TWiG South Petherton Meadow Project

By Tree and Wildlife Group (TWiG)

In autumn 2022, the Tree and Wildlife Group (TWiG) established a 0.9-acre native wildflower meadow next to the allotments in South Petherton, on a corner of parish-owned land previously intensively farmed with maize, wheat and potatoes.

3 years on, after some initial challenges with meadow cutting, we organised a community scything morning at the end of August. With the help of our many TWiG supporters in South Petherton, alongside scythers from South Somerset, we managed to cut and rake around 40% of the area by hand in just 4 hours. We left some refuge areas uncut to support invertebrates such as crickets and grasshoppers, as well as to provide shelter for young frogs, voles, and moths. These uncut areas are also vital for many overwintering life stages of beetles, moths and butterflies. The remaining area was cut and removed by a local contract farmer.

In May and June 2025, retired botanist Fred Rumsey carried out a botanical survey of the meadow and verges. He recorded 54 non-woody plant species, compared to the 10 flowering and 5 grass species we originally sowed (Emorsgate EM1 mix). For comparison, the adjacent part of the parish field, which is still farmed, contained only 20 wild species.

Looking ahead to 2026, we’re considering further biodiversity surveys, clearer interpretation for visitors, and cutting new paths through the meadow to help people get closer to nature. We hope to run group visits, establish a meadow scything club, and offer workshops to re-skill volunteers so that we can eventually cut the entire meadow by hand. There are also plans to install raptor poles to encourage birds of prey.

There are endless possibilities if we can continue to count on the support of all stakeholders.

To find out more or to get involved, please email twigsouthpetherton@gmail.com.