Page 6 - BBOWT Annual Review 2016-17

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BBOWT looks after 88 nature reserves across the 200
three counties of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and
Oxfordshire, covering about 2,500 hectares.Beyond Landowners reached through
our boundaries only 6% of the land area within those liaison and targeted events
counties is identified as being wildlife-rich.
24
R eaching out to restore The three year Upper Ray
land that has the Restoration Project, which Decision-makers directly
potential to become rich concluded during the year, included influenced for a better
in wildlife is at the core of green hay from Meadow Farm (one outcome for wildlife
our Strategic Plan 2016 of 60 original Coronation Meadows
– 2021: Be part of Nature’s Recovery in the UK) being strewn on land in 2
Buckingham to restore riverside
Living Landscapes are essential to meadows owned by Aylesbury Vale New Living Landscape
develop the joined-up principles of District Council. areas in Oxford and Banbury
‘Making Space for Nature’ advocated
by Prof Sir John Lawton, and to lead In the Upper Thames Living
our work on restoring land for wildlife. Landscape we were delighted to
see the astonishingly beautiful
During our first year of delivering green-winged orchids flowering
the Strategic Plan the stand-out again on the National Nature
achievements from our Living Reserve at Chimney Meadows,
Landscapes include: which had been badly flooded
in the summer 2007.
In West Berkshire 500 volunteers Careful restoration of the meadows
carrying out conservation work on ensured the orchids were given
private land where we have formal the right conditions for their
agreements with seven landowners, reappearance. BBOWT hosted a visit
wildlife surveying, habitat by members of the Upper Thames
management, community events Farmers’ Conservation Group to
with local groups, traditional hay Chimney Meadows to show how
cutting and wassailing, and one-day we are improving biodiversity on
courses to give more people skills to floodplain farmland.
identify wildlife.

06 Berks,Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust | Annual Review 2016/17