Bristol park restoring grassland to fight ‘climate change and biodiversity loss’

Species-rich grasslands have become increasingly threatened by extreme weather and human activity.

Bristol Parks is working to combat this by undertaking work to restore some eight hectares of grassland at Stoke Park.

Other Parks in the city, such as Blaise Castle Estate and some areas of Ashton Court Estate, have also seen positive results with the restoration of grasslands. Bristol City Council is also considering extending this programme to other sites where appropriate.

The restoration of grassland will play a key role in species conservation as well as carbon storage.

The restoration of grassland at Stoke Park Estate will play a key role in species conservation as well as carbon storage – photo: Ellie Pipe

“For nature to get the most from this method, the grass at Stoke Park must be short and the soil needs to be sacrificed, with the surface scratched and scraped, to create sufficient bare ground,” explained a spokesperson for the council’s parks team.

“Although this can look intrusive it will give us the best chance of successfully increasing the variety of flowering plants, which in turn will contribute to enhancing the estate as a nature-rich habitat, for other wildlife such as bees, butterflies, birds and bats.”

The role of biodiverse grasslands against climate change
Reports published by RSPB and WWF UK state the importance of grasslands in terms of carbon storage as well as their ability to slow flood waters, boost pollinator populations and stop soil erosion.

Other organisations in the UK argue that up to 30 per cent of the earth’s carbon is stored in grassland carbon sinks, making grasslands vital for ecosystems.

Stoke Park Estate will see the results of this grassland work in early 2023 – photo: Steve England

“Grasslands play other essential roles such as storing carbon, flood mitigation by holding water, and connecting habitats so species can move across the city landscape,” say Bristol Parks.

“Having more grasslands like this within the city will also provide more opportunities for people to enjoy these spaces, which previous generations would have taken for granted.”

How restoring grassland plays a key role in environmental conservation
More than 97 per cent of wildflower meadows have been lost in the UK since the 1930s, according to Natural England with devastating effects in terms of biodiversity and threatening many locally iconic meadow flowers.

The impact of this loss extends to all forms of life, displacing other insects, mammals among others.

By restoring the grasslands at Stoke Park, the council’s parks team hope to “increase the diversity of grasses and wildlife species, which support pollinators such as bees and butterflies, along with reptiles, birds, small mammals and bats”.

What is the ‘green hay method’?
To restore the grasslands, they’re using what is called the “green hay method,” which means they’ll have to initially create bare ground to then transfer the green hay into the ‘recipient’ soil.

The council says: “With the green hay method we expect to see results from Spring 2023, which will continue into the following years. The outcome will influence whether we continue to use this method or look at alternative methods to help improve the grassland mix of species.”

The process involves the collection of fresh hay before it dries and sheds its seed.

This ‘green hay’ will be coming from Ashton Court Estate (some of the most species-rich meadow habitat in Bristol) and will be quickly transferred onto the grounds at Stoke Park using a muck spreader. The seed from the hay is then rolled into the grasslands to make sure it has good contact with the soil for germination.

How Bristol residents could help
A volunteer group runs every Thursday and the first Saturday of every month, from 10am to 12.30pm. Anyone who wants to get involved and work on improving Stoke Park Estate is welcome to join.

The council says: “It enables people to help with practical tasks across the park and learn more about how we manage it and the role of our park ranger.”

If you’re interested in working on this or any other green space in the city, you can learn more on Bristol City Council website: Get involved in your local park or green space.

This piece of independent journalism is supported by Natwest and the Bristol24/7 public and business membership

Main photo: Simon Ferguson

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