A WARRINGTON ecologist is on a mission to save the wildlife of Europe's vanishing hay meadows.

Dr John Dover, of Heatley, is to lead an international team of scientists who will coach volunteers in research techniques via the Earthwatch initiative.

Dr Dover, who works at Staffordshire University, was successful in a bid for Earthwatch funding for his project in the Picos de Europa mountains in northern Spain.

The research team will include other university scientists, as well as experts from Madrid and the Netherlands.

The hay meadows in the area, like many across the Continent, are either under threat from intensification of use or from being abandoned by farmers altogether.

The mountains have a 5,000-year history of pastoral management and contain one third of the butterfly fauna of Europe, as well as more than 550 plant species, including 40 orchids.

But post-war agricultural policies have led to some meadows being ploughed up and used to grow more productive species of grass, which involve a high use of chemical fertilisers and herbicides. In the upper valleys, meadows are also being abandoned.

Earthwatch arranges for members of the public to participate directly in scientific research during working holidays.

Dr Dover said: "The volunteers will come from all walks of life. Some of them will know a lot about wildlife and some won't - but what is important is their enthusiasm and willingness to learn."

For on-line information about the project, go to www.earthwatch.org/expeditions/dov er. html