Page 7 - BBOWT Annual Review 2016-17

Into the urban jungle

Creating more spaces for wildlife in urban
areas brings people and wildlife together.

The Wild Oxford project completed The banks of the River Cherwell in
three successful years of restoration Banbury’s Spiceball Park have been
and conservation of rare fenland planted with wild flowers, new paths
habitat on the City Council’s Lye Valley laid, more habitats created for beetles
in Headington, Chilswell Valley in South and amphibians, bat and bird boxes
Hinksey and Rivermead Nature Park in put up among young woodland that
Rose Hill.New board walks were laid, offers few roosting and nesting places.
dozens of people learned scything,
many more took part in picnics and Some of Banbury’s youngest residents
wildlife surveys, dug ponds and from The Grange school helped plant
hauled dead trees to create natural trees to create new woodlands.
environments where local people
can explore to discover Goldilocks The Wild Banbury volunteering group
buttercups and black hairstreak started work in October 2016 and
butterflies. now includes people trained in
conservation techniques; their
In 2016 new funding enabled Wild sheer muscle-power is inspirational!
Oxford to start work on Raleigh Park in Wildflower grasslands are now
Botley, a popular nature reserve with managed by scything, a great way to
local people but where overgrown strengthen your body while enjoying
brambles and trees had obscured a summer day outdoors.
historic views of Oxford’s skyline.
The Hanwell Brook wetland, on
Helped by local conservation Banbury’s northern edge, is also
volunteers, BBOWT’s Wild Oxford receiving attention as volunteers
project has transformed Raleigh Park coppice willows and remove trees
so that people can take part in nature to ensure this wetland habitat
surveys, walk with their families, and stays wet for wildlife.
take a breather as they reconnect with
the natural world.

People taking part in the Wild Banbury
project found that reconnecting with
nature brings physical benefits to the
landscape they are transforming as
well as themselves.

Green-winged
orchids made a
comeback after
flooding at Chimney

Meadows