Who can join?

Membership is open to anyone who has an interest in conserving, enhancing or learning more about species rich hay meadows. Although the group focuses on the area either side of the Shropshire/Powys border, a number of our members live outside that area and we would welcome more such members. Membership is also open to organisations and companies who own or manage land and meadows they may wish to enhance. The National Trust (through the Stepping Stones project) and Natural England are associate members of the group.

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Benefits of membership

Benefits of membership include:
 

• Advice on the management of your meadow(s) or other grassland, from lawns to fields, to increase plant diversity.
• Access to the small-scale hay making machinery owned by the group and the services of the group’s contractors. This service may be limited to members residing inside the core area.
• A walk over survey of your meadow(s)/grassland by the group’s botanists who will provide you with a list of all the identified species, together with suggestions on management.

• Opportunity for your lawn or meadow(s) to be naturally enhanced through the application of locally sourced green hay or collected seed.
• Advice on selling hay and for those with species rich hay the potential to participate through the group in selling green hay for regional conservation/restoration projects.
• Visits to species rich meadows during the summer.
• Opportunities to participate in workshops and training organised by the group, e.g. scything workshops, meadow management workshop, plant identification training.
• Opportunities to meet other MMG members who are meadow managers or owners.
• Talks given by guest speakers. These are free to members but a small charge is made for non-members.

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Cost of membership

Annual membership subscription is currently £20. Subscriptions are due after the AGM, which is held in May. New members who join on or after 1st January will not have to renew their subscription until the second AGM after joining.

 

Current membership

The group currently has over 150 members (March 2023). Membership is increasing as the group becomes better known and resourced, and as improvements can be seen in members' lawns and fields.

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How to join?
We have a new online form for joining up. Please complete the form and we will be back in touch with you soon.