What's going on at Fort Field?
Latest update – 10 August 2025
It’s the end of the season for wildflowers now so the Fort Field meadow was mown and baled by our contractor last week.
Don’t worry, it will be back next year!
What we’re doing at Fort Field
You may have noticed that a small team from The Pollinator Project has been working on the wildflower areas at the Morley Chapel end of Fort Field.
In January 2025 we approached States of Guernsey Agriculture, Countryside and Land Management Services [ACLMS] with a draft proposal to change the way in which they were managing Fort Field. Based on experience of other sites like this around the island, and a review of best practice, the team concluded that without more intensive cutting and removal of the layer of decaying grass and cuttings the chance of this area thriving were limited.
Further discussions with ACLMS are underway and we’ve also been consulting the public. On 23 July 2025 we held a public meeting with users, neighbours and all those with a keen interest in the future of this amenity area. More about the consultation.
In the meantime, ACLMS allowed our volunteers to mow around the pollinator patches and remove the clippings (known as arisings). We also mowed some paths around and through the wildflowers to give everyone the chance to enjoy them while they were flowering.
This year the objective is to demonstrate how the site can be better managed to increase biodiversity and to inform the public consultation.
Come and say hello if you see us working on the field!
Timeline
- January – proposal prepared for States of Guernsey (Agriculture, Countryside and Land Management Services [ACLMS])
- February – first cut and removal of arisings (clippings), soil samples taken and analysed
- March onwards – verges created and pathway mown through wildflower meadow
- April – September – bi-monthly surveys of pollinators, bats, and plants to create a baseline dataset for future comparison purposes
- 23 July 2025 public consultation
- August – collection and review of feedback used to shape the final proposal. End of season cut and removal of arisings.
- September – Proposal to be submitted and discussed with ACLMS
- 2026-2028 – 3 year Service Level Agreement between ACLMS and the Pollinator Project for the ongoing maintenance of the area
Join the Friends of Fort Field to find out more and keep up to date
