Crowdfunding flower power in Wales

A once heavily-grazed field on the edge of Snowdonia is set to become a beautiful and diverse wildflower meadow after a successful crowdfunding campaign

A once heavily-grazed field on the edge of Snowdonia is set to become a beautiful and diverse wildflower meadow after a successful crowdfunding campaign

Residents in north Wales decided to act to help a local patch of land flourish. They hope their successful crowdfunding campaign will help them continue restoring this “beautiful meadow”.

Locals launched the Gweld y ddôl – Seeing the meadow – project with Crowdfunder to work on the Caer Ddôl meadow near Llanberis. It is also known locally as Castle Meadow or Dol’s Meadow. They raised £1,000 from 19 supporters in 28 days.

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The meadow is popular with tourists and local dog walkers, but the Friends of Cae’r Ddôl say some visitors are ‘plant blind’ and “unaware of the wonder of the flowers beneath their feet”. The team wants to encourage people to ‘see’ the meadow for what they say it is: an “ecological wonder”.

A new slate fence in the area. Image: Friends of Cae’r Ddôl

One of the founding members of the Friends of Cae’r Ddôl, professional botanist Robbie Blackhall-Miles, said: “I am so pleased that all this is happening. The water meadows at the end of Llyn Padarn are very special. When I saw the first wild orchids growing there I knew someone had to pay the meadow a bit more attention.”

When I saw the first wild orchids growing there I knew someone had to pay the meadow a bit more attention

Kath Wills, another of the group, added: “Last year we worked with local children to grow a meadow in and on a phone box on Llanberis high street. It certainly helped to get people seeing and talking about meadows.”

The group plans to cut the meadow twice a year to help the more delicate flowers compete with grasses and install crossing points to help people walk along the main path without getting muddy, preventing erosion of ditches and paths.

Caer Ddol. Image: Friends of Cae’r Ddôl

“We are not into big infrastructure and visitor centres,” noted Wills, “we simply want to give the flowers a chance to speak for themselves.”

The Friends of Cae’r Ddôl will be working in partnership with the landowner, Gwynedd Council.

Find out more about the Friends of Cae’r Ddôl on Twitter or Facebook

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