A WILDLIFE charity has launched an appeal to help create new wildflower meadows.

Gwent Wildlife Trust (GWT) has launched its Give for Grazing appeal- a two week donation appeal to help the trust create a mosaic of new wildflower meadows.

With money raised by Give for Grazing, GWT will buy its first herd of organic cattle this March to help with their conservation grazing programme on the reserves. Creating new wildflower meadows will benefit a wide variety of wildlife and offer the perfect tranquil location for walking and exploring.

Wildflower meadows are in steep decline and are now extremely rare, with approximately 97 per cent in England and Wales having been lost. This loss of wildflower rich grasslands has also resulted in the decline of many pollinating insects, including bumblebees.

The benefits of conservation grazing are not just for wildlife but for people too. GWT reserves are open to the public all year round and contact with green spaces like meadows, can improve mental wellbeing and relieve stress.

Cows are considered to be some of the best natural grazers to help promote wildflower meadows. Conservation grazing involves animals grazing freely so they pick and choose the plants to eat resulting in the creation of a wider range of wildflowers and grasses, which are in turn essential for pollinators such as bees and butterflies as well as birds and mammals to thrive.

GWT Living Landscape Manager, Andrew Nixon, said: “The money raised by Give for Grazing will help Gwent Wildlife Trust build on our existing experience with sheep ownership and test new approaches towards sustainable conservation grazing with the help of cattle, the expert grazers! In doing so we will create beautiful wildflower meadows for people and wildlife to enjoy for the future!”

To donate and find out more online visit www.gwentwildlife.org/Give-for-Grazing or to donate £5 by JustTextGiving text MOOO16 £5 to 70070.

The appeal runs to 7th March.

GWT are also offering a volunteer trainee position aimed at improving knowledge and skills with a range of livestock and conservation land management techniques, increasing potential paid-for employment in the conservation and agricultural sectors. Applications close on Friday 29th Feb, to apply or find out more visit www.gwentwildlife.org/jobs/wye-cattle-conservation-grazing-trainee or call GWT on 01600 740600.