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DGT Project: Nature Detectives Trail at Warburg Nature Reserve

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I'm a Developing Green Talent trainee at Warburg Nature Reserve, a hidden gem in the Chiltern Hills. My project based here was all about inspiring kids to go out and take a closer look at nature, discover new things and make their trip to Warburg more enjoyable.
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Nature detectives trail at Warburg by Gemma Bowcock
Developing Green Talent Trainee Elaine Ingram

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Pond gazing – it’s better than shoe gazing!

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Ever stood on the side of a pond or river bank gazing into the water, wondering what is down there in the watery depths? It’s something I have been doing since I was a child and I have had some great wildlife encounters whilst doing just that.
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Toads at Heyford Meadow.

Mark Bradfield

Written by Mark Bradfield, Community Wildlife Officer.

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The magic of moss

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Before joining BBOWT nearly a year ago I was a daily rail commuter on the Winchester to Waterloo line, regularly shivering my early mornings away hoping the train would be on time and that I could get a seat.
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Moss

Andrew Sanders, Database ManagerWritten by Andrew Sanders, BBOWT's Database Manager

I am responsible for the day to day running of BBOWT’s membership office and the membership database, and I like to look at moss in my spare time.

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How to tell the difference between a native bluebell and a Spanish bluebell

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Don't confuse our iconic woodland spring flower with its Spanish cousin. Discover the difference between these two varieties of bluebell, and why our native bluebell is under threat.
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Large white butterfly on bluebells

Suzie Hunt, Digital Communications OfficerWritten by Suzie Hunt, Digital Communications Officer

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DGT Project: Boxes Across a Landscape by Josh Wells

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My Developing Green Talent project focussed on birds in the Upper River Ray Living Landscape.
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Tree Sparrow by Andy Hay
Developing Green Talent Trainee Josh Wells

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Help us look after the bluebells at Finemere Wood

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April saw Finemere Wood bathed in blue by the magnificent show of bluebells.
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Bluebells at Finemere Wood

Charlotte KarmaliWritten by Charlotte Karmali.

Volunteer Warden at Finemere Wood.

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May update from Aston Clinton Ragpits

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We are in that transitional seasonal phase between spring and summer, at the reserve we have had a blanket of those golden yellow cousins, primroses and cowslips.
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Roman Snails

Philip Townsend

Written by Philip Townsend, Volunteer Warden at Aston Clinton Ragpits

I monitor and help manage this remarkable nature reserve, well known for spectacular spring orchids. 

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Wild Oxford: helping out at Chilswell Valley

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As I drove along the A34 to get to Chilswell Valley in South Hinksey, I realised it could not have been worse weather for the first Wild Oxford taster day at Chilswell Valley.
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Volunteers at Oxford's Chilswell Valley

Andy Gunn

Written by Andy Gunn, Wild Oxford Project Officer

I manage three beautiful wild sites within Oxford City as part of our Wild Oxford project. 

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A View of Badgers

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I think almost everybody is aware that badgers are mainly nocturnal. You may be lucky enough to live near a Sett where you can watch badgers that come out in the twilight (crepuscular behaviour), or even early evening during summer. The badgers I wanted to observe are almost entirely of the ‘after dark’ variety.
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Last April I began using a ‘trail camera’* to monitor these badgers. My initial project was to run for a year and had two aims.

  1. to get an idea of population and distribution, 
  2. to capture on video as much variety of badger behaviour as possible.

I had never seen a live badger at this particular site, so despite ‘knowing’ that they were there, I was very keen to check on the results from the first night. Fantastic! The camera had tripped 5 times, and was showing two badgers on the thumbnail image.

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A Feast of Fun at the Oxford Festival of Nature

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It seemed that the weather was going to be against us as we splashed around in torrential rain to set up marquees and signposts for the third Oxford Festival of Nature, held at Cutteslowe and Sunnymead Park on Saturday 7th June.
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Written by Caroline Coleman, Biodiversity Conservation Trainee

I assist the biodiversity team to survey and monitor the wildlife and habitats on the Trust's Nature reserves.

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Thank you event at Meadow Farm

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Last weekend, staff at Meadow Farm hosted an event to say thank you to around 200 people who had donated to the appeal that allowed BBOWT to purchase Meadow Farm.
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Heritage Lottery Fund Logo

Written by Leo Keedy

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Solstice Guided Walk – An evening at College Lake

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This year’s summer solstice was celebrated at College Lake with an evening guided walk.
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Photo by Paul Simmons
Developing Green Talent Trainee Josh Wells

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Surveying Water Voles

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I have recently been surveying for water vole activity on the River Cole in West Oxfordshire, from its confluence with the Thames at Lechlade upstream to the Coleshill Estate, which is managed by the National Trust.
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Water Vole - photo by Peter Trimming

Written by Gavin Bennett, Mammal Project Assistant

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June update from Aston Clinton Ragpits

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A typically changeable sky met the volunteers who arrived for the annual orchid count at the reserve. Some leaden clouds were gathering but the air was still and warm.
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Philip Townsend

Written by Philip Townsend, Volunteer Warden at Aston Clinton Ragpits

I monitor and help manage this remarkable nature reserve, well known for spectacular spring orchids. 

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News from Finemere Wood

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June saw the volunteer work party continue with restoration work to the meadows adjoining Finemere Wood. An essential step in turning this rough grassland into a species rich hay meadow is to take a hay cut once a year, but this is not possible until the less desirable plant species are under control.
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Finemere wood

Charlotte Karmali

Written by Charlotte Karmali, Volunteer Warden at Finemere Wood

 

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Meadow Farm

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The HLF funded team started at Meadow Farm at the end of April, after acquisition of the site in February. The growing season was already underway, with the pink lady’s smock in flower ready to feed orange tip butterfly.
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Meadow Farm

Charlotte Karmali

Written by Rachel Strachan, Upper Ray Community & Education Officer

 

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Baby on Board at Warburg

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In some ways, having a baby in tow can be physically restricting to your lifestyle but in other respects it can enhance your experience of the great outside world.
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Written by Pim Young, Assistant Reserves Officer, Oxfordshire

 

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Marine Week: Bringing the Sea to You

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Each year the Wildlife Trusts across the UK celebrate the immense importance and beauty of our seas through National Marine Week.
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Rock pooling

Written by Erin Murton, Marine Officer

 

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A Safari with ‘His Majesty’

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Now I have to be honest, I was slightly nervous when initially told I had to do this. It is a tricky thing to do a recording of good enough quality to be broadcast on the radio.
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On safari photo by Martin Ineson

Laura Parker

Written by Martin Ineson, Developing Green Talent Trainee at Warburg

 

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Developing Bernwood Forest

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The Bernwood Project is almost half way through it's three year run so here is an update on what we've been doing for the last 17 months on our 5 reserves which fall inside the ancient royal hunting forest of Bernewode.
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Laplands Farm at Rushbeds Wood BBOWT

Written by Tim Read, Bernwood Project Officer

 

 

 

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