The Buglife and Fife Council partnership project, Fife’s Buzzing! came to Tayport on Sunday 8th May. The project aims to create new wildflower meadows for bugs and bees which in turn support birds and other wildlife and transform local areas.
Thirty adults and children turned up to this event led by Gabrielle Flinn from Buglife and Johanna Willi from Fife Council’s biodiversity team. It was a beautiful day and armed with our buckets of seed and sawdust (so we could tell which areas where covered) we created what we hope will be lovely beds of wild flowers around the Tayport Common.
Speaking to some of the volunteers on site, Margaret who came with Grace (11 years) and Sam (6 years) said they were there because they wanted to make the park look good, Liz said she was looking forward to seeing it all in full bloom, hopefully in around 3 weeks, and Jim talked about local people getting together to make a positive difference.
Wildflower meadows have decreased by well over 90% since the 1930s and the impact on bugs, bees and wild life is significant. They are more than just pretty flowers, they are a lifeline for many different species of insects including spiders, ladybirds and lacewings, and provide hiding places for frogs and toads.
The decline of bees is a serious business and wild flowers provide pollen and nectar to help sustain the insects that pollinate our food crops. Tayport will be buzzing this summer because volunteers helped scatter these seeds and worked with Buglife and the Council to make something beautiful and useful. It may seem like a small thing but research proves that having wildlife and nature around us significantly helps with stress and improves our wellbeing (see The Wildlife Trusts report). So when you’re having a wander around the common this summer and next, we hope you enjoy the wildflower meadow and the difference that a small group of thoughtful and committed people made. And you can always replicate the meadows in your own garden – Scotia Seeds has a great choice of local meadow seed mixes in stock (we used Get nectar-rich quick mix near the common pond, and Dry meadow mix near the entrance to the caravan park).
If you feel like getting involved in the workshops and volunteering that’s happening in Tayport pop into the Tayport Community Garden or email us on plant@tayportct.org.uk.
For more information about the importance of wild flower meadows check out Buglife.org.uk.
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