Today we were very happy to spend our Friday on Hatton Fields and at Bedfont Primary to improve our local ecology skills so that we can monitor the quality of the grassland that we all enjoy. Thank you to both Salix Ecology and Bedfont Primary for making the day run so smoothly. We spent the morning learning about why grassland is so important, how we have lost so much meadowland and native species in the UK and why we should be doing all that we can to protect these habitats. Then we had some time to learn about different types of plants and how to identify them. We also got some tips on how the fields could be better managed into the future. After invading Bedfont Primary staff room (thanks for having us!) we then practiced what we had learned in the morning on the fields themselves. We were lucky with the weather and I have to say I think we all increased our knowledge ten-fold. We will post an event for us to carry out an assessment soon.