DIRECTORY ENTRY

Flora locale was established in 1998 as an independent charity.  Our aim is to promote and advance the conservation and enhancement of native wild plant populations and plant communities in relation to creative conservation and ecological restoration. 

 

In the mid 1980's the large-scale loss of flower-rich grassland had become apparent.  A sub-committee of the Botanical Society of the British Isles (BSBI) chaired by Dr Franklyn Perring, with representation from The Royal Society for Nature Conservation (RSNC), Department of the Environment, Royal Botanic Gardens (Kew), Plantlife and the seed industry, found that the problem was complex and could not be resolved simply by addressing the supply of wild flower seed.  Flora locale evolved from this group and has worked hard to achieve changes in both policy and practice.  Pressing for changes to the agri environment schemes and for appropriate species to be used in large- scale habitat creation projects.

 

Today we work with land owners and land managers in the public, charitable and private sectors to deliver large-scale good quality habitat restoration and conservation projects using native wild plants, shrubs, trees (and natural regeneration if appropriate).  We empower community groups and individuals to restore wild plant communities in shared open spaces of village greens, urban parks and other pockets of community open space and gardens. The emphasis of our work is to encourage good practice among suppliers, land managers and plant specifiers.

 

We believe that if declines in wild species of plants, birds, pollinators (such as bumblebees) and other invertebrates are to be reversed, effort needs to be focused on large-scale restoration of flower-rich habitats.