Imagine what it would be like to look out to the horizon, knowing that nature is stretching out as far as the eye can see. Or consider the possibilities if wildlife intermingled with our daily lives in bustling towns and cities, giving us the chance to relax in green fields or enjoy clouds of butterflies in the garden.

And what if nature can help us to be healthier, protect our homes from flooding and soak up carbon dioxide, helping to combat climate change?

Maybe it sounds too idyllic, but the wildlife trusts are thinking big. They believe that, within the next 30 years, there will be places in the UK and in Oxfordshire that not only match this description, but surpass it. And ‘landscape-scale conservation’ is the key.

Our wildlife is declining and it now faces its biggest threat — climate change. Detailed forecasts of how climate change may affect the UK during this century have recently been released by the Government.

The report shows that scientists believe winters will be wetter and summers drier, especially in the south.

Nature conservation in Britain traditionally focused on the protection of special sites, often home to rare creatures. But this means wildlife is becoming isolated into small pockets of habitat, making it vulnerable as the climate changes and development encroaches on the countryside.

From Oxfordshire butterflies hit hard by recent heavy summer rains, to building works threatening ground-nesting birds in Berkshire, across our region wildlife needs help — it needs a new solution.

Nigel Phillips, head of landscape projects at Berks Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust, said: “Working on a landscape scale, conservation can reconnect small and isolated fragments of wildlife together through a network of habitats.

“It includes everything from small gardens in towns, to managed nature reserves; wildlife-friendly farmland, to wild churchyards.

“These places become stepping stones which allow wildlife to move freely around the countryside.

“Restoring the landscape as a whole also increases the ability of the environment to function naturally, ensuring, for example, that floodplains soak up flood water, and woodlands store carbon for decades to come.

“It provides people with places that are beautiful, accessible, and full of opportunities to learn and recharge their batteries.

“We really want these areas to become ‘living landscapes’ — places that are alive with wildlife and loved by local people.”

Working on a landscape scale means thinking about areas outside those that are already specially protected.

It requires working with local landowners and the public to provide the means by which wildlife can survive across the countryside.

From wildlife gardening at home, to a farmer making a stream water vole-friendly, the opportunities are immense and everyone can lend a hand.

Chimney Meadows Nature Reserve, near Bampton, pictured below, is one of BBOWT’s Living Landscape schemes, and one of more than 100 similar schemes run by local wildlife trusts across the UK.

Chimney Meadows is BBOWT’s largest reserve and consists of wildlife-rich floodplain grassland along the banks of the River Thames. It includes a National Nature Reserve renowned for its diverse and often rare plants, such as adder’s tongue fern, snake’s-head fritillary and green-winged orchid. Alongside the vibrant flowers, rare birds and mammals, including skylark and brown hare, bring the meadows alive.

Chimney boasts a range of wetland habitats including meadows, wet woodland, ponds and waterways.

Locally rare species such as reed bunting, sedge warbler, and water rail take shelter in the thick reedbeds, whilst curlew breed in the open meadows, and pintail, lapwing and teal over-winter here.

Yellow irises and marsh marigolds grow along the waterways and rare insects like the club-tailed dragonfly dart about.

Mr Phillips said: “BBOWT’s vision extends further than the boundaries of our own land; we are developing a living landscape here. “The restoration of floodplain meadows next to the River Thames is a major ambition of this scheme.

“With new meadows, there would be opportunities to work towards some flood alleviation for local urban areas.

“All this could combine to create a dramatically large wetland area of huge benefit for wildlife and provide great pleasure to visitors.”

One humble creature that has already benefited from work on a landscape scale at Chimney is the tree sparrow. Once a common bird of the countryside, it has sadly gone the way of many of our songbirds and is now in severe decline due to changing agricultural practices depleting winter food supplies.

But there is hope on the horizon for this little bird. In collaboration with Oxford Ornithological Society (OOS), volunteers at Chimney Meadows have made and put up nest boxes around the site.

All in all, 210 boxes have been sited along the River Thames and feeding stations have been established by OOS volunteers, encouraging the tree sparrow to make a comeback across the whole landscape.

Although still in its first year, the project has, so far, been a great success.

Kerry Lock, Chimney Meadows project officer, said: “The volunteers have been so dedicated to this project, going out in all weathers to make sure feeding stations are topped up and bird activity is recorded.

“The result of this hard work is that tree sparrows have returned to breed this year at Chimney, and we’re even hoping that they might manage a second brood!

“It really does show that wildlife can recover and that working in partnership across a wide area can make a difference for even the smallest of creatures.”

Find out more at www.bbowt.org.uk