Green Team | Wildflower Meadow Making at St Mary's Heritage Centre

If you’ve visited St Mary’s Heritage Centre recently, you might have noticed the churchyard is becoming a little bit more wild. This year the grassland has been taking it’s first steps to becoming a new wildflower meadow, the grassland has been allowed to grow for the first time in years. Green Team volunteers have so far recorded Northern Marsh Orchids, Small Skipper Butterflies and Cinnabar Moth caterpillars for the very first time!

In the UK we’ve lost over 97% of our meadows in just 100 years, it’s important that we restore these vital ecosystems and the array of wildlife they support, especially in our urban landscapes.

Join the Tyne Derwent Way Green Team to help create the next stage of the wildflower meadow: we’ll be raking, scarifying and seeding the grassland with a mixture of native wildflowers and grasses, adding more species to the meadow to support even more life.

We call this Urban Rewilding - by replicating lost natural processes, we can help our urban landscapes reach their maximum potential for wildlife - and have a great day out together!

Tyne Derwent Way Green Team sessions are open to everyone - the more the merrier!

You don't need any experience to take part , and there'll be plenty of roles to fill and different tools to use for which you'll receive an introduction to using.

All equipment and gloves will be provided.

Please wear suitable, sturdy walking shoes/ boots. Be sure to wear suitable clothing for practical work, we will be going ahead rain or shine! We'd recommend bringing a drink and some snacks. There will also be a hot drink making station in St Mary's Heritage Centre. Toilets are available to use in the Centre.

You are welcome to simply turn up to this session!

It would be very helpful if you RSVP by booking on eventbrite if you're thinking about joining us - so we have an idea of numbers on the day.

We will be meeting at: St Mary’s Heritage Centre, Oakwellgate, Gateshead, NE8 2AU

///What3Words: spark.belly.sleeps

The session runs from 2pm to 4.30pm. You're welcome to join for the full time are just part of the session - please arrive for 1.45pm

Please note there is limited parking at St Mary's Heritage Centre.

If you have any questions about the session, or would like to enquire about other ways to volunteer with Tyne Derwent Way, please get in touch with our Volunteer and Community Manager, Stewart, at [email protected]

Host or Publisher Tyne Derwent Way