Page 11 - Wildlife News April 2015
P. 11
Working for wildlife recent work. The Upper Ray With new facilities, groups, including special-
warden has been using the including a pond complex interest naturalist groups, are
Our ongoing project at Meadow tractor and rotovator to break and education area, we are booked in for guided walks;
Farm, funded by you our up the dense rushes around looking forward to welcoming and we will be visiting more
members, the Heritage Lottery the margins of ditches and the first schools to Meadow local events and schools. On
Fund and other charitable trusts ponds. Rotovating these areas Farm this spring. Building links a personal level, I am also
and foundations, supports will allow waders to feed in the with local schools is a vital part looking forward to meeting
conservation efforts across invertebrate-rich margins. of our work within the Upper more local landowners and
all of our Upper Ray sites. River Ray Living Landscape. At working on ways to create
Work already undertaken has Reaching out Meadow Farm young people further havens for wildlife in
seen the removal of invasive will have the opportunity to the area.
weeds, important hedgerow BBOWT has a track record experience and learn about the
management and fencing of looking beyond our habitats here through a range Now that we have a
work. Local groups such as the boundaries, working with of interactive programmes. community-focused team
Vale Countryside Volunteers neighbouring farmers in We’ll get them using their based at Meadow Farm,
and Bicester Green Gym the Upper Ray to restore senses and thinking about how BBOWT has a unique
have established a regular almost 100ha of wildflower landscape connections provide opportunity to connect with
conservation programme to meadows so important to important spaces for wildlife. people across this Living
support us in this work. species such as the curlew. Landscape in a way that wasn’t
We are active landscape-scale Bright future possible before. Our focus on
In the absence of any conservation partners with local communities will ensure
hedgerow management for organisations such as the With the challenge of people connect meaningfully
at least three decades, the RSPB. Through the Meadow making Meadow Farm fully with this important part of
blackthorn hedges at Meadow Farm project we will be able operational almost complete, their heritage, ensuring the
Farm are up to 20m thick. This to reach more landowners in we are now expanding visitor long-term sustainability of our
dense shelter is already home the area, facilitate workshops numbers through our varied work here beyond the life of
to birds such as whitethroat with partners and provide programme of events. Local this project.
and yellowhammer, but one advice and resources, such
of the challenges is to ensure as harvested wildflower seed What is a Living Landscape?
it supports some of our rarest that can be used to further
residents – the black and brown expand the network of Meadow Farm and the Upper Ray Meadows are part of the
hairstreak butterflies. meadows. wider Upper River Ray Living Landscape. The purpose of
Living Landscape projects is to work with other stakeholders
Black hairstreaks favour the To protect the site’s rich to achieve habitat restoration on a landscape scale. Their
higher branches of established biodiversity, Meadow Farm focus is to link up habitats for wildlife and connect people
blackthorn to mate and lay is only open to the public for with their local landscape. BBOWT has two other Living
their eggs on, while the brown booked groups and events. Landscape projects: West Berkshire and the Upper Thames.
hairstreaks prefer younger Since our acquisition last year
growth. To ensure a balance we have already welcomed Visitors enjoy a tour
volunteers have coppiced more than 350 visitors as of Meadow Farm
several sections of overgrown part of our special events (Jan Deacon)
hedgerow to provide areas of programme. Among these
young growth alongside older were local youth groups such
growth. This was the mainstay as Bicester Sea Scouts who
of last winter’s work and will braved the cold to undertake
continue over forthcoming coppicing work, and 1st Bure
winters. Park Beavers who opened our
new bird garden in January.
Curlews and other wading
birds also stand to benefit from
Bicester Sea Scouts take a break from coppicing How to get involved
(Rachel Strachan)
■ Join the Upper Ray volunteer work party and try
your hand at practical conservation work across the
Upper Ray. Contact Andy Collins for more details:
andycollins@bbowt.org.uk
■ Help to inspire people of all ages on their visits to
Meadow Farm by becoming an events and education
volunteer. Email Rachel Strachan: rachelstrachan@
bbowt.org.uk
■ If you belong to a local community, art or youth group
you can arrange your own visit to Meadow Farm, or we
can visit you to talk about our work.
■ Meadow Farm is only open for special organised events,
so take advantage of upcoming activities. Highlights
include open meadows afternoons from 12–15 June,
regular guided walks and family events. Visit the
website for more details: www.bbowt.org.uk/events
April 2015 11
