The Severn Vale Levels is a special and distinctive landscape. Its flat coastal plain is rapidly being developed, with two industrial and commercial business areas that are also key components of a buoyant local economy.

In addition, there has been a slow but significant shift from traditional farming practices to more intensive agricultural methods, which have changed the way the land is managed.

A Forgotten Landscape is running a number of projects to conserve the area’s natural heritage and support local farmers and landowners with information, grants and training:

Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group South West (FWAG South West): Encouraging farmers and landowners into stewardship schemes and overseeing grant schemes / salt marsh grazing projects. FWAG South West will liaise with landowners, provide advice and guidance on stewardship applications, help administer project grants for hedgerow restoration and willow pollarding and input into habitat restoration schemes.

Farmer liaison days: Running a yearly networking event to be held on a farm in the area and/or visit to specific project site.

Wildlife identification and recording skills: Running one weekend workshop for volunteers each year to provide training in hedgerow restoration and management.

Habitat improvement: Restoring species-rich hay meadows including scarification of land, hire of machinery, training, sourcing green hay crop/seed mix, and running management demonstration days for land owners. Find out more.

Grant scheme: willow pollarding: A new grant scheme available to landowners for the pollarding of willows. Find out more.

Grant scheme: hedgerow restoration: A new grant scheme available to landowners for hedgerow restoration.

For further conservation projects and volunteering opportunities, see our habitats pages.