Wild Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire - Winter 2023 by BBOWT

Wild

Winter 2023

Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire

NATURE RECOVERY FUND

Nature in the balance Help us tackle the nature and climate crisis head on FROZEN IN TIME

How pressing pause helps insects survive the winter

WINTER WANDERS

Blow the cobwebs away on a nature reserve walk

Berkshire Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust

HARRY BERKS

5 10

Snap happy! Our Photography Competition winners

Nature needs you! Will you answer the call?

ANDY ROUSE/2020VISION

According to the Green Finance Institute there is an estimated £5.6 billion annual funding gap to meet the UK’s key nature goals. The gap can be plugged but it will mean shifting to a different way of investing, which financial markets are rallying to test. But nature and climate are in crisis now and the clock is running down fast. While we are concerned about the intrinsic value of nature, others often view nature as a commodity, benefiting from the products and services it provides for free. Yet like any bank account, unless you invest in it, it runs out. We know the challenge ahead is big. We want to see 30% of land well managed for wildlife by 2030 because at this scale recovery becomes a real possibility. Investment in nature will come, but probably too late; the time for action is now! BBOWT is in a strong position to demonstrate how and where to invest in nature’s recovery. That’s why we have launched our Nature Recovery Fund. We will invest in landscape-scale initiatives, buy more land to restore, work in partnership with others to invest in wildlife, bring back lost species, and support our local communities to take action on their doorsteps. To find out more, turn to page 10. We know it will work but we need you get involved. Will you donate to help make the change that’s so badly needed? One group of people we can always rely on to make a difference for local wildlife is our hard-working volunteers. Whether working up a sweat as part of a nature reserve work party, welcoming members of the public at one of our visitor centres or helping with admin at BBOWT HQ, these selfless superstars help us do so much more. You can read about our recent Volunteer Awards on page 6. I hope you will join me in saying a big and heartfelt ‘thank you’ to all our volunteers! And thank you so much for your support too – it means a lot.

Pressing pause How insects survive winter’s bitter chill

NATUREPL.COM

RIC MELLIS

Welcome

Estelle Bailey, Chief Executive

Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust Get in touch Wild Berks, Bucks & Oxon is the membership magazine for Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust Contact 01865 775476, info@bbowt.org.uk Membership 01865 788300, membership@bbowt.org.uk Address The Lodge, 1 Armstrong Road, Littlemore, Oxford OX4 4XT Website www.bbowt.org.uk President Steve Backshall Chair George Levvy Chief Executive Estelle Bailey

Wherever you are in the country your Wildlife Trust is standing up for wildlife and wild places in your area and bringing people closer to nature. Wild Berks, Bucks & Oxon is brought to you by Editor Benedict Vanheems UK Consultant Editor Tom Hibbert UK Consultant Designer Ben Cook Design Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Design Studio Print CKN Print Ltd Cover Phil Savoie/Naturepl.com

A large-print version of Wild Berks, Bucks & Oxon (text only) is available on request. Call 01865 775476 or email info@bbowt.org.uk Enjoy the extended version of Wild Berks, Bucks & Oxon online at bbowt.org.uk/publications

Registered Charity Number 204330 Company Registered Number 006800007

Wild Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire | Winter 2023

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The best of the season’s wildlife and where to enjoy it on your local patch

WINTER SPECTACLE

LINDA PITKIN/2020VISION

Your wild winter Spawn again The mighty, torpedo-shaped pike can grow to more than a metre long and is found in lakes, reservoirs and slow-flowing rivers. It has a deserved reputation as a ruthless predator, skulking among the vegetation from where it bursts out to nab its hapless prey. On the menu is everything from smaller fish to ducklings and even small mammals. Pike spawn once the water temperature reaches around 90C, which in a mild winter may be as soon as February. The normally solitary fish congregate in the shallows and the frenzied activity begins. Larger females can produce up to 500,000 eggs but will lay them in batches over many days. Several males may pursue a female, each desperate to release its milt, or sperm, onto her freshly laid eggs. SEE THEM THIS WINTER Chimney Meadows The new fish channel at Chimney Meadows has removed barriers to many fish in the Upper Thames, including pike. Local to you Pike are also widely found in mill ponds, slow water below bridges, and in deep river meander pools. See if you catch a glimpse of the mighty pike near you!

Thank you!

Members like you give us the resources we need to protect freshwater wildlife, both on our nature reserves and in the wider landscape by working with our partners. Thank you!

Olive-green pike return to spawn in the same location every year. They live for about 18 years and can reach hefty proportions; the heaviest caught in the UK topped 21kg! Wild Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire | Winter 2023

YOUR WILD WINTER

Fuel their winter

Grow Wilder Nourish your wild side

Invite wildlife in Growing some of your own healthy, organic food in harmony with nature offers more opportunities for both wildlife and you to thrive. If you’ve never done it before, start with easy, prolific croppers such as courgettes, strawberries and climbing beans, and look forward to an abundant summer.

Head to a lakeside and play duck detective. Many have flown in from Scandinavia and the Arctic to be here this winter. Wigeon These winter visitors prefer to graze on grasses. It is the males that have the red heads and pink flush to the breast.

The Coronation Gardens website offers a wealth of advice on getting started and the chance to add your garden to their map. Visit: mycoronationgarden.org

Teal Our smallest duck with the impressive ability to take off almost vertically when disturbed. Here from the Baltic and Siberia.

XXX

CHRIS GOMERSALL/2020VISION

Did you know the UK’s gardens cover an area greater than all its nature reserves combined? Gardens offer huge potential for wildlife – if we welcome it in. The Wildlife Trusts have launched Coronation Gardens for Food and Nature, a new initiative to encourage more of us to grow food and make space for wildlife. The programme, in partnership with Incredible Edible, Garden Organic and the National Federation of Women’s Institutes pays tribute to the King’s long-term commitment to the natural world. Taking part could be as simple as ditching peat, pesticides and weedkillers, or letting a patch of grass grow longer as shelter for frogs and insects. How about planting nectar-rich flowers for pollinators, or digging a pond – a lifesaver in hot weather?

