Page 4 - Annual Review 2014-15

Spaces for nature
Safeguarding wildlife havens for today and tomorrow
The number of our nature reserves rose to
88 with the acquisition of Yoesden, a gem
of chalk grassland in the Chiltern Hills noted
for its extraordinary butterfly populations and
the ‘hanger’ of beech woodlands. The future of
special plants and insect populations in chalk
grassland is constantly at risk where land is in
demand for recreational use.
In the Bernwood Forest project carpets of
bluebells and other wild flowers in Finemere
Wood, Whitecross Green Wood and Rushbeds
Wood were testament to successful coppicing
and felling work that let sunlight stream
in to the woodland floor. Volunteers have
been hedgelaying, fencing and mowing
rides at these reserves, leading to sightings
of butterflies such as black hairstreaks and
purple emperors and abundant displays of wild
flowers in the meadows.
Iffley Meadows nature reserve close to
Oxford city centre is one of our most easily
accessible sites. Careful management of the
meadows over the last 32 years resulted in
more biodiversity and the numbers of snake’s-
head fritillary plants rose from just 500 in 1983, facilities, and installing orientation boards on
when BBOWT took on the management of the
site, to almost 90,000 in April 2015.
Key highlights
320 biological
surveys undertaken by 118
volunteers on 78 reserves
398ha
of meadows managed
89,830
snake’s-head fritillaries
counted at Iffley Meadows
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Unseasonal flooding and poor facilities
for grazing livestock threatens the continuing
success of this reserve. Thanks to a generous
grant from SITA Trust and donations from
The Ryklow Charitable Trust and NFU Mutual
Witney and Oxford Agency, we are making
much-needed improvements to enable
conservation grazing. New interpretation signs
inform visitors and walkers on the Thames Path
about the wildlife of Iffley Meadows.
BBOWT’s partnership with West Berkshire
Council had a very successful first year.
Management of the nine nature reserves that
transferred from the council is fully integrated
into our Berkshire reserves team. We are busy
writing management plans to ensure that
these special places continue to be well looked
after. There’s more volunteer involvement
in the management of these reserves and
monitoring, including radio-tracking adders,
to gain better understanding of the wildlife
and its habitats. We initiated a project to
enhance visitors’ enjoyment. This included
making Snelsmore Common fully accessible
by providing an easy-access trail and suitable
other sites.