Inspired by the creation of the magnificent wildflower meadows within the new Olympic Park, a group of organisations led by London In Bloom have formed a partnership to use the Games as a catalyst to enhance and improve other parks and open spaces across London and beyond. The aim is to promote the celebration and creation of both wildflower meadows and nectar rich plantings in order to encourage community engagement, enhance the local environment and increase biodiversity.
The project has the backing of the Mayor’s office and is set to become the over-arching meadows campaign for Greater London. It plans to set up a technical advisory group who can advise and assist local authorities, organisations and the general public on the most appropriate method to create and manage meadowland.
Here’s one we made earlier
If you would like to see an already created and blooming marvellous meadow then these can be found all over London. Meadows have been created on Hackney Downs (Hackney), Stoke Newington Common (Hackney), Waterloo Park (Camden), West Ham Park (Newham), Queen Mary’s Rose Garden (Regents Park), Eastcote House Gardens (Hillingdon), Warrender Park (Hillingdon), Kneller Gardens (Richmond Upon Thames) and the John Roan School (Greenwich). The meadows vary in size from 60 -300m2.
Ways to get involved?
Schools Competition: It is hoped a schools competition will be launched in autumn 2011 which focuses on the creation of a meadow in the most unusual container and in the most unusual place. Schools across Greater London will be encouraged to competitively apply to secure a pack of urban meadow seed mix and guidance notes, in exchange for imaginatively describing how they would plan to create a wildflower meadow in a ‘mad’ way. The schools element of the programme will be delivered to help educate young people about the importance of birds, butterflies and particularly bees to our lives. The aim is to create up to 100 mini meadows across London in apparatus such as a bin, a wheelbarrow or an old gym mat - the possibilities are endless. The 10 most imaginative ideas will be invited to attend an awards ceremony in the summer of 2012.
Plans for 2012
Wildflower Corridors / ‘Stepping Stones’ – We are going to create wildflower corridors across East London, connecting the meadows in the Olympic Park with the Lee Valley itself. The corridors would consist of creating new meadows within parks and opens spaces along with transforming areas of amenity grassland within housing estates. Other areas across Greater London have been identified as possible wildflower corridors.
Legacy after the games:
Mad About Meadows plans to become the ‘one stop shop’ for meadow creation within London. It will be able to give technical advice and training through a newly created technical advisory group. There will also be an online portal where local authorities, organisations & individuals can learn the most appropriate way to create a meadow. Further details will be available in due course.
For more information contact:
Hugo Ross-Tatam
Mad about Meadows Project Manager
Direct line: +44 (0) 203 2012 886
Email: madaboutmeadows@london2012.com
