The Flourishing Floodplains project recently commissioned the Countryside and Community Research Institute (CCRI) to produce a series of case studies produced with farmers, for farmers, discussing their different journeys towards more regenerative management of the floodplain. Flourishing Floodplains is a multi-year project working towards restoring the Severn and Avon Vale floodplains to their former glory. The project was a collaboration between the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, the Floodplain Meadows Partnership, FWAG South West and the Open University.
The videos and factsheets within the case studies captured the experiences of farmers restoring their floodplains to increase biodiversity, store carbon, improve soil and water quality, connect people with nature and make best use of their land for their businesses.
The CCRI team recorded insights from farmers on the motivations, challenges, and the advice they wish they’d had on restoring their floodplains. The findings were presented at the Flourishing Floodplains wrap-up event in March and at Groundswell 2023 (watch the presentation of the outputs at Groundswell) where they have been very well received by farmers, advisors and ornithologists alike.
The various outputs from the project are now available, for sharing and circulation. Four farms were engaged as case studies. The farmers managing the land shared their stories, highs and lows associated with their role, along with a range of facts, figures and plans for the future.
Each farm has an associated fact sheet, which can be accessed in either pdf or screen reader format. There are also videos available which feature interviews with the farmers as well as spectacular drone footage of the floodplains.
The case study videos and other videos associated with the Flourishing Floodplains project can be accessed on the Floodplain Meadows YouTube Channel.
Case study pamphlets can be accessed in screen reader format on the FWAG SW website, and in pdf format on the WWT website (scroll to the bottom).
