Charlbury Wildlife Society

Mon 21 Jun 2021, 11:45 (last edited on Mon 21 Jun 2021, 11:52)

I've been thinking that it might be nice if the Wildlife Society had a different area of focus every season, or even every year. So instead of trying to do too much at the same time, we’d have a theme around which to focus our efforts.

Each theme would include a campaign with practical steps that we'd try to get the local community involved in, as well as a combination of relevant talks and activities. For each theme we could also organise competitions for photography, painting, short stories, poetry, crafts etc. And we could come up with activities that would get the local pre-schools and primary school involved too as I think that’s really important.

For example, we could start with encouraging and monitoring wildlife in our gardens - of course hedgehogs, but also insects, birds, frogs, lizards etc. Then we could focus on riverside habitats - clean-ups, surveying and monitoring species. We could look at establishing wildflower road verges in Charlbury. Or we could focus on a particular species for a season, like water voles for example, and look at measuring current levels, and organising activities to establish/improve habitats for them.

These are just some examples I’ve been thinking about, I haven’t got any previous experience with anything like this so I’m curious to see what others think.

Mon 21 Jun 2021, 08:05

Agree with Liz - getting kids involved in this would be fantastic

Sun 20 Jun 2021, 21:42

Lovely yes please and for kids too?

Tue 15 Jun 2021, 20:14

Thanks very much. 

Tue 15 Jun 2021, 10:38

What a great idea. I'm definitely interested. I've had a look at the Kirtlington Wildlife Society web site: 

https://kirtlingtonvillage.co.uk/kwacs

Perhaps we could do something along these lines in Charlbury.

Clive, you probably know about the Otmoor RSPB reserve. There is also a very informative web site which gives regular updates on the latest sightings. The warden and other bird watchers who tend to meet around the screens are really helpful at sharing their knowledge and helping identify birds: http://otmoorbirding.blogspot.com/

Frank

Tue 15 Jun 2021, 09:21

Clive, I can't add to the info about bird-watching groups. But it's worth knowing that there is a birdwatching hide at the Rushy Common Nature Reserve, Witney Lakes. You need to purchase a key to access it, and the key also gives access to the hides at Standlake Common Nature Reserve. Hides are also accessible to wheelchair users. 

Details of how to get the key are here: https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/residents/environment-and-planning/countryside/lower-windrush-valley-project/buying-bird-hide-key

And there's a leaflet about the lake here: https://www2.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/sites/default/files/folders/documents/environmentandplanning/countryside/RushyCommonTarLakesLeaflet.pdf

Mon 14 Jun 2021, 22:47

Clive - there is not an Ornithology Club in Charlbury that I am aware of. There are a couple of very knowledgeable people in Charlbury on the birding front.  There is the Oxford Ornithological Society, https://oos.org.uk/about.php

Other people may have suggestions. 

Sun 13 Jun 2021, 19:16

I would be interested in being involved if possible!

Sat 12 Jun 2021, 19:32

Is there a specific Ornothology club in town?

Sat 12 Jun 2021, 15:05

Great idea, I would like to be involved.

Sat 12 Jun 2021, 11:18

Hi Flora, great idea, happy to put name forward as volunteer.

Fri 11 Jun 2021, 17:56

Hi Flora

What a lovely idea & if Maria can also help set up it would really help our wildlife. I wanted to let you know my Hedgehog/s visitor is now roaming right up neat my bungalow, great to see his poo as evidence! Next door has seen 2 different Hedgehogs in their front garden & at least one like me at the back. 

So I am confident in saying Hedgehogs can roam at least from my home to the end of Hughes Close. Through the back to the BT garden which is open to Lees Heights & possibly Little Lees. Another friend has found evidence of Hedgehog poo in her garden the other side of Fire Station.  It would be so good if others would join in linking our gardens in this easy way.

I was concerned when my new fence went up but happy to have a gap underneath just big enough for our prickly friends & he or she does love the food I put out each night.  Definitely Seeing less slugs & few less snails now. Yippee.

Thu 10 Jun 2021, 09:27

Hi Flora, I'm very interested in helping set this society up.

Thu 10 Jun 2021, 08:27 (last edited on Thu 10 Jun 2021, 08:29)

I propose the formation of a Charlbury Wildlife Society.

There will be talks and outings, but more than that – at this critical time - there could be many other functions of the society such as being involved with initiatives such as the Charlbury Biodiversity Map, the Hedgehog Club for children, a Wildlife Garden Competition (with the Charlbury Garden Society), as well as liaising with the likes of Charlbury CAN, the Charlbury Environmental Working Group, Wigwell Nature Reserve, the Charlbury Nature Recovery Network, Wychwood Project etc. 

If you are interested in participating in the formation of and/or being a member of the CWS (which will need the usual officers), please contact me. If enough people respond, we can together discuss and progress the idea. Thanks.