The greater butterfly orchid, Plantanthera chlorantha, is a beautiful orchid with greenish-white flowers that have a light vanilla scent. This gets stronger at night in order to attract moths, their main pollinators.
Found in woodlands, in open scrub and grasslands, the greater butterfly orchid comes into flower at this time of year (June and July). In South Wales you can see this plant at a number of sites including Carmel Nature Reserve near Llandeilo.
In North Wales, at Plas Newydd Hay Meadows near Llanfairpwllgwyngychgogerachwyndrobolllandesiliogogogoch, you can find the greater butterfly orchid on this ex-rugby pitch, now a Coronation Meadow.
As part of the Anglesey Grazing Animals Partnership (AGAP), meadow owners across Anglesey were helped to manage and restore their meadows and PONT delivered training and events in Plas Newydd.
A local grazing scheme, such as AGAP, is where organisations get together and work with local farmers to get wildlife-friendly land grazed across a local area. Other activities completed as part of AGAP, were the opening of a farm shop with conservation grazing beef at Bodior Farm, funded by PONT and the introduction of grazing to Hafan y Mor.
If you are interested in setting up a local grazing scheme, get in touch with PONT.