Three Hagges Woodmeadow

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Three Hagges Woodmeadow & the assets and activities of Woodmeadow Trust are now managed by Plantlife.

Three Hagges Woodmeadow and the assets and activities of Woodmeadow Trust are now managed by Plantlife.

06/09/2026

Volunteer Spotlight

Meet Jane! 🌿
Jane is one of our dedicated Tuesday Conservation Volunteers, helping care for the woodmeadow through activities such as wildflower planting, weeding, coppicing, dead-hedging, and maintaining paths and entrances. Find out why Jane enjoys volunteering with Plantlife in her own words... 💚👇

“I enjoy volunteering at Three Hagges Woodmeadow for two main reasons: firstly, being out in nature amongst the wildflowers, and feeling that I’m contributing to their preservation and increasing biodiversity, and secondly, the camaraderie gained from working with like-minded people. I started volunteering over 2 years ago, following retirement, as I was looking for something to do which would benefit the environment. I have learned new skills, such as coppicing (needed to let light in to the woodmeadow, thereby promoting flower growth), brush cutting, and enjoyed carrying out other tasks, such as planting wildflowers, collecting and sowing seed, digging up invasive or spreading plants (such as ragwort) and even erecting an electric fence to pen in sheep which had been brought in to graze the grass! For anyone who loves being outdoors and cares about the natural world, Plantlife fulfils both those things, and I would heartily recommend it to potential volunteers.”

Volunteer - Plantlife to find out how to you can get involved

02/09/2026

Important Visitor Update: path improvement works starting soon! 🚧

Exciting improvements are coming to Three Hagges Woodmeadow as part of our Pathways to Nature project, funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund and made possible by National Lottery players.

Over the coming weeks, a construction team will be on site creating new accessible paths and improving access around the reserve. These changes will help more people enjoy and experience this special place in the years ahead. 🌿

The reserve will remain open during the works, but access will be via the gate at the north of the reserve.

⚠️ Please follow all on-site signage and any instructions from the construction team. Remember to take extra care around working areas and machinery.

We know these temporary changes may cause some disruption, but they’re an important step towards making the nature reserve more welcoming and accessible for everyone.

We’ll share further updates here as the work progresses.

Thank you for your patience and support while we make these improvements. We can't wait to share the finished results with you!
📸Jonathan Pow

30/08/2026

What do our Tuesday volunteers get up to? 🌿

A few weeks ago, our volunteers were busy collecting Yellow Rattle seed from across the meadow. 🌾Known as the "meadow maker", Yellow Rattle helps stop grasses from taking over, creating space for wildflowers thrive, and making our meadows more colourful and diverse over time.

Over the coming months, we'll be spreading these seeds into areas where grasses are crowding out wildflowers. It's a simple task that can make a big difference, helping to create colourful, species-rich meadows for wildlife.

Our Tuesday volunteers play a huge role in caring for the reserve, from seed collecting and habitat management to wildlife surveys, path maintenance and practical conservation tasks.

💚 A big thank you to everyone who gives their time and energy to help nature thrive.

We'd love to welcome new volunteers. Whether you're new to volunteering or already have experience, there's always something to learn and enjoy.

Interested in joining us? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]

🌿🌼
📸 Tim Pankhurst

26/08/2026

Could You help shape the future of nature at Three Hagges Woodmeadow? 🌿

We're looking for people to join our Lived Experience Group as part of our new Pathways to Nature project.

We want to hear from people whose experiences can help us make Three Hagges Woodmeadow more welcoming, accessible and inclusive for everyone. We're particularly keen to hear from people who may face barriers to accessing nature, including disabled people, people with long-term health conditions, neurodivergent individuals, carers and others whose voices are often underrepresented in conservation.

You don't need any special qualifications or previous experience. What matters is your perspective, ideas and willingness to share your experiences.

As a member of the Lived Experience Group, you can:

🌱 Help influence how the reserve develops
🌱 Test new ideas and activities
🌱 Share your thoughts on accessibility and inclusion
🌱 Take part in practical sessions, site visits and discussions
🌱 Help shape events and opportunities for others to enjoy nature

Our approach is informal, flexible and supportive. Whether you enjoy practical outdoor activities, sharing ideas over a cuppa, or simply telling us what would make nature more accessible for you, we'd love to hear from you.

💚 Together, we can create more pathways to nature for everyone.

📩 Interested or want to find out more? Get in touch with us and we'd be happy to have a chat.

22/08/2026

Opportunity alert! Help make nature more accessible for everyone. 🌿

Do you love being outdoors? Would you like to support nature conservation while helping make nature more accessible and inclusive for everyone?

