About Me
Rachel Remnant
Through my consultancy I aim to widen my reach in addressing the climate and nature emergencies.
I worked as a Reserves Officer for Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust for almost 20 years, managing several nature reserves, notably Winnall Moors in the heart of Winchester. There I developed a specialism in rehabilitating and managing floodplain meadows and community engagement.
As an Ambassador for the Floodplain Meadows Partnership, I represent Hampshire. Two year’s training in eco-hydrology built my skills in botany, taking soil samples, assessing plant communities, monitoring dipwells and management such as hay making, grazing and water management.
My expert knowledge and experience enables me to read the land, identifying its fundamental features and processes. This deep understanding supports the best decision making for habitat management and restoration, especially on designated sites that are neglected or damaged.
In 2016 I was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to research making hay by hand in Transylvania, Romania. I investigated the skills and community relationships on hay meadows that are part of intact ecosystems. I brought much back with me and now promote scything to manage small wildflower meadows in Winchester and beyond. This eye-catching activity is conversation starter to promoting biodiversity and connects people with restoring grasslands for wildlife. I am passionate about advocacy and public speaking, and have been interviewed on programmes such as Countryfile and The World at One.
Habitat
Experienced in managing:
chalk streams
fen meadows
reedbed
heathland
chalk downland
wood pasture
urban & peri urban areas
People
I see community engagement as a critical factor for successful land management and sustainability. As well as managing large areas with machinery and grazing animals, I train and lead teams of volunteers doing work by hand. This connects people directly with the land, local food production, animal husbandry, useful material output such as wool and with one another. In working with varied elements we can appeal to a broad range of people to value nature-friendly land use.
Why Land Lore Consulting?
The dictionary definition of 'lore' is traditional knowledge or stories about a subject. I believe that traditional knowledge and beliefs give us a way to understand our relationship with the world around us.
Having an understanding of how a piece of land has historically been used and the practices that shaped it makes us better informed to make choices and plans for the future.
Not only this, but traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) plays an important role in nature conservation and land management. The traditional method of drying grass into hay, for example, provides food for livestock in the winter. Or cutting a meadow once a year followed by a period of grazing both keeps the balance of fertility high enough for hay production and low enough for species diversity, providing medicinal plants for livestock. This is not only better for livestock welfare, but it also provides a wider variety of plants for the wildlife that depend on them.
