Returning to Upper Teesdale in 1998, Margaret resumed the long-term annual plant population studies of several of the rare species at permanently-marked plots on Widdybank and Cronkley Fells that she began in the 1970s. She continues with this research to this day using a horse to make the trek up onto Cronkley Fell these days.
She has trained several volunteers to work with her and carry on with the plant population dynamics work in the future. The data from these detailed studies are now of great significance, clearly demonstrating recent declines in important rare species. It was largely these results that prompted Margaret to set up this project.
On her return to Teesdale she also trained volunteers to help her undertake a comprehensive re-survey of the rare Lady’s-mantle species in road verges and along Public Rights of Way through meadows in Teesdale and Weardale. Sadly, this study also showed a big decline in the extent of the populations compared to her 1950s surveys.