 Our research is studying the detail of very rare species-rich floodplain meadows. There are only 3,000 hectares left in the UK and we want to help protect and restore them. We analysed the rare plant communities where they are found across England using highly trained botanists to study changes in the plant communities and high tech data loggers installed underground in these dip wells. This is a long tube with holes pierced in it. It goes down to below one metre below ground. Our research has also looked at the wider benefits that these special meadows bring. Because they're in floodplains, they can absorb and filter floodwater, store carbon in their undisturbed soils and are very rich in biodiversity. They can filter nutrients in floodwaters and convert them into a productive hay crop. They are spaces that people want to spend time in and enjoy. They are also the most sustainable agricultural use of a lowland floodplain system we feel because they require no artificial inputs but deliver all these benefits. Our knowledge about these systems has been distilled into a handbook that is now widely used to guide site management and restoration. This work is really important to help protect those meadows we have left to help with these restoration efforts and hopefully in shaping policies to manage floodplains in a more sustainable way. We are planning to continue to work with partners to achieve these aims to develop research that can underpin our policy objectives.