Duck Detectives

CHRIS GOMERSALL/2020VISION

Help birds stay warm by offering a selection of energy-dense foods such as sunflower seeds, fat balls and unsalted peanuts. Keep food off the ground. Don’t forget to provide fresh water too.

Tufted duck Check out the hairdo on these widely distributed dapper ducks! The hens have up to 11 eggs in a single brood. GUY EDWARDES/2020VISION

Perfect pressies Seeking ideas for the perfect Christmas present? Look no further than the BBOWT shop for a range of nature-inspired gifts, toys, scarves, stationery, and garden goods. All profits go towards supporting local wildlife. Or why not treat a loved one to a gift membership? Head to bbowt.org.uk/shop

SEE THIS

Snowdrops offer the promise of warmer days to come. They were not recorded growing wild until the 18th century but are now widely naturalised.

Wild Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire | Winter 2023

HEAR THIS

January is fox mating season and things can get noisy! Ever heard a pained scream at night? That is a vixen, or female fox, letting males (or ‘dogs’) know they are ready to mate.

PEOPLE & WILDLIFE

Snap Happy Wow! The entries to our Photography Competition certainly raised spirits. Here are the winners.

he judges felt that the standard of entries to this year’s BBOWT Photography Competition was possibly the highest yet, making their job significantly harder! Nevertheless, we can now announce our worthy winners. Overall winner is Harry Berks who took a fantastic shot of a curious-looking damselfly peering over a leaf at our Woodford Bottom and Lamb’s Pool nature reserve. Harry snaps up a top-of-therange Nikon Z50 mirrorless camera, while all winners feature in our 2024 calendar and have the chance to hone their skills on a photography workshop with Steve Gozdz of GG Wildlife Experiences. Thank you to all who took part – you’ve raised the bar for next year. You can marvel at all the winning, runner-up and highly commended photos at bbowt.org.uk/photo-competitionresults-2023

Overall Winner and Winner of the Insects and Arachnids Category: Damselfly at Woodford Bottom and Lamb’s Pool by Harry Berks

Winner, Birds, Darren Prestoe

Winner, Reptiles, Amphibians and Fish, Jessica Crumpton

Winner, Flora, Paul Olive Winner, Teens, Anton Poon

Order your calendar

Calendars cost £7 with all proceeds going towards helping local wildlife. Order soon as stocks are limited. Head to bbowt.org.uk/shop

Winner, Mammals, Andrew Kelsick

Wild Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire | Winter 2023

WILD NEWS

Stay up to date

Visit bbowt.org.uk/ newsletter to sign up for our latest news, delivered to your inbox.

All the latest local and national news from The Wildlife Trusts VOLUNTEER AWARDS

Landscape revival

Our selfless superstars! rare military orchids found there from around 25 to more than 1,000. Jan Legg, our third winner, has been ringing birds in West Berkshire for 48 years, working with the Newbury Ringing Group on a range of nature reserves now managed by BBOWT. Jan’s weekly blog is distributed to a growing number of staff and volunteers. Thank you to all our volunteers. Your hard work makes such a difference to local wildlife and we are proud of every one of you! Get to know all our winners at bbowt.org.uk/volunteer-awards-2023

WENDY TOBITT

Every year we recognise the outstanding contributions of the people that help keep us running through our Volunteer Awards. This year we also presented Lifetime Achievement Awards to three incredible individuals. Steve Grigson has been a dedicated volunteer for around 30 years, recently retiring from managing Dry Sandford Pit and running the work party there. Phillip Pratt has been volunteering at Homefield Wood since 1989, in which time he has helped increase the number of

New meadows, ponds and a five-mile corridor of woodland are among suggestions for projects across a 300km2 area of Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire. The potential schemes follow a consultation with locals as part of our Reconnecting Bernwood, Otmoor and the Ray project, which hopes to restore nature at a landscape scale. Read more at bbowt. org.uk/reconnecting

Home improvements

Rare birds and butterflies are to get a £230,000 home upgrade with new pools, security cameras and anti-predator fencing at Gallows Bridge Farm, part of the Upper Ray Meadows. The grant from the FCC Communities Foundation will help create habitat for endangered curlews, while benefiting other ground nesters such as skylarks and meadow pipits.

FERGUS GILL/2020VISION

College Lake volunteers

Save Our Chalk Streams

LINDA PITKIN/2020VISION

We have joined forces with Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust and others to launch a campaign to rescue the counties’ chalk streams. Characterised by crystalclear waters and diverse plant life, chalk streams are one of the very rarest habitats, with only around 250 in the world – 80% of those in southern England. Healthy chalk streams are home to salmon, otters, water voles and kingfishers, yet many are under a growing threat from water abstraction and sewage. The Wildlife Trusts are calling on the Government to create new legislation to protect these

streams, hold water companies to account and make polluters pay. Everyone can get involved by writing to their MP asking them to become a chalk stream champion. For more details visit bbowt.org.uk/save-rare-streams

Wild Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire | Winter 2023

Networking for nature

Thanks to Chroma Print, Vale Brewery, Radley College, 3Keel and Primark for their presentations at our recent Investors in Wildlife networking event, run in collaboration with Wild Oxfordshire. We heard from a range of businesses, small to global, with and without land, about the actions they are taking to create more nature everywhere.

UK NEWS

UK HIGHLIGHTS

UK UPDATE

In hot water Summer saw global sea surface temperatures reach an all time high, with worrying implications for the world’s wildlife. In August, the Copernicus climate modelling service reported that the global average daily sea surface temperatures hit 20.96°C, breaking the record of 20.95°C set in 2016. The changes to sea temperature we are already seeing as the climate warms are particularly dangerous to unique and threatened ecosystems, such as warm water coral reefs. This risk was demonstrated this summer in Florida, where corals were not only bleaching at alarming rates, but dying very quickly. The UK’s seas will not be immune to the changes we are seeing now. June saw an extreme marine heatwave develop off our coasts. Sustained high temperatures can lead to the death and changes in behaviour of fish and other marine wildlife, with significant impacts on food webs.

