HEAVY horses have been helping to sow new wildflower meadows at Jubilee Park in Cadbury Heath.
The shire horses, Flynn, Kipp and Quin, harrowed the soil before the seeds were sown and are rolling the land afterwards.
Some of the seeds for the meadows at the park, which is being created to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II and celebrate the coronation of King Charles III, have come from the king’s Highgrove estate.
South Gloucestershire Council has provided £55,000 from the council’s Climate and Nature Emergency funding towards the biodiversity park on a former pitch and putt course. Funding to create the wildflower meadows comes via a £53,000 grant from the Wesrt of England Combined Authority.
Five thousand wildflower plug plants are being sourced from Grow Wilder, Avon Wildlife Trust’s plant nursery.
The aim is to create a haven for both wildlife and local people.
South Gloucestershire Councillors Jayne Stansfield and Alex Doyle, were joined by Metro Mayor Dan Norris and residents to mark the start of project to sow the wildflower meadows.
Councillor Stansfield said: “It is fantastic to see these magnificent horses in action as they prepare the soil at Jubilee Park for beautiful wildflower meadows which will teem with wildlife when established. Heavy horses are being used due to their low environmental impact and as a sustainable alternative to heavy machinery, which would overly compact the soil. We are facing climate and ecological emergencies so projects like this are vital to provide wildlife havens where our residents can relax and enjoy nature.”
Mayor Dan Norris said: “Bees matter. Simply put, we can’t live without them. That’s why I was so delighted to meet Flynn, Kipp and Quin helping get Jubilee Park ready to bloom.
“I’m proud to be investing in projects supporting pollinators like this – good news for Cadbury Heath locals, and even better news for its pollinators who do so much for us. It’s projects like these that will really help us make our amazing West of England region the bee and pollinator capital of the country.”