Remarkable Revival: Cows Boost Bee Orchids in Nature Reserve

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A type of flower that was believed to be gone from Spurn Point National Nature Reserve has bloomed for the first time in 30 years. The staff think that the Bee Orchid has come back because of a new conservation grazing program.

GPS-Guided Cows Help Wildflowers Flourish

Cows at the reserve were guided using GPS collars and allowed to graze only in designated areas, instead of wandering freely and eating the sweet flowers they liked. This careful grazing created the perfect environment for a variety of wildflowers to grow on the reserve’s Chalk Bank meadow.

Rosie Jaques, a reserve and marine officer, described the outcome as an “amazing result.”

Bee Orchids Make a Comeback at Spurn Point

Bee orchids, named because they look like bees, were only found in small numbers at Spurn Point in the 1990s. They hadn’t been seen again until this year, when staff from Yorkshire Wildlife Trust discovered 21 new plants.

These orchids originally grew mainly in southern and southeastern England but have been moving north, especially along the coast in northeast England. They are very adaptable to warmer temperatures, and the Trust says they are a good sign of how the climate and landscapes are changing.

Ms. Jaques said she was “absolutely delighted” that their efforts at Spurn have helped bee orchids come back and hopes their numbers will grow in the coming years. Spurn, at the end of the Humber estuary’s northern bank, is also home to other rare species like pyramidal orchids, sea holly, and narrow-leaved bird’s foot trefoil.