Alongside the record sea surface and land surface temperatures, the last year has also seen unprecedented changes in the extent of Antarctic sea ice and wildfires. Other extreme weather was also widespread, with many catastrophic heatwaves and flooding incidents around the world. As the impacts of a warming planet become more obvious, the Wildlife Trusts are urging this UK Government to accelerate action on climate change. It’s vital that we reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible, but also that we do more to adapt to the changes we are already seeing. The impacts of climate change will keep getting worse until the world hits net zero greenhouse gas emissions. Global emissions are still increasing, and haven’t started to drop yet. Find out more about combatting the climate and nature emergency at wildlifetrusts.org/emergency

Discover how The Wildlife Trusts are helping wildlife across the UK

A model approach The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside is growing a sustainable alternative to goose-feather down. BioPuff®, which can replace feathers in padded jackets, is made from the fluffy seadheads of bulrushes. The Trust plans to re-wet agricultural peatland to grow the bulrushes, protecting the carbon in the peat and reducing emissions. wtru.st/bulrush-clothing

New relationship supports local wildlife The buffalo-down Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust has introduced a herd of water buffalo to improve rare fen habitat at Thorley Wash Nature Reserve. These hardy animals will graze the ditches and marshy areas that cows prefer to avoid, preventing the need for heavy machinery to clear scrub and improving the site for wildlife such as water voles. wtru.st/herts-buffalo

DAVID TIPLING/2020VISION; WATER BUFFALO © ROBERT PHILLIPS

to announce that BBOWT has signed a local relationship with Vine House Farm. We hope that BBOWT members will continue to use Vine House Farm for their bird food purchases. Find out more and shop their range at bbowt.org.uk/vine-house-farm

BOB COYLE

The Wildlife Trusts and Vine House Farm have enjoyed a brilliant and mutually beneficial partnership since 2008. This has raised more than £2.4m for The Wildlife Trusts and encouraged thousands of our supporters to feed birds. The national partnership has now run its course, but we are delighted

Seeing reddish Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust has rediscovered one of the UK’s rarest moths. The reddish buff is only found on one site in the country, a Wildlife Trust nature reserve on the Isle of Wight, but had not been recorded since 2019. This year, the Trust’s annual survey revealed two adult moths. wtru.st/seeing-reddish

Wild Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire | Winter 2023

TERRY WHITTAKER/2020VISION

WILD RESERVES

Nature’s champions

You are helping us to achieve our vision of ‘more nature everywhere’. Thank you! Listen for curlew from February

Stride out this winter! Wrap up warm and step outside to admire our wondrous winter wildlife.

1 Chimney Meadows Postcode OX18 2EH Great for… Wading birds Best time to visit All year Size 308 hectares Map ref SP 354 013

PETER CAIRNS PHOTOGRAPHY/2020VISION

What better place to stride out on a crisp day than Chimney Meadows, the only nature reserve to span the River Thames! Once an intensive, arable farm, today the fields are filled with wild flowers and a truly astounding diversity of the butterflies, bees and bugs that thrive on them. Chimney has year-round appeal, so while the tapestry of meadows and pastures may be resting for now, there’s still plenty of wildlife to watch out for. Flocks of farmland birds such as fieldfare and redwing feed alongside the likes of blackbirds and starlings in the fields. Billowing hedgerows, naked for winter, throng

Wild Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire | Winter 2023

with meadow pipits and mixed flocks of tits, finches and buntings all busying themselves in the search for sustenance. Long spells of rain may see Old Father Thames rise to flood the surrounding fields, creating ideal conditions for a range of waders and wildfowl including snipe and lapwing, the latter favouring the more closely cropped meadows. From February keep an ear out for the curlew’s bubbling call – an indication that the breeding season has begun for our largest wading bird. If you’re lucky you might catch one skewering its long, curved beak into the muddy soil in search of a juicy earthworm. Winter days are all-too short. The flipside is that a walk into the low light of dusk may reward you with a glimpse of a barn owl quartering the fields on the hunt for small mammals scurrying among the tussocky grass. Perhaps you’ll also catch a brown hare scampering away or a roe deer grazing in the distance? While at a casual glance winter may seem still and lifeless, there’s lots to admire if you gaze a little closer.

WILD RESERVES

Help care for a reserve

BANBURY MILTON KEYNES

Want to get up close and personal to wildlife? Why not become a work party volunteer on a local nature reserve? Carry out practical conservation tasks as you help improve wildlife habitats, all while enjoying fresh air, gentle exercise and great company. You could even win an award (see page six)!

BUCKINGHAM

BICESTER

3 AYLESBURY WITNEY THAME

OXFORD

CHESHAM AMERSHAM

ABINGDON

There’s more!

DIDCOT

Enjoy the extended version of Wild Berks, Bucks & Oxon online at bbowt.org.uk/ publications

BEACONSFIELD

SLOUGH WINDSOR READING THATCHAM NEWBURY

BRACKNELL

3 Rushbeds Wood

2 Decoy Heath Postcode RG7 2PF Great for… Bogs and mosses Best time to visit All year Size 8 hectares Map ref SU 613 634 Decoy Heath is a hotspot for dragonflies and damselflies, with 23 species recorded here. For now, the interest lies in the more subtle charms of the heathland. Wetter areas play host to rare mosses and

Plan your next nature reserve visit at bbowt.org.uk/reserves

liverworts, while the drier heath is home to lichens. Lichens are instrumental in soil formation, paving the way for other species to follow. They are also more than they seem. The devil’s matchstick lichen found here, for example, is in fact three different intricately interwoven organisms: a fungus, green algae, and cyanobacteria.

