Abraham Wood in Boars Hill, Heyford Meadows in Sandford-on-Thames and Marston Meadows are just three of the inspirational wild places where Berks Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) and the Oxford Preservation Trust (OPT) are re-creating traditional wildlife habitats.
The partnership started in 2007 and enables OPT to tap into BBOWT’s expertise in land management and running volunteer work parties, while BBOWT conserves more wildlife habitats and green spaces in Oxford.
This year was an exciting one of discovery and re-creation, and we will soon see the benefits of many hours of practical conservation work by dozens of volunteers on Boars Hill and Oxford’s flood meadows.
As soon as the worst of the winter weather passed last January, we started work in Abraham Wood.
Now that we’ve taken out a lot of the laurel bushes you can see the original woodland pasture with pollard oaks where it is easy to imagine cattle and sheep grazing. It will not be long now before the first creamy-white wood anemones come through, soon to be followed by wild primroses and bluebells.
In the spring, we opened up Wolvercote Lakes for the first time in many years. This was a fabulous opportunity for people to come and experience the stillness of the lakes. They are a haven for all kinds of wildlife including swans, newts and grass snakes.
It was inspiring to hear people’s memories of playing here as children and having their first brush with nature at the lakes. Thanks to the generous gift from Mr Vivian Kirk, Wolvercote Lakes will be conserved as an important habitat for all kinds of wildlife.
OPT and BBOWT will ensure the site remains a wildlife haven, and that people can enjoy walking round the lakes. There will be volunteer work parties this spring, so why not join in and get close to nature on your doorstep.
Matthew Arnold Field, Jarn Field and the Old Berkeley Golf Course, on Boars Hill, were some of the first parcels of land acquired by OPT. This spring, we hope parts of these fields will be sparkling with colourful wild flowers, re-creating the landscape that inspired Oxford poets.
The ‘dreaming spires’ are in the distance, but under your feet is sandy soil with rare acid grassland.
Last summer, volunteers carefully harvested seed of specialist acid species from fields on Boars Hill. During the autumn, this seed was broadcast by hand into harrowed strips in the bare soil.
It will be very exciting to see what germinates and flowers in the spring and summer, and we will repeat the seed harvesting and sowing for the next few years.
This autumn was a brilliant time to start work on an ambitious project at Heyford Meadows in Sandford-on-Thames to enhance the site for wildlife and the local community. Thanks to generous funding from the Trust for Oxfordshire’s Environment, Pond Conservation and The Four Pillars Hotel Group, we created new habitats for water voles, planted more than 100 trees to provide nectar, berries and shelter for wildlife and built boardwalks for people to be able to get around the site all year round.
The volunteer work parties at Heyford Meadows have transformed this almost derelict area into a haven for wetland birds and animals. In the spring, we expect to see frogspawn and tadpoles in the new ponds, and in summer the air will be buzzing with dragonflies.
Traditional management of the old willow pollards will extend their lives and make them ideal homes for bats, birds and insects. They create a wonderful backdrop for this very special wetland area south of Oxford.
Boars Hill is a favourite place to see magnificent views across the city, and you will probably notice the wildflower strips sown in The Old Berkeley Golf Course and Chilswell Fields too.
The OPT noticeboard on Berkeley Road has a map of footpaths through The Old Berkeley Golf Course, Chilswell Fields and Abraham Wood. Car parking near the Open University building on Berkeley Road.
- Cherwell Valley to Marston. From the University Parks walk north following the footpath route to Marston Meadows either side of Marston Ferry Road, and on to the Victoria Arms pub which is owned by the Oxford Preservation Trust.
- Hinksey Meadows. From Osney Mead take the Willow Walk across Bulstake Stream and turn left in North Hinksey village towards The Fishes pub and restaurant.
- Kennington Flood Meadows. Take the Sustrans route 5 or Thames Path south from Oxford and enjoy the riverside walk which leads to the welcoming King’s Arms pub at Sandford-on-Thames.
Find out more about BBOWT and conserving wildlife in Oxfordshire; visit www.bbowt.org.uk and check out the what’s-going-on-near-you pages, or download walking maps from the reserves section and enjoy the winter wonderland.
Visit the Oxford Preservation Trust website www.oxfordpreservation.org.uk for volunteering opportunities and information about Oxford Open Spaces weekend, April 30 to May 2.
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