Our Director, Prof David Gowing was one of the speakers for the third National Meadows Conference on Friday 19th June 2026.
Set in the beautiful surroundings of Kew Wakehurst Place’s Yew Tree Meadow, David talked about the science of soil and the vital role floodplain meadow soil plays in tackling climate change, flooding, loss of biodiversity, water pollution and food security.
Alongside David there were talks by Natural England, Kew, Plantlife, the Marden Farm Cluster and the Kent Wildlife Trust. Issues covered included:
- How soil structure and microbial life influence meadow success
- The critical role of fungi and mycorrhizal networks
- Practical approaches to establishing and managing wildflower communities
- Pollination ecology and supporting insect populations
- Seed selection, provenance and establishment techniques
- The use of grazing as a management tool
- How meadows support wellbeing and human connection with nature
It was an unbelievably hot day, but there was a high attendance and good discussion. Thanks so much to all the organisers.
