A MEADOW-MAKING community on Dartmoor celebrates its 10th anniversary this summer.

Moor Meadows, Devon’s largest meadow-makers community now collectively manage more than 3,000 acres of wildflower meadows.

Formed on Dartmoor in 2015, it is a forum for sharing knowledge, equipment and wildflower seeds among people keen to increase flower-rich grassland on the Moor, to help reverse the declines of wild plants and wildlife seen during recent decades.

Over the last decade, membership of the group has grown both in numbers of meadows on the map.

This collective effort of hundreds of people has been a process of learning together and then sharing successes for wildlife and people.

Moor Meadows co-founder Donna Cox, of Buckfastleigh, said: ‘What began 10 years ago as a small gathering in a village hall on Dartmoor, has since blossomed into an inspiring movement.

‘The remarkable growth and impact of the group over the past decade is a testament to the dedication and passion of all members in helping to reverse the trend of national wildlife declines.

‘This includes addressing the loss of wildflowers from the countryside, the decline of insects dependent on flower-rich grasslands, and the birds and small mammals that rely on these insects as a vital food source.

Moor Meadows member Amanda Makin explained: ‘I love learning about how marvellous nature is and how I can encourage biodiversity in my own orchard.’

Moor Meadows members now manage 720 wildflower meadows covering 3,059 acres across Devon, all havens for the butterflies, bees and other insects that rely on a diverse array of flowering plants.

Land within Dartmoor National Park remains the single area of Devon with the highest number of meadows on the Moor Meadows map, though 423 of the sites are found elsewhere in the county.

Some landowners are managing wildflower-rich grasslands on a large scale, while other members of the group have created mini-meadows in the garden.

A former pony paddock next to the River Teign at Lower Ashton hosts 108 species of plants.

Local communities have come together to establish thriving meadows that are spaces for wildlife to find a home - and places for people to enjoy - in Bridford and, with the help of the parish council, in Kenn.

While most of the sites on the Moor Meadows maps are on private land, there is public access to the community meadows in Bridford and Kenn and to the Fernworthy meadow adjoining the reservoir on central Dartmoor. In addition, a number of meadow-makers host Open Meadows events from May to August each year.

Moor Meadows member Steve Smith said: ‘It’s so satisfying to know you are part of an active group dedicated to helping to establish and maintain such an important habitat at a time when the natural world is under so much stress.’