Release Date: 27 March 2003

Local Nature Reserve designation for traditional meadow

Saturday 5^th April will see the launch of Tyler Hill Meadow as a Local Nature Reserve. To celebrate the designation a new interpretative panel will be unveiled to give an explanation to visitors and local people of the wildlife value of the site.

There is an opportunity for young children to learn more about their local wildlife and have fun too, as there will be environmental games on the day.

Canterbury City Council has designated the meadow as a Local Nature Reserve in recognition of its value for wildlife and to encourage its educational use. The meadow was purchased two years ago by Hackington Parish Council and managed with the assistance of the Kentish Stour Countryside Project.

Although the site is small, only two acres in size, it is none the less important as the meadow is one of the few remaining unimproved neutral grasslands in Kent, and has already been designated a Site of Nature Conservation Interest because of this. Unimproved grassland (not ‘improved’ by the use of fertilisers or re-seeding) is rare in Kent, and has suffered a huge decline nationally, mostly by agricultural ‘improvement’. In summer the grassland supports colourful wild flowers such as St John’s wort and black knapweed. Although the grassland is important the surrounding scrub and woodland also provides undisturbed habitat for birds. Eleven species of butterfly have been recorded on the site as have reptiles such as slow-worms and common lizards which shows that even small sites support a wealth of wildlife.