Good to work with this large BNG native wildflower seeding project this autumn to connect up habitat creation work of our east kent downs farmers

Good to see our farmers confirming the presence of adder in 2 new locations in our east kent valleys project. Sightings at upper end of two valleys systems where never previously recorded – contiguous wildflower grassland networks, created by farmers, driving species recovery

Good to see more & more of our farmers’ longer term wildflower meadow creation sites now regularly becoming the donor wildflower seed sites for new creation sites. Farmers creating an ever increasing resource of new wildflower grasslands driving insect abundance &nature recovery

Thanks to Simon @nikkigammans for bumblebee surveys on one of our landscape scale wildflower grassland creation valleys with Brown banded carder, Red tailed cuckoo bumblebee and Red Bartsia bee amongst the finds. Farmers leading nature recovery

Big thanks to Clare and family at Gingerly Green Flower Farm for hosting our mid summer East Kent Downs Farmer group mtg - sharing and learning all about farm diversification

This year's program of wildflower seed /green hay spreading gets off to start combine harvesting of yellow rattle from 20 yr old sites (for cleaner sample) & then taken to be spread on newly developing grasslands with fertiliser spreader. Farmers leading nature recovery at scale

Big thanks to John @KentBatgroup & Simon for our farmer group talk & walk on bats & glowworms. Great to see glowworms, serotine, myotis and pip' sp on the tour of one of our farm's truly inspiring landscape of new flower rich grasslands, scrubby field edges and billowing hedges

Creating high nature value areas at scale reaping rewards with this contiguous 120ha sweep of new wildflower grasslands blending into woodland networks/ glades & mini meadows. Small blue & bright wave appearing in wood meadows, & large feeding parties of swifts & hobbies at dusk

East kent downs farmers doing the heavy lifting for nature recovery this week with new records of bright wave moth on 5 new wildflower grasslands, and with the added bonus of a new site for sussex emerald. Farmers delivering nature recovery at scale

Ending the flight season on a high for this farm as a milestone is reached with the expansion of black veined moth across the landscape ; a first sighting of the moth on a block of restored & created species rich grassland hopefully heralding its colonisation of new valley system

Big thanks to Ben & team at Godmersham for hosting our East Kent Downs landscape recovery farmer group barn owl walk & talk. Great to see superb mix of created, restored & intact habitats delivering for barn owl, lapwing, kentish milkwort, adonis blue, black veined moth, adder...

Great to show black veined moth in newly created wildflower grassland habitats to all who joined the @BCKentBranch walk. With added bonus of dark green fritillary in numbers & white bryony mining bee. Farmers creating new species rich habitats from scratch, driving species recov'

More examples of species recovery being driven by long term focus on rebuilding large networks wildflower grasslands across the landscape - these from our stour valley network this week - inland breeding stonechat & small blue colonising new areas. Farmers leading nature recovery

Good to see ruderal bumble bee and small blue expanding their range within our Barham Downs nature recovery network, now finding their way north into woodland meadows /glades and colonising new grasslands to the south. Farmers leading nature recovery

Great to join @KentBatGroup on serotine roost counts in our east kent downs project area. Good serotine numbers & new roost discoveries showing healthy abundance of large flying insects - testament to the multiple gains of farmers creating insect rich habitats at landscape scale

Fragrant, man & pyramidal orchid & broomrape sp. turning up on our new wildflower grassland creation sites each year - some of many species taking advantage of open, non competitive swards, often triggered by rattle expansion phase,typically 10 - 15 years after initial reversion

Good to find continued presence of Kentish milkwort following new introduction of seedling plants by @speciesrecovery on newly created wildflower grassland. Lace border and black veined moth putting on a show too, as first time records on new sites. Farmers leading nature recov'

Big thanks to the Managers of Stelling Minnis Common for our east kent downs farmer group meeting looking at pros and cons of invisible fencing as a way of managing cattle grazing on the Minnis for acid grassland and heathland habitats. East Kent Farmers leading nature recovery

A record year for dukes with a total peak count of 590, a mix of well established colony sites, newly establishing colonies & record year for single dukes at new locations across the landscape. Thx to @BCkentBranch vols. Kent farmers creating new habitats, driving nature recovery