Grass Set Aside Areas

Our grass set aside areas at Keat Farm Holiday Parks are an important part of commitment to promote the creation of habitat for wildlife and to encourage bio diversity. Having adopted this policy over the last two years we have seen the benefits of doing this and how much a simple step can give nature a helping hand.

Not cutting grass as short or as frequently allows grasses and other plants such as plantain to seed and provide food for birds. Other plants, such as daisies, provide nectar for hoverflies and bees; in addition, bees will also visit buttercups to collect nectar and pollen.

There are 25 species of bumblebee in the UK and they are really important as pollinators. However, bumblebees are disappearing - six out of the 25 species have declined in numbers by at least 80% over the last 50 years.

Over time cutting the grass once per year and removing the cuttings will reduce the fertility of the soil and enable other flower species to establish. Some grassland areas may contain orchids and other scarce plants that have been suppressed by the regular cutting.

Please take a moment to look for some of the wonderful insects and birds which these areas attract and let us know what you see! We keep wildlife journals in our park offices or tag us in your photos on Instagram using the hashtag #keatfarmparks

If you would like more information and hopefully would like to create such areas in your own garden, even if on a small scale, please visit: https://community.rspb.org.uk/nature-on-your-doorstep/b/gardeningforwildlife/posts/long-grass-that-looks-great