This summer, farmers and volunteers in the Lowther Valley came together to sow the first wildflower seed across four farms and a community green at Bomby Green. The seed was collected locally from Swindale Meadow at Wild Haweswater – a jewel in the upland landscape, managed by the RSPB in partnership with United Utilities.

Now, as autumn colours begin to spread through the valley, the work continues with plug planting. Thousands of young wildflowers, grown from local seed at the nurseries of Wild Haweswater and Cumbria Wildlife Trust, are being planted into the meadows to ensure they flourish in Cumbrian conditions.

Over five volunteer planting days this October – complete with tea, cake and muddy boots – the community has been turning out in force. Families, farmers and conservationists are all part of the effort to bring back the colour, birdsong and hum of insects to the valley.

“This project started from the ground up,” says Annabelle Kennedy, Senior Farm & Wildlife Adviser at Cumbria Connect. “Farmers wanted to do more for biodiversity, and we worked with them to find the right sites. It’s been brilliant to see neighbours and volunteers planting together – it shows the real power of community in nature recovery.”

The restored meadows will soon be alive with Great Burnet, Melancholy Thistle, Common Bistort and Wood Cranesbill, growing alongside Sweet Vernal Grass. Yellow Rattle and Eyebright, known as “meadow makers”, will help open space for these wildflowers to thrive by gently reducing the vigour of coarse grasses.

For the farmers involved, the project is about more than wildflowers. It’s about the health of the whole landscape.

“The hay is great quality, and our livestock thrive on it,” says Alice Robinson, one of the participating farmers. “It fits perfectly with how we want to farm – producing food in a way that still gives space for wildlife.”

This work is proof that nature-friendly farming can benefit both biodiversity and business. Native grazers like Fell Ponies and cattle help manage the meadows, their hooves and grazing patterns allowing wildflowers to spread and establish.

This £52,000 restoration project is coordinated by Cumbria Connect, funded by the Endangered Landscapes & Seascapes Programme, and delivered by Cumbria Wildlife Trust in partnership with the RSPB at Wild Haweswater, United Utilities, Lowther Estate and Cumbria Wildflowers.

“Nature recovery works best when it’s community-led and rooted in farming systems,” says Annabelle. “This project shows what’s possible when people come together with a shared goal of bringing nature back.”