English Heritage has launched a three‑year conservation effort at Muchelney Abbey in Somerset, England, to protect one of Britain’s rarest bumblebees – the Shrill Carder bee. The project revives the historic practice of hand‑scything, a skill once used by traveling scythers to cut grass and hay across meadowlands.
Traditional skill meets modern conservation
Volunteer and community‑engagement manager Ginny Slade explained that the ancient technique offers a “wonderful example of how traditional skills can still have a role in addressing modern challenges.” Volunteers will cut the meadow by hand, creating a diverse, flower‑rich environment that pollinators need while preserving a cultural practice that shaped the English landscape for centuries.
Partnership with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust
The effort is coordinated with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, which will train volunteers to conduct detailed wildlife surveys. These surveys will track bee numbers, flower bloom patterns, plant usage, foraging distances, and overall habitat changes over time.
English Heritage spokesperson noted, “Rather than simply recording bee numbers, volunteers will monitor the relationship between bees and the wider meadow ecosystem.” The meadow at Muchelney is one of only a few sites in Britain where the Shrill Carder bee still persists.
Heritage and habitat restoration
Muchelney Abbey, a historic site dating back to the 7th or 8th century, is among the 100 meadows English Heritage pledged to create and enhance in celebration of King Charles III’s coronation in 2023. By improving meadow health, the project aims to strengthen conditions needed for the rare bumblebee to thrive.
Volunteers, trained by the Exmoor National Park Authority, will eventually travel to other English Heritage sites across Somerset to test the traditional cutting method. Historically, scythers were rewarded with bread, cheese, and cider for their work – a reminder of the deep ties between agriculture, community, and stewardship.
Looking ahead
As the scything team gets underway, English Heritage and the Bumblebee Conservation Trust hope the initiative will serve as a model for blending heritage preservation with ecological restoration, ensuring both cultural skills and pollinator populations are protected for future generations.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