We're looking for volunteers to join our exciting new Pathways to Nature project at Three Hagges Woodmeadow.

Thanks to funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, this project will work to improve access to nature, support biodiversity, and create more opportunities for people of all backgrounds and abilities to enjoy and connect with the natural world.

There are plenty of ways to get involved, including:

🌱 Conservation and habitat management
🦋 Wildlife surveying and monitoring
🌼 Seed collecting and plant propagation
🚶 Supporting community events and activities
📸 Photography, storytelling and project promotion
🤝 Helping us create a more inclusive and welcoming nature reserve

No previous experience is necessary. Whether you can spare a few hours occasionally or want to become a regular volunteer, we'd love to hear from you.

Volunteering is a great way to learn new skills,
meet like-minded people,
improve health and wellbeing and
make a real difference for nature and your community

Join us as we create more Pathways to Nature for everyone.

📩 Interested? Get in touch to find out more about upcoming opportunities and how to get involved.

🌿

19/08/2026

One of the UK's largest butterflies has been spotted at Three Hagges Woodmeadow!

🦋

We're excited to share a recent record of a Silver-washed Fritillary at Three Hagges Woodmeadow.

One of the UK's largest and most spectacular butterflies, this butterfly is easy to spot thanks to its bright orange wings, patterned with black markings on top and silvery streaks underneath.

🌿 Did you know? The caterpillars feed on Common Dog-violet, while adults can often be spotted feeding on nectar from brambles, thistles and other summer flowers. The species is typically associated with woodland rides, glades and sunny woodland edges, making sightings particularly exciting.

Seeing this beautiful butterfly is a wonderful sign of the diverse habitats at Three Hagges Wood-Meadow and of the importance of managing landscapes that support species throughout their life cycles.

If you're visiting the reserve over the coming weeks, keep your eyes peeled. You might just spot one gliding gracefully across the meadow or basking in the sunshine. ☀️

Have you seen any butterflies on the reserve? We'd love to hear about your sightings and see your photos in the comments below!
📸 Sarah Shuttleworth
📸Paul Rowland
📸Chris Abbott

16/08/2026

Pathways to Nature is underway! 🌿

We're delighted to share that our new Pathways to Nature project, funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund and made possible by National Lottery players, has officially begun at Three Hagges Woodmeadow.

Over the next three years, the project will help make nature more accessible, inclusive and welcoming for everyone, while protecting and celebrating the incredible wildlife and landscapes that make Three Hagges so special.

Already we've:

✅ Begun to establish our Lived Experience Group to help guide the project and shape future activities

✅ Appointed a contractor to deliver accessibility improvements across the site this autumn.

✅ Recruited new conservation volunteers to help care for the reserve.

✅ Started wildlife surveys , including butterfly and bumblebee surveys.

✅ Begun developing new opportunities for people to connect with nature in ways that work for them.

One of the most exciting things we've learned so far is that there is no single way to engage with nature. By listening, adapting and working alongside participants, we're building a project that reflects people's needs, experiences and ideas.

We're looking forward to sharing more updates, events and opportunities to get involved as the project develops.

🤝 Thank you to everyone who has supported it so far. Together, we're creating more pathways to nature for everyone.

12/08/2026

Welcome back to Three Hagges Woodmeadow! 🌿

It's been a little quiet on this page recently, but we're delighted to be back sharing updates from the reserve.

It's hard to believe that it's now nearly two years since Plantlife took on the management of Three Hagges Woodmeadow. During that time, a huge amount of work has taken place behind the scenes and around the site to help protect this special place and improve the experience for visitors.

If you haven't visited for a while, why not come and see the changes for yourself?

✨ New signage to help you find your way around
🌱 New interpretation boards sharing the stories of the meadow, its wildlife and heritage
🚧 New fencing to help support the long-term management and conservation of the site
🦋 Ongoing habitat management and monitoring to help wildlife thrive

Whether you're a regular visitor or haven't been for years, we'd love to welcome you back. Take a stroll along the paths, listen to the birdsong, explore the wildflower meadows and enjoy a moment of calm in nature.

Every season brings something new to discover at Three Hagges Woodmeadow, and we're excited to share more updates, events and volunteering opportunities with you as we continue our journey together.

📸 Have you visited recently? We'd love to see your photos in the comments!

See you on the reserve soon. 💚

🌿

Address

Three Hagges Woodmeadow, York Road, Escrick
York
YO196EE

Website

http://www.plantlife.org.uk/

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