Staff and volunteers at the county’s leading conservation organisation are celebrating after being awarded a grant to save two small wildflower meadows for the future.

A grant of £18,500 has been received from Biffa Award as part of the Landfill Communities Fund for the purchase and protection of Merries Farm Meadows Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The one hectare site is an important part of a series of wildflower-rich meadows around the Birtsmorton area in the south of the county.

David Molloy, Worcestershire Wildlife Trust’s Conservation Officer with responsibility for the site, explained “Although these two meadows are quite small, they provide a rich variety of habitats for flowers and wildlife. There are a number of mature oaks along the boundary as well as hawthorn and blackthorn hedges on all sides; there’s even a small pond.

“We’d like to say a big thank you to Biffa Award for helping us to buy and protect this small area for the future.”

The Trust are particularly grateful to the previous owner, Lynn Hunter, for giving the charity the opportunity to buy the meadows and for allowing them 12 months to raise the funds to do so.