Rare breed sheep have grazed a set-aside wild meadow area in The Green Park for the last week along with a rare breed Dexter miniature cow called Twiglet. The livestock belong to Mudchute Farm on the Isle of Dogs and are transported daily to their central London pasture where they are hugely popular with visitors and perform good work fertilising and spreading seed. Tom from Mudchute explained how their arrival was timed after the flowering and setting seed of the meadow for maximum efficiency in attracting invertebrates. This is the third year of the grazing project and there has been a visable increase in the numbers of flying and other insects but a more in depth audit would be carried out next year. Another meadow area for wild flowers is located near Hyde Park Corner which we had seen in flower during our Tree Walk in May but at this time of year was short following one of its thrice yearly mows. Many thanks to Tom and the Royal Parks' Mission: Invertebrate team for their work to enrich the bio-diversity of this challenging park with no flowerbeds.
Mission: Invertebrate, The Green Park - August 2019