Green shoots 2

Lacking statutory protection, it is estimated that 97 per cent of these wildlife havens had been lost by the end of the 20th century as farming became more and more intensified.

Now the identification and protection of 60 meadows across the country, to mark the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s coronation, is a long overdue attempt to reverse a trend which has resulted in the decline not only of many of Britain’s wildflower species, but also of the array of insects and butterflies which traditionally thrive in flower-rich grasslands.

However, while it is one thing to launch this kind of showpiece scheme – welcome as it is, with the hope that the 60 sites will spread, providing seeds to be used in other local meadows – it is quite another to encourage the development of meadows as part of everyday policy.

For, in the end, wildlife-rich grasslands will only be preserved if agri-environment policy offers farmers sufficient economic inducement to invest in preserving this vital part of the nation’s rural tapestry.