The Big Devon Meadows Count 2025 – registration deadline to take part 30th May!

We invite you to take part in The Big Devon Meadow Count this summer by surveying and recording the wildflowers in your meadow – whatever its size, species-richness, or stage of development.

📅 Survey period: 1st June – 31st August (you’ll only need to survey once during this period)

📍 Who can take part? Anyone in Devon with a meadow, no matter the scale or type

🔍 No expertise needed! We’ll provide all the resources you need

🌿 Why take part? Learn what plants define a species-rich meadow, improve your plant ID skills, contribute to the overall understanding of Devon’s biodiversity and most importantly – have fun!

What is The Big Devon Meadows Count?

This project is a collaboration between Moor Meadows and the Devon Biodiversity Records Centre, with The Devon Environment Foundation contributing funding.

Grassland is a dominant land use in the UK, covering around 40% of the country. However, the vast majority is intensively managed for agriculture, with only a small fraction remaining as species-rich or unimproved semi-natural grassland. Species-rich grassland, which supports the highest biodiversity, makes up only 1% of the UK land area.

The Moor Meadows community is helping to bring them back.

Together we have already restored and created 2,700 acres of meadows, as seen on our Meadows Map. However, the plants present in these meadows remain under-recorded – both in Devon and nationally. It is important that we learn what we have in Devon, where, and in what quantities.

This project focuses on identifying the wildflower species in our meadows. We’ll help you discover what’s growing in yours and make the process fun and rewarding.

Why Your Contribution Matters

Meadows and their species are under-recorded across the UK. Your survey results will help build a high-quality biodiversity database for Devon, managed by the Devon Biodiversity Records Centre (DBRC). By participating, you’ll be part of a collective effort to record and celebrate these vital habitats. The project results are uploaded to the Devon Biodiversity Records Centre’s database, which covers the whole of Devon. Their team will analyse the data to gain valuable big-picture insights across the county.

Last year’s pilot project had remarkable findings – several participants discovered their meadows were so wildflower diverse that they qualified for County Wildlife Site designation – the equivalent of a gold medal for land management!

Could your meadow be the next hidden gem?

How to Take Part

✅ Step 1: Click the button below to register – by 30th May 2025. You can survey one meadow or several.

✅ Step 2: Between 1st June and 31st August, choose a day to record the wildflower species you find.

✅ Step 3: Submit your findings to the Devon Biodiversity Records Centre (DBRC).

🌼 Already have a meadow survey? You can submit that too!

Ten Reasons to Join In…

Be part of something bigger! Your input contributes to national conservation efforts
Could your meadow be a hidden gem? Last year, some participants were offered County Wildlife Site designation
Discover your meadow’s potential – identify your grassland type and its diversity
Learn what wildflowers define a species-rich meadow
Gain skills in how to survey your meadow, which will be useful for future monitoring
Enjoy examining your meadow and improve your plant ID skills with our resources
Attend a free plant ID training workshop (optional) to sharpen your identification skills
Access exclusive mini video guides to help you identify the wildflowers in your meadow
Once you know what you’ve got, you may decide you’d like a more diverse meadow. At the close of the project, Katey Stephens, senior grassland specialist at Natural England, will deliver an online talk on how to increase species diversity
Taking part isn’t onerous – you only need to do one survey, when your meadow is at its flowering best (sometime between June and August)

📢 Thank you for taking part!