'Splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower'

Teeming with life and bursting with mushrooms, lichen and wildflowers, our grasslands are a vital and ancient part of our natural heritage, says

- John Wright

THERE were a couple of giraffes visible on the grassy horizon. Not real giraffes, of course, but—as I explained to my companion—the remnants of a large array of towers that once bore the BBC World Service shortwave radio transmitter on Rampisham Down, Dorset. I mentioned that the site was destined for a massive solar farm, adding that, although we certainly need them, this was undoubtedly the wrong place. The gentle sheep grazing the large field had enjoyed for the past 50 years (and perhaps much longer) had given rise to one of the rarest of English grassland types: lowland dry acid grassland.

Despite my pointing out the tragedy of losing this hugely species-rich grassland, my companion said that it was worth the sacrifice and dismissed my plea that nearby arable land would have been more suitable. Later, I heard of one nameless person who asked what all the fuss was about: ‘It’s just a patch of grass,’ they said. Fortunately, and after much effort from protestors, the panels were placed in two nearby arable fields and the grassland saved.

The salvation of this site was an unusual occurrence. Any ancient woodland threatened with destruction will invariably engender loud protestations, yet few people will even realise that a particular grassland is due for the plough (the most common cause of grassland loss) or understand its ecological value. To value something we need to know it, and grasslands give away their secrets only with our closest attention.