Coastal meadows see orchid species thrive

An orchid is making itself at home on the Prestatyn coast following a new discovery this week.
Fresh from finding the first very recording of a pyramidal orchid at Beach Road East wildflower meadow in June, another of the wildflowers has been discovered at a neighbouring site.
Denbighshire County Council’s Biodiversity Team has recorded a pyramidal orchid at Beach Road West wildflower meadow.
Both sites are part of the Council’s Wildflower Meadows Project which started in 2019 and has seen over 10,000 individual plants recorded across all sites involved so far.
During this year, along with the county roadside nature reserves which take the total number of wildflower sites up to 140, there will be just over 70 acres of meadows helping and protecting local nature.
The sites are left uncut between March and August, except a small border mown around each site.
This allows the flowers to set seed, and ensures that the meadow provides the greatest benefit to wildlife.
Pyramidal orchids have pink flower spikes that forms a pyramidal shape and is usually located on chalk grassland, coastal habitats, scrub, roadside verges, old quarries and railway embankments. They flower in June and July and will attract a variety of butterflies and moths.
to talk about the meadow insect residents, a pyramidal orchid was discovered by the team.
Liam Blazey, Biodiversity Officer said: “This discovery really shows that by managing the sites in the way that we do, we are giving an important chance for wildflowers to repopulate after years of deprivation.
“It was fantastic to find the first orchid at Beach Road East during our Wildflower Week and even better news to find this wonderful plant now at the neighbouring site, it shows that our project is helping to bring back the biodiversity we have lost, to support our future generations.”
Cllr Barry Mellor, Lead Member for Environment and Transport and Council Biodiversity Champion, said: “The biodiversity network all of our sites have created is extremely important in helping tackle the impact of climate change in the county, they are giving our nature a much better chance of surviving and thriving for our future generations to enjoy in Denbighshire.”
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