LOOK out for a boom in wildflowers!

Over 70 people are set to explore the possibilities of turning their paddocks and orchards over to wildflowers following a successful exploratory meeting held in Westbury last week to guage the interest in establishing a Forest of Dean Meadows Group.

The Westbury meeting attracted 130 people, all keen to hear how two other local groups - one at St Briavels and one in Monmouthshire - had become established.

With 74 people expressing an interest to join a group, plans have already been made for a meeting to be held at Flaxley Schoolrooms on Saturday April 21 (2pm). There will be a walk around nearby meadows followed by a discussion on the future direction of the group.

One of the first projects will be to establish a website, while details of meetings will be available on the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust's website events page.

The Westbury meeting was addressed by George Peterkin from the Parish Grasslands Project at St Briavels, Stephanie Tyler, from the Monmouthshire Meadows Group, and Rosie Kelsall, from the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust.

A questionnaire revealed 18 people already had a wildflower meadow while others were seeking advice about flowers and wanted a survey of their land. There were also volunteers to help run the group and to take part in survey work.