Postcode HP18 0RU Great for… Timeless woodland Best time to visit All year Size 56 hectares Map ref SP 673 154 Magnificent and majestic, Rushbeds Wood invites you to abandon the stresses of everyday life as you step back into this ‘wildwood’ of ash, field maple, aspen, hazel and oak. Explore every corner of the

wood and its areas of coppice and scrub on the 1.5-mile circular Wildlife Walk – just follow the badger waymarkers. Listen out for the rhythmic, grunting call of the woodcock. The best time to tune in is at dusk, when the birds take to the air to fly in arrow-straight lines above their territories. Despite being a wader, woodcocks are most at home in woodland like this.

CHRIS LAWRENCE

Devil’s matchstick lichen

Wild Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire | Winter 2023

NATURE RECOVERY FUND

Nature needs you! Nature and the climate are in crisis, but we can make a difference on our doorstep. That’s why we have launched our biggest ever fundraising appeal. Nature is sending an SOS. Will you answer the call?

n a decade that has brought us a pandemic, war in Europe and a cost-of-living crisis, one issue has united us all here at BBOWT – the nature and climate crisis. Local wildlife populations are in steep decline and our climate is in chaos. This is arguably the biggest threat to life on Earth faced by our generation, and nobody is immune. Nature is sending an SOS and we must answer the call. It’s never been more urgent. That’s why we’ve launched the biggest fundraising appeal in our history. Our Nature Recovery Fund aims to raise £3m in three years to tackle this crisis head on. It’s an ambitious target, but the potential for positive change right here in our three counties is huge. BBOWT is in a unique position in our region. We know what the problems

are and how to fix them. We have the experience, the specialist staff and an army of volunteers – we just need more green power in our engine. We must restore nature on a landscape scale we’ve never attempted before and involve more people than ever in our fight to save nature. To hit our 30 by 30 target – 30% of land restored for nature by 2030 – with a quarter of people acting for nature by the end of the decade, we need to aim much higher. The Nature Recovery Fund will be the eco-boost we need to take on this crisis locally right now. With your support we can buy more land to help bring nature back. We can restore more woodland and floodplain to guard against climate change, and inspire communities and young people to care for wildlife. We can work with

more landowners, local charities, councils and farmers, to put nature’s recovery first. The Nature Recovery Fund targets three critical areas of our work: nature, climate and people. These are linked so strongly that we can’t focus on just one.

A huge thankyou to everyone who has already generously given to the Nature Recovery Fund!

Wild Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire | Winter 2023

LUKE MASSEY/2020VISION

You can help us reverse declines in nature

NATURE RECOVERY FUND

People

Will you answer Nature’s SOS call?

Nature

The recent State of Nature 2023 report found one in six British species at risk of extinction, with birds, amphibians and reptiles under most threat. The UK is one of the worst countries in the world for wildlife, with only 53% of its biodiversity left. We have lost 97% of our wildflower meadows since the 1930s, along with 90% of wetlands and 70% of ancient woodland. These trends are being felt across our three counties, with inappropriate

this unique grassland already destroyed nationally, we can’t afford to lose any more. Your donation could help us save more of this vanishing habitat.

We are already recording the effects of unpredictable weather; dormice, birds, butterflies and wildflowers are impacted and beech woodlands are at risk in our area. We know we can’t fix our climate without restoring nature. Nature-

Steve Backshall, BBOWT President

Nature can help us respond to the changing climate

No childhood should be without nature

Climate

“The nature we know and love is under serious threat. The call of the wild is being silenced. Please help us answer nature’s SOS today.” development, intensive farming and climate change putting huge pressure on wildlife. But we can help reverse this. We’ve already brought water voles back from the brink of extinction. Declining species such as small blue butterflies and curlews have been boosted by our specialist land management. We’re returning precious chalk grassland to its prime, benefitting rare orchids, skylarks and insects (see overleaf). With most of

It’s heartbreaking to imagine a childhood without nature. No fishing for tadpoles, making daisy chains or climbing trees. Too many children are growing up without these experiences. Sir David Attenborough noted: “No one will protect what they don’t care about; and no one will care about what they have never experienced.” We need nature for food, water, and our wellbeing – but nature needs us too, urgently. Our children need to care enough to fight for their wild future. Yet our pool of green talent is running dry – just when we need it most.

based solutions offer huge potential for mitigating the effects of climate change in our local area, and our Nature Recovery Network shows us where that potential lies. Some of the UK’s habitats most critical for storing carbon, such as ancient woodland, wetland and grassland, are found in our three counties. Yet they are under huge pressure from development and intensive farming. Our £2m wetland restoration project at Chimney Meadows is a shining example of what we can achieve. Restoring floodplains and wetlands helps capture carbon and reduces flooding downstream. Your donation could help us share our expertise with more landowners and influence decision-makers, to create vast nature recovery networks and even more nature reserves. This could have a big impact on climate-related issues locally.

Your donation could pay for more conservation trainees, inspirational sessions for children, and outreach work with diverse communities, nurturing nature where they live. We have already had amazing success with our green talent programme, with trainees successfully finding jobs in BBOWT or elsewhere in the conservation sector – but we need more people in our green army. Your donation could inspire the next David Attenborough… or future head of ecology at BBOWT! The Nature Recovery Fund will make a huge difference for our region. Please join us on this exciting journey to a wilder Berks, Bucks and Oxon. Together we can tackle the nature and climate crisis on our doorstep. Answer the call Wildlife can’t wait while our political leaders argue about policy and funding. Nature needs you now. Help us respond to this emergency and throw a lifeline to our natural world when it needs us most. Please – answer the call. Give today: bbowt.org.uk/SOS Or call 01865 788300 during office hours.

Wild Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire | Winter 2023

NATURE RECOVERY FUND

Let’s turn back time Precious habitat such as chalk grassland has undergone precipitous declines in recent decades. You can help us reverse that.

Donate today! Visit bbowt.org.uk/SOS or call 01865 788300

Yoesden, Buckinghamshire The UK is one of the most naturedepleted countries in the world, with a little over half of its biodiversity left and wildlife pushed ever further to the margins. It’s a sorry state but we know it is possible to reverse this terrible decline. Given the opportunity, nature can recover. Locally BBOWT has done this before, for example restoring over-worked arable land at Chimney Meadows to the colourful, species-rich wildflower meadows seen today. We have a strong track record of action but there’s more to be done.

specialists like the chalkhill blue butterfly that isn’t found anywhere else. Chalk grasslands are truly special, wild places with a sense of timelessness. BBOWT is privileged to own some of the very finest, with gems such as Yoesden in Buckinghamshire offering a refuge for the remarkable wildlife associated with it. With your support, our experienced staff and dedicated volunteers can do more to protect, enhance and expand these precious fragments, securing their future while enabling rare species to recover.

Incredible diversity

Reversing the losses

Development, agricultural intensification, and the abandonment of traditional grazing practices have all played a part in the loss of chalk grasslands. The good news is these declines can be reversed through determination and a little hard graft. Necessary hands-on work includes manually clearing invasive scrub which, if left, can quickly crowd out the delicate wild flowers, many of which are nationally rare, in turn impacting the many species that depend on them.

Wild Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire | Winter 2023

JIM HIGHAM

One type of habitat offering particular promise in our region is chalk grassland. This exceptionally flower-rich habitat has been subject to devastating losses that only accelerated during the second half of the 20th century. Most has now been lost, yet chalk grassland remains one of the most diverse habitats in Western Europe, with as many as 40 plant species found in just one square metre. In turn this floral extravaganza supports an impressive range of insects, birds and mammals, including

Livestock grazing, typically with sheep or cattle, can then help to maintain the balance in favour of wild flowers, including orchids such as the fragrant, pyramidal and bee orchid. We can deliver more of this sort of targeted conservation work and look to buy more land to expand our nature reserves, protect threatened grasslands, and even re-establish some of the chalk grassland that’s been lost. The expertise and ambition are there, we just need the resources to get on with it! Together we can ensure the chalk grassland on our reserves and beyond remains in top condition, while pushing back the losses to create a brighter future for this precious habitat.

LEAVE A GIFT IN YOUR WILL

Our wildlife heroes BBOWT’s work is only possible because of wonderful people like you who care about the natural world. Everyone has a personal story of why nature means so much to them.

Write your Will for free We have teamed up with Farewill, the UK’s largest Will-writing service, to offer a limited number of free Wills to our supporters. Writing one online takes as little as 30 minutes and there is no obligation to leave a gift to BBOWT, though once you have looked after your loved ones we hope you might consider this. Start your free Will at farewill. com/bbowt-2023 and enter the code ‘BBOWT-2023’ at the end of the process. Or to book a phone appointment visit farewill.com/ bbowt-telephone or call 020 8138 0633, mentioning you are a BBOWT supporter.

ne such story is that of Patron and first life member Roger Jefcoate CBE DL. Roger joined the Trust in 1968 and together with late wife Jean has worked tirelessly for BBOWT and other charities. For decades Roger has also championed the rare black poplar, planting hundreds of saplings including locally in Windsor Great Park. To meet him is to glimpse the energy he has dedicated to society and the natural world throughout his life. “I had an affinity for nature from an early age. Growing up we had a badger sett at the end of our garden and my brother and I would watch it for hours,” says Roger. “The natural world is endlessly fascinating and a true source of inspiration.” Roger enjoyed a busy career, helping to develop the first electronic life-support ventilator before pioneering independentliving technology at Stoke Mandeville Hospital for people with severe disabilities. In 1983, he set up the Disability Aid Fund, now The Roger and Jean Jefcoate Trust, to

support disability and healthcare charities. “Immersing myself in nature has always been essential to relieving everyday stress,” explains Roger. “It is the perfect place to unwind and can bring people together. “My favourite place of all is College Lake. We could see the original cement works from our old home in Pitstone. Witnessing its transformation to a nature reserve was incredible and I still love to walk round the lake and admire the wildlife that now flourishes there.” Roger and Jean gave a generous living legacy to help launch the Visitor Centre at College Lake. They also funded the wheelchair toilet and all-terrain vehicles so everyone can explore this magical place, as well as toilets at Meadow Farm and Chimney Meadows, and the accessible garden at our Sutton Courtenay Environmental Education Centre. But what was it that encouraged them to support BBOWT? “Jean and I were so impressed with what was being achieved right from the start. This is a

local, dynamic and successful charity that shows others what is possible,” explains Roger. “Why look elsewhere when you have something so exciting on your doorstep? And with all the challenges facing the natural world there’s no better time to help.” Roger is now a member of our new Legacy Society. The generous foresight of leaving a gift in your Will to BBOWT allows us to protect nature for future generations. As Roger says: “There can be no finer memorial.” Please get in touch if you would like us to feature your story of what nature and BBOWT mean to you. Email: philanthropy@bbowt.org.uk

Wild Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire | Winter 2023

EVENTS DIARY

LUCY COLSTON

WHAT’S ON

Highlights from our busy events diary. For full and up-to-date listings or to book visit bbowt.org.uk/events

TOP PICK

Wreath Making Workshops We love the festive season and have some fantastic events planned! Feeling creative? Then try one of our adult-only, half-day workshops to make your own unique, wild winter wreath from locally gathered materials. Booking essential.

n Weds 29 & Fri 30 Nov (Sutton Courtenay Environmental Education Centre); Sat 2 Dec (College Lake); Sat 2 & Sun 3 Dec (Nature Discovery Centre); Weds 6 & Thurs 7 Dec (Woolley Firs). Grab a kit Our wreath kits are perfect for anyone unable to attend a wreath making workshop or wishing to get the whole family involved. Available to order in advance for collection on 6 or 7 December from Sutton Courtenay Environmental Education Centre, Didcot.

Family Fun n Meet Santa on his day out at the nature reserve and discover how you can help him give all the animals a happy Christmas. Sat 9 & Sun 10 Dec, Sutton Courtenay. Rangers n Teen Rangers: Join our wildlife club for ages 11-17 and explore, look after and learn about the great outdoors. n Young Rangers: Our club for 8-11-year-olds who love nature and wildlife. Both clubs run on the following dates in December (more dates at bbowt.org.uk/events). Sat 2 Dec (Sutton Courtenay); Sat 2 Dec (Nature Discovery Centre); Sat 9 Dec (Woolley Firs); Sat 16 Dec (College Lake).

Opening of the garden. New green haven for Slough Residents of Slough have a new, wildlife-friendly community garden. What was a disused, unloved space behind the Ujala Foundation community centre on Villiers Road was transformed in just six months by a women’s group at the centre with help from neighbours and expert guidance from BBOWT. As well as a host of fruits and vegetables, visitors to the garden can now admire wild flowers, a wildlife pond, hedgehog house and a giant, four-foot-high bug hotel!

Wild Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire | Winter 2023

BBOWT Community Officer Barbara Polonara started helping to create the garden in January as part of the Trust’s Nextdoor Nature project. “The point of the garden is to bring people together to help wildlife and their own health and wellbeing,” she says. Find out more about this and other Nextdoor Nature projects at bbowt. org.uk/nextdoor-nature-projects

#teamWILDER

WILD THOUGHTS

James Brittain-McVey @TheVampsJames

@jamesmcvey

FERAL PIGEON © JUAN MANUEL BORRERO, NATUREPL.COM

Keep a wild heart this winter I love spending time in nature. There’s just something special about getting outside, seeing wildlife, feeling like you’re part of something bigger. But we live busy lives, finding time isn’t always easy. When I’m in the studio, or on tour, it’s so easy to forget just how important time in nature is and how it’s always just beyond the door. That’s why I’m a huge fan of The Wildlife Trusts’ 30 Days Wild challenge. It’s all about everyday actions. That’s the amazing thing about experiencing nature – it doesn’t have to be something big. Taking a few minutes outside, watching a bird or standing under a tree, can be just as powerful as spending a whole day exploring a forest or walking along a beach. It just gives you a rush of happiness that’s hard to find anywhere else. In winter, we need that feeling more than ever. But it can sometimes seem harder to find. Days are shorter and darker. The leaves and flowers are mostly gone. Those sunny June memories of 30 Days Wild with bees, birdsong and butterflies seem like a lifetime ago. But remember the message: do one wild thing a day. It’s not always easy, but try to find the time and I promise you that you won’t regret it. I live in a city, but even there I can head outside and find some mood-boosting wildlife. I can head to the park and see birds flying around the bare trees, or take a walk along the river. Watching the water flow by can give you an incredible sense of peace,

even on the gloomiest winter day. If you’re lucky enough to have a garden, you don’t even have to go that far. We have so much wildlife on our doorstep, just waiting for us to enjoy it. Earlier this year, I had surgery on my vocal cords. I couldn’t sing, couldn’t even talk for months. Spending time in nature really helped with my recovery. I even came up with the melody for my new single whilst walking around a park. The power that nature has to heal and inspire us is incredible. There are definitely days when it feels harder. When it’s cold outside and the couch feels too comfy to leave. But make that effort, even if it’s just to step outside for a moment. See if you can hear a robin singing, or even just spot a pigeon. Feel the breeze on your skin, or touch a tree and trace the texture of the bark. Find that little something that reminds you that nature is all around us, that we’re connected to it. Take it in, let it fill your soul, ground you to our amazing world. It’s therapeutic and good for us on so many levels. Just one little moment a day is all it takes to keep your heart wild, and a wild heart will make winter so much more wonderful.

Find out more about how nature can help our health and wellbeing at wildlifetrusts.org/wellbeing

A WINTER CHALLENGE

If, like James, you’re missing the fun of 30 Days Wild, why not take on our festive version – 12 Days Wild! Can you do one wild thing a day from 25 December to 5 January? Find out more and get inspired at wildlifetrusts.org/ 12dayswild

James Brittain-McVey is a nature lover and musician, best known as the guitarist for The Vamps. He has been an ambassador for The Wildlife Trusts since 2021, inspiring his fans to think about their impact on the natural world. James’s new solo single, Dancing on the Head of a Needle, is out now.

Wild Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire | Winter 2023

Precious water

Droughts are becoming more frequent as weather patterns change. Winter is the perfect time to start preparing your garden for a parched spring and summer. Wildlife suffers in drought. Birds struggle to find worms and grubs to feed their chicks when the soil dries up. What’s more, leaves shrivel, putting caterpillars and other grubs that eat them at risk, while flowers produce less nectar, which has a knock-on effect on pollinators. As gardeners, we should adapt to drier conditions by growing more droughtresilient plants, but we mustn’t neglect the garden wildlife. By topping up bird baths and ponds, using grey water to hydrate our plants and providing supplementary food when natural sources have (literally) dried up, we can make life easier for wildlife. Our reliance on mains water should be at the heart of dealing with drought. Aim

to use less tap water, which means saving more rainwater. Collecting water will not only keep your garden growing and your wildlife thriving, but will reduce pressure on reservoirs and rivers when it’s dry, and sewerage systems when it’s wet. When reservoirs dry up our rivers are drained as back-up but, conversely, heavy showers can result in sewage discharges into rivers and the sea. Everything is connected – simply by saving rainwater and using less mains water we can save local species, save entire river ecosystems, and still have attractive, species-rich gardens. Get more tips for growing in harmony with nature at mycoronationgarden.org

Save water Invest in water butts now to store winter rain. Your council may offer cheaper options. ake a rain garden M If budget allows, transform your space so that all rainwater soaks into the soil slowly. Use grey water Save shower and washing up water, and syphon off bath water to hydrate your garden. Use eco products to reduce the impact on soil health. ulch the soil M Cover bare earth with bark chippings, compost or old leaves to lock in soil moisture. Create shade Let trees or hedges grow a little taller. Shaded plants are less likely to dry out. Add a pond Now’s a good time to dig a pond, which should fill naturally before spring. Include shallow margins and sloping sides. Grow more plants Cover every inch of space with plants. Plants create humidity, so your local environment will be less dry.

Wild Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire | Winter 2023

Grow drought-tolerant plants Grow more droughttolerant plants like lavender and salvia, but continue growing natives too, as many species rely on them.

Insects have an incredible trick for surviving the harsh weather of winter, as entomologist Dr Ross Piper reveals.

Magazine Name | Summer 2023

of temperature: the cold winters of temperate locations and periods of intense heat and drought? These six-legged marvels have evolved a number of ways of dealing with extremes, from waxy exoskeletons that minimise water loss to behaviours such as migration. However, they also have an ability that makes them more-or-less immune to the vagaries of the environment. It is known as diapause. This phenomenon is easily

Wild Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire | Winter 2023

uman ingenuity and technology have enabled us to thrive in every corner of the globe, from the chilly polar regions to the sweltering tropics and everywhere in between. Insects might lack our technology, but this hasn’t limited their own ability to colonise and thrive in just about every terrestrial and freshwater habitat there is. How are these animals able to survive extremes

PRESSING PAUSE overlooked and is as remarkable as it is subtle; a period of seeming calm and inactivity that belies extreme changes at the cellular level. In response to challenging environmental conditions, insects can stall their development, effectively pressing the pause button until conditions improve. The diapausing animal is still alive, but its cellular machinery shifts from cells dividing and organs developing to a state of ‘tick-over’ and maintenance. With that said, some diapausing insects may even remain active, but they feed less and their reproductive development will be slowed or halted. How does this differ from the hibernation we see in mammals? In hibernation, metabolism slows and body temperature drops, but in essence, it is a very deep sleep. In contrast, diapause is a much more extreme form of inactivity, as the life of an insect in this state is effectively ‘paused’. Hide to survive In a deep state of diapause, the insect can’t respond to danger and flee from predators, but usually diapause takes place in the soil, behind flaking bark, deep within a plant stem or in some

similar sheltered location, offering a degree of protection from these external threats. If you go out searching for insects in the depths of winter, it’s not difficult to find lots of examples of diapause. You might discover beetles, wasps and lots more besides under the bark of a dead tree, a whole community of diapausing species in a grassy tussock, or eggs and myriad larvae in the upper parts of the cold soil. Across the vast diversity of insect life, diapause is extremely common; however, for any given insect species the phenomenon only typically occurs in a single stage of the life cycle. Often, diapause happens in the immature stages of the life cycle – the eggs or the larvae – but it can also occur in the pupae as well as the adults. Take, for example, the peacock butterflies you might find in your garden shed in the depths of winter. These are in diapause and in really cold snaps you can even see ice on them. Shutting down for the colder months, the bodies of these diapausing butterflies will undergo some radical changes, such as the production of anti-freeze chemicals and the shrinkage of their flight muscles, which will grow back to normal size as diapause comes to an end. How is this strange state triggered? It’s

not as though a jaded insect suddenly decides one day that it needs a long rest. The actual triggers are environmental and rather subtle. In insects that need to survive the winter, it is falling temperatures and shorter day length that trigger the cellular changes needed for diapause. For example, blowfly maggots frantically feeding on a carcass in autumn will respond to the decreasing day length and falling temperatures by guzzling the decaying matter they need, before crawling out of the carcass and burrowing into the soil. Normally, the maggots would pupate straight away, but the physiological response to the shortening days and lower temperatures is stalled development, so the maggots don’t pupate until the following spring. The raft of changes that occur inside the body of the diapausing insect can include the production of compounds and proteins that protect delicate cellular structures from the ravages of extreme temperatures. Biding their time With its life on pause, a diapausing insect is capable of some extremely impressive feats of survival. Take the large copper butterfly (which was once found in the UK but is now sadly extinct here); the

In some insects, flight muscles get smaller at the onset of diapause and then increase in size again towards the end.

Wild Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire | Winter 2023

PRESSING PAUSE caterpillars of this fenland species can handle being completely submerged in fresh or brackish water for 28 days with no impact on survival. They can go on for much longer too, at least 84 days, but beyond 28 days fewer of them make it through the ordeal. This underscores just how little metabolism is going on in the diapausing insect; it must be using a vanishingly small amount of oxygen to survive underwater for such a long period of time. Perhaps the most nefarious exhibition of diapause is in parasitoid wasps and flies. The female parasitoid will deposit her eggs, either singly or en masse, into or onto the unfortunate host. Depending on the species, the development of the eggs or young parasitoid larvae will be stalled until the host becomes acceptably plump and ripe for being devoured. As well as the normal triggers of diapause, these parasitoids may be able to pause their development by detecting levels of certain hormones in the host that indicate when development should be stalled and when it should be kickstarted. The active larva of the remarkable, albeit ghoulish small-headed flies seek out their host, a spider, and tunnel into its body, often through the leg joints. Once inside, the larva will make for the book lungs (the spider’s respiratory system) and there any further development will be halted, sometimes for many years, until the spider is sufficiently sized for the fly larva to grow and pupate. When the spider is pleasingly plump the larva jolts into action, swiftly consuming the innards of the doomed host. Sometimes, and adding insult to injury, the larva induces the host to spin a protective web that will shelter it during pupation. This ability to slow or halt development is one of the cornerstones in the success of the insects. It allows them to sit out extreme conditions, sometimes for very long periods, waiting for the better times to return. The UK’s insect populations have suffered drastic declines, with far-reaching consequences for wildlife and people. Find out how you can help reverse these declines at

A parasitoid wasp (Netelia vinulae) laid these eggs on a puss moth caterpillar. Development of the larvae within the eggs will be paused until after the host has spun a cocoon to pupate in.

wildlifetrusts.org/action-forinsects

Wild Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire | Winter 2023

6 places to see

terrific trees

Wild Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire | Winter 2023

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rees are impressive at any time of year. They can live for centuries, the shape of their trunks and branches telling the story of their long lives. Some grow tall, others wide and sprawling, creating natural, living statues. Winter is a wonderful time to discover the UK’s old and unusual trees, as many have shed their leaves, revealing the unique shapes beneath. Here are six Wildlife Trust nature reserves where the trees have a story to tell.

for yourself

You can discover even more at wildlifetrusts.org/ancient-trees

See the spectacle

Glenarm, Ulster Wildlife One of Europe’s best examples of wooded river valley and parkland, with large numbers of ancient and veteran oak trees. Keep an eye out for signs of mammals including red squirrels, pine martens and badgers. Where: Glenarm, BT44 0BD 2

he Hollies, Shropshire Wildlife Trust T A spellbinding grove of ancient hollies, perched on the edge of the Stiperstones. Each windswept tree is a unique character. Some are three or four centuries old, wizened and creaking with age. Where: Snailbeach, SY5 0NS Moseley Bog, Birmingham & Black Country Wildlife Trust Moseley Bog is a gateway to Middle Earth. The gnarled old trees were a favourite of author JRR Tolkien, who lived nearby. They provided the inspiration for the old forests in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Where: Birmingham, B13 9JX 3

Hethel Old Thorn, Norfolk Wildlife Trust The Wildlife Trusts’ smallest nature reserve is just large enough to protect a single, very special tree. Hethel Old Thorn is thought to be one of the oldest hawthorns in England. Legend has it that the tree grew from the staff of Joseph of Arimathea. Where: Wymondham, NR14 8HE 5

Cwm Byddog, Radnorshire Wildlife Trust One of the top 20 ancient tree sites in Wales, with some trees thought to be up to 800 years old. One mighty oak has a girth of 6.3m, whilst there’s an alder with a 5m girth. With so many old trees, it’s also a great place to see lichens. Where: Powys, HR3 5SL Alderney Community Woodland, Alderney Wildlife Trust This may not be the oldest woodland on our list, but these trees tell a story. Many of Alderney’s trees were felled by the Nazi’s during WWII, so the Trust has planted over 12,000 trees to bring the woodland back. This history is evident in the Community Woodland, with several bunkers on the reserve. Where: Les Rochers, Alderney 6

Did you spot any tree-mendous trees? We’d love to know how your search went. Please share your best photos! @wildlifetrusts

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“You don’t need to do a lot on the farm to make a big difference – it’s all about getting the right habitat in the right place”

Robert Law, Jordans farmer

Wild Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire | Winter 2023

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Sowing Survival Farmland covers a vast area of the UK, around 70% of our land, so the way farms are managed has huge implications for our wildlife. As farmland developed, many animals adapted to take advantage of the habitats it provided. There were hedgerows to hide in, ponds to drink from, and a wide variety of plants to provide food. But as farming has intensified over the years, many of these features have been lost, with a big impact on the wildlife that has grown to rely on them. Nature was pushed to the margins, and in some places even those margins were lost. But some farms are bucking the trend. Through the pioneering and industry-leading Jordans Farm Partnership, The Wildlife Trusts and Jordans work together to support the farmers that grow oats for Jordans cereals, helping them to farm in harmony with nature. Every farmer in the partnership is committed to managing at least 10% of their farmed land for wildlife, though many go well beyond that – the average is 27%! These farms are full of conservation success stories, from rare nesting stone curlews to buzzing insect populations. In winter they provide vital food supplies, particularly for birds. There are finches and buntings mingling in mixed flocks in the fields, with yellowhammers adding a splash of colour. Charms of goldfinches live up to their collective name, taking to the air with a chorus of soft, jingling calls. Larger birds like lapwings and golden plovers scour the soil for invertebrates, whilst redwings and fieldfares gorge themselves in berry-laden hedges. In many cases, the work that Jordans farmers do throughout the year continues to pay off in winter. The hedges, rough field margins, woodlands, ditches, and ponds they create and protect provide shelter and a natural food source. At Hatchepen Farm in Hertfordshire, 2.5 kilometres of hedgerow have recently been created, a welcome sight to the grey partridges, corn buntings, finches and thrushes that spend the winter on the farm. But birds have a big appetite in winter, so many of the farmers take extra measures to feed their

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feathered friends. They plant their very own bird buffet, known as a wild bird cover crop. This is an area of crops grown just for the birds, left unharvested to provide seeds that birds can feast on throughout the winter. The exact mix of plants varies from farm to farm. On Ragley Hall farm in Warwickshire, farmer Andrew Keyte sows a mix including linseed, millets, and sunflowers. Over winter this feeds finches, yellowhammers, sparrows and other birds. Many other Jordans farmers enjoy a similar selection of birds on their dedicated plots. To provide even more of a helping hand, the farmers may also offer supplementary feeding, scattering seeds across their land to tide birds over until spring. A winter bird survey of Woodhall Farm in Hertfordshire recorded hundreds of bramblings and linnets taking advantage of the bird crops and extra seeds. Some of these bramblings may have flown over 2,000km from Fennoscandia to find enough food for the winter.

You can learn more about the Jordans Farm Partnership, and how the growers are helping wildlife thrive on their farms, at wildlifetrusts.org/jordans-farm-partnership

Winter on a Jordans Farm

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Our impact

Berkshire Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire

Your support helped us achieve all this and more over the past year…

Wildlife Trust

£202,680 of

external funding secured for 10 new projects, improving habitats and access on our nature reserves

28,711

memberships, a new high

nature reserves

2,643ha of

57%

increase in local and national media coverage

land managed by BBOWT

96% of planning applications

Delivered conservation projects across

93,615ha

6 Living Landscapes

responded to by BBOWT were withdrawn, refused or amended with improved considerations for wildlife

719 campaigning

Wildlife Ambassadors

25ha of land at

Woolley Firs now under direct BBOWT management for nature

Working with partners, including Finance Earth, Bucks Council, West Berks Council, the Floodplain Meadows Partnership, local councils, and landowners

250km road

verges surveyed in West Berkshire through our Wild Verges project

Working in new urban areas: Reading and Slough

161km

watercourses surveyed for water vole activity