Scything volunteers trained to protect rare bees

A new team of volunteer scythers are being trained to help restore historic meadows and save one of Britain's rarest bees.

Muchelney Abbey in Somerset, which is managed by English Heritage, is encouraging the ancient method of cutting grass to maintain a historic meadow at the abbey as it is one of the few areas in the UK where the shrill carder bee can still be found.

Ed McGregor from Muchelney Abbey told BBC Radio Somerset: "If you take mowers in here, there's a risk that you can hurt them.

"It's incredibly satisfying and hearing the swish through the ground is amazing. It's great exercise and been fun learning about it's heritage."

Trained by rangers from the Exmoor National Park Authority, the scything volunteers will eventually work on English Heritage sites in Somerset to trial the use of traditional cutting techniques.

The charity is helping revive the centuries-old tradition of "roaming scythers" – who would once have travelled from meadow to meadow using their hand tools to cut grass and hay.

The three-year project with the Bumblebee Conservation Trust aims to improve habitat for the bee, which has suffered significant declines because of the loss of the flower-rich grasslands in which it thrives.

In keeping with tradition, they will receive a "payment" of bread and cheese for their work, English Heritage said.

Ginny Slade, volunteer and community engagement manager at Muchelney Abbey said: "Scything is a wonderful example of how traditional skills can still have a role in addressing modern challenges.

"We hope to help create the diverse, flower-rich habitats that pollinators need while also preserving knowledge and skills that have shaped our landscapes for centuries."

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