
There is a patch of rough ground at the top of Wild Acres that harbours quite a number of wildflower species. I reseeded it last year with a meadow mix and brush cut quite short in February.
I spotted some Yellow Rattle, my first sighting this season. It’s an important indicator species for the calcareous grasslands of the Cotwolds.
It is parasitic on grass, which is why it plays a key role in restoring meadow from grassland. Once the grass can be kept back, other species start to grow.
A bit of a tidy up job with the brush cutter today. The grass had grown quite high in just a week, which we want to encourage. But taking in about 6-9 inches from the main pathway creates a nice micro habitat.
We were fortunate to be joined again by Mussan and Sajid from Iran who prepared this meal using ingredients from the poly tunnel.
The rice is cooked in layers, with bread at the bottom. This results in a crispy delicious accompanyment.
The weather was threatening rain but it never came and we ate in glorious sunshine in the outdoor kitchen.
Afterwards I held the regular code club for 8-12 year olds in the library. I’m super impressed with how quickly a couple of them are picking up the concepts. And I was excited to see Lewis return for his first lesson after getting a bit overwhelmed last week.
In the evening, there was an admin team meeting for the Stroud Wildlife Survey Group where we mostly made final preparations for the upcoming AGM on Sunday.
