A riot of colour and buzzing with life, Bowland's traditional hay meadows are true havens during the summer months – and there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy them this season.
The Forest of Bowland National Landscape Partnership and Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust are joining forces once again to offer a host of events designed to get people exploring and appreciating this rare and valuable habitat.
Bowland Hay Time Project Officer, Carol Edmondson, said, "With these events we want to give people the chance to immerse themselves in the wonderful world of wildflowers; whether that's through experiencing a meadow at the height of the season, seeing traditional scything in action, getting creative with arts and crafts, or learning how to grow their own wildflower plants."
The series of events begins on 9th June with a meadow inspiration walk at Gisburn Forest and continues throughout the summer, including National Meadows Day and the Northern Scythe Festival over the first weekend of July, plus a second meadow walk and BioBlitz at the Crook o' Lune, Lancaster later that week.
A textile workshop, photography walk and a tutorial on how to grow your own plants and manage a mini meadow are also being planned as part of the programme, with information coming soon.
Continued Carol, "Here in Bowland we're lucky to have some of the last remaining upland hay meadows in the country thanks to the traditional practices being carried out on the farms where they're found. Helping people to discover such special places is a really enjoyable part of my role."
In an addition to the Festival Bowland programme, a Summer Dawn Chorus walk will be taking place on Saturday 10th June at Gisburn Forest. Starting at 5am the event will soak up the sounds of a waking woodland, before heading back to the Hub for coffee and croissants.
Full details and booking information for the Bowland Hay Time summer events and Summer Dawn Chorus morning will be available on the Festival Bowland calendar at Festival Bowland Events | Forest of Bowland National Landscape.
The Hay Time project is being supported by the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme.