Last year we launched our Wild about Frome project; you may have seen our signs dotted around Frome. This project allows us to tailor our management and maintenance techniques in certain areas to encourage biodiversity in the town’s parks and green spaces, and by doing so we are creating a variety of different and complementary habitats, which help to support our wildlife and plant life.
One way of achieving this is cutting the grass less frequently and letting the grass and wildflowers grow in-between. This is beneficial for all sorts of reasons; and is something that is becoming more common around the country.
Responsibility for the grass verges is shared, and we are working with Mendip District Council (MDC) and Somerset County Council (SCC) to see whether they might want to leave some of the areas that they look after to create even more Wild about Frome areas around the town.
While we haven’t been carrying out our normal grass cutting in the current circumstances, we’ve seen the emergence of wildflowers and spotted wildlife where we wouldn’t normally see it. And this has given us the opportunity to record what these areas look like when they’re uncut and a little wilder.
Have you got a favourite area that you have seen flourish during lockdown?
We’re keen to hear your feedback and would welcome suggestions of areas that you would like to see left wilder in the future – whether this is a verge at the end of your road or somewhere you pass on your daily walk. Please email us at cstringer@frometowncouncil.gov.uk Take a photo if you can, and let us know what’s growing there; and any wildlife that you can see or hear. We’ll keep a list of suggested spaces on our website, and we’ll add your photos too so you can see where others have suggested.
This will help us with our conversations with MDC and SCC and see whether they might manage their spaces differently in the future to help protect and support our wildlife and plant life within Frome.
If you do head out, please factor it in to other trips that you’re planning to make, and please make sure to follow the current guidance about social distancing.
Published 6th May 2020
