The FERN (Freshwater East Reserve for Nature) group in Freshwater East were delighted to welcome a visit from a party of 25 Cubs and Beavers from the 4th Pembroke Lamphey Scout Group in April.

The children worked with local residents and members of FERN to sow the borders of a newly re-laid footpath with wild flower seeds.

PCNPA's ranger Haydn Garlick organised the workforce. Some raked the bare soil, some sowed the seeds and others tidied up by brushing soil from the footpath. Named plant tags have been left in the soil so that the children can remember which patch they seeded.

The footpath leads to a panoramic viewpoint over the beach. Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority improved the path this year by widening the verges and laying an all-weather surface to make it suitable for wheelchair use. Visitors can park in the free car park in Jason Road at the start of the footpath and then enjoy a short walk (approximately 150 yards) to a new picnic bench for a seat to enjoy the fine view.

The seeds were given to FERN by Grow Wild, the UK's biggest ever wild flower campaign. The scheme is supported by the Big Lottery Fund and led by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It has been featured on the BBC's 'Countryfile' programme.

Grow Wild aims to provide over one million square metres of colour in 2015. It is hoped that the seeds in the 70 square metres of verge that have been sown in Freshwater East will germinate successfully to be a part of that.

Every Cub and Beaver was given a sheet with pictures of the flowers (a mixture of annuals and perennials) whose seeds they had sown - these included poppies, corn marigolds, buttercups, meadowsweet and cornflowers amongst others. The children will be returning in a few months to track the progress of the plants and see what insects thy have attracted. Their help with this task will count towards the work required to earn them each a community badge.