Wild Cherwell
Wild Projects
“Nature needs to be part of everybody’s everyday lives and restoring nature can be the greatest generator of hope and happiness” says Ed Munday, BBOWT’s Wild Banbury/Bicester project manager.
Wild Bicester/Wild Banbury
Wild Bicester is based on a similar model developed in Banbury (Wild Banbury) by the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT), encouraging residents to take part in projects to help the wildlife in their local area as well as improve their health and wellbeing.
Wild Banbury/Bicester are working in partnership with key environmental groups in the towns using their experience and expertise to build the programme of volunteer, wildlife conservation and training activities and opportunities in the town.
Wild Banbury/Bicester have produced some attractive resources to help people connect with nature and wildlife to thrive.
Three postcards; Five Ways to Wild Wellbeing, Help Wildlife Where You Live and the Top Ingredients of a Successful Wildlife Garden give clear information about how nature can improve your mental and physical health, what actions you can easily take to support the wildlife on your doorstep and top tips on making your window box, outside space or garden wildlife-friendly. The cards have been designed to emphasise key messages, signpost you to a range of resources and ideas to help you enjoy the great outdoors and then be displayed on your noticeboard or used as a colourful bookmark.
If you would like hard copies of the cards please email community@bbowt.org.uk the Wild Banbury/Bicester Project Officer.
Wild Kidlington
This project is more recent and the project officer, Rhiannon Evetts, has been working in Kidlington since April 2022. Similar to the other Wild Projects, she is working in partnership with key environmental groups in the village and has also produced some attractive resources.
Here is Rhiannon’s latest update.
“The last few weeks have certainly been wild in Kidlington! After a successful Gala day in collaboration with Kidlington Eco Group (KEG) where the residents helpfully added their recent hedgehog sightings to our map, signed up to our upcoming walks, and found out more about how to garden for wildlife in mind, we ploughed on and into a full hedgehog themed family activity day partnered with Harvest at Home.
This was a great success; Seven families pledged to put in hedgehog holes in their garden fences for the start of Kidlington’s Hedgehog Highway. They were able to take home their own hand-crafted pine cone hedgehog families as well as a welcome sign to put above their new and existing hog-friendly garden gaps. The signs were such a hit that the volunteers were desperate to have a go once the kids had left.
Hazel Walk allotment has also been busy making sure there’s a home for their much loved toad and slow-worm residents, with help and guidance from the Wild Kidlington project officer. The enthusiasm was contagious – the volunteers valiantly pick-axed the baked earth, working in the hot sun to make a five-star hibernaculum. This is now ready for the amphibians and reptiles to hibernate in over autumn and winter but it also provides an immediate safe home and cool den for the creatures to take refuge in. And the effort didn’t stop there - what with the ludicrously hot summer, the volunteers also made sure to add a wildlife pond complete with a hedgehog-safe drinking platform - just in time for the hosepipe ban.
And last but not least, Andy’s bat walks are in full flight, with three successful walks completed. St Mary’s Fields volunteer, Andy Pedley, has been taking the public out on explorations of the ‘wilds’ of Kidlington for these wonderful creatures. So far both species of Pipistrelle have been sighted along with the Noctule and even the exciting river-user that is the Daubenton's bat. Some residents, young and old, were discovering bats for the first time on these walks which is hugely exciting for the project”.
If you would like more information on Wild Kidlington please email Rhiannon.
Wild Parishes
Do you want to take positive steps for wildlife in your parish?
Wild Oxfordshire is funded by the Council to provide advice and support to Parish Councils who are interested in conservation and the environment.
BBOWT are collaborating with a number of partners to support parish councillors, clerks and volunteers to discover how they can improve the local area for wildlife and residents.