A celebration event is being held at Trumpington Meadows on Sunday June 21 between 12noon and 4pm with family activities, guided walks and a photography competition.
More than 97% of wildflower meadows disappeared from the UK since the 1930s, but at Trumpington Meadows a new area of 58 hectares was created from former farmland. The reserve was created alongside new homes, straddles the motorway and joins up with the Byrons Pool Nature Reserve. One of the Wildlife Trust BCN’s busiest reserves it sees thousands of visitors every week and has hosted hundreds of nature-themed events introducing people to nature on the edge of the city.
The restoration of the site began before it was opened to the public when developers Grosvenor engaged the Trust to help sow it with a specially selected mix of native wildflowers. Since then other flowers including three orchid species have arrived and 29 species of butterfly have been recorded including the green hairstreak and the small blue which was once extinct in Cambridgeshire. Swift boxes were put up on the Wildlife Trust building and in 2018 swifts nested in them for the first time, returning every year since to build nests and lay eggs. A community orchard has also been created and a pond which is home to wetland birds.
The Trust is hoping the story of Trumpington Meadows will inspire people to support the conservation of wildflower meadows – the charity’s latest fundraising appeal is focusing on grasslands and meadows and the difference they make for people and nature. Find out more at wildlifebcn.org/wilderfuturefund
Becky Green, who has been the senior ranger on the reserve since it first opened, has seen the transformation first hand.
“This site is a testament to what can be achieved for nature and for people when planners, developers and conservationists work together,” she said. “We are in a biodiversity crisis and many of us do not have the access to nature we used to – so to create a thriving wildflower meadow between a housing development, a motorway, a river and a city is a great example of hope.
“It’s been a real honour to work here and there have been so many highlights over the years it’s hard to pinpoint just one. Bringing together our volunteers and working with them to monitor wildlife, manage the meadows, check on livestock, and more has certainly been very special and I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has helped us protect this special site over the years.
“We’re really looking forward to celebrating this milestone at the weekend – we’d love to invite anyone who has visited the reserve over the years and hear all your memories.”
The event runs from 12–4pm. Entry is free and no booking is needed. Parking is available at the Trumpington Park and Ride site and the site. For more information visit www.wildlifebcn.org/events/2026-06-21-trumpington-meadows-community-and-nature-day
