May was the third consecutive month when below average rainfall was recorded across south-east England, with just 50% of the long-term average (LTA) rainfall fell. The south-east recorded the driest two months for April and May since 2011. The lack of rainfall and record-breaking high temperatures during the last week of May caused soil moisture deficits (SMDs) to rise steadily during the month. The SMDs ended more than a third higher than the end of month LTA, and similar to

In our newsletters last year, we reported that many of our members had attended a consultation event in May 2025 about the Mill Brook (from source to the Thames), the perceived issues and what could be done to improve the catchment. The event was organised by Mend the Gap with Thames 21 and the Environment Agency amongst others. A report of the consultation can be found here: https://mendthegap.uk/enhancement-projects/projects-we-have-supported/the-mill-brookcommunity-consult

Last year was the first year of a systematic reptile survey on the site. It took place between March and October when reptiles are not hibernating, and weekly between April and September. This year is our second summer monitoring reptile presence at the nature reserve. Last year we saw many grass snakes and common lizards. This year we have yet to record a sighting. James Morgan has consulted Herpetology experts, and we have recently changed our survey times. We were doing th

It has been a good year for breeding birds and there have been several pairs of Whitethroats nesting as well as Linnets, Yellowhammers and Chiff Chaff. Conor Mackenzie led a bird-watching walk in early May attended by 10 people. It was a lovely morning, and Conor helped us to recognise birds by their songs and sight. Conor recorded 36 species of birds on the walk (some of which he just heard). My observations were somewhat less but it is good to know that so many species are

A big thank you for the continuing support from volunteers to weed round the hedging plants in May and June in Quaker Wood. This was quite a laborious and back-breaking job, so many thanks for the persistent efforts of many people. Earlier in July, we intended to weed inside the tree guards but realised that the drought is affecting some of the trees. We have therefore decided to water the trees in a similar way to which we did last year. At our first session on 18 July, 16 v

Q. When did you start volunteering, and what prompted you to? A. I initially started helping with Quaker Wood and the Nature Reserve a few years ago. I had recently moved back to Blewbury and was looking for things to get involved in and get to know people in the village. I went to a meeting on the plans for Quaker Wood, which sounded like something I'd enjoy being involved with, so I signed up. It wasn't long before I was with a group of fellow volunteers planting trees in a

Save the Swifts Project We are launching a ‘Save the Swifts’ project, suggested by Conor MacKenzie, a new Blewbury resident. He says: "Swifts need our help! Most people will probably have heard something about the rapid decline of Swifts across the UK. This is for a myriad of reasons, although one of the major ones is a lack of breeding spaces. My idea is to build and install as many Swift boxes as possible in the village to provide breeding spaces. This, of course, needs wil

Most people will probably have seen something in the news about the rapid decline of Swift across the UK. This is for a myriad of reasons, although one of the major ones in the UK continues to be a lack of breeding space. The closing up of roof spaces, eaves and the march to better insulated homes has had an unfortunate impact on these amazing birds - that’s where the Blewbury Swift Project comes in. The idea is to build and install as many Swift boxes as possible in the vill

Ten supporters of Sustainable Blewbury met in Blewbury Village Hall car park at 9am on 2nd May. Conor Mackenzie, a new local resident and keen freelance ornithologist, was guiding us to Blewbury Nature Reserve. On the way, Conor pointed out the birds we could hear and see. First, there was a Blackcap singing loudly in the car park. A bit later, when we’d reached Quaker Wood, two very loud Egyptian Geese flew over. Then Conor heard a Corn Bunting sitting on an electricity wire

We are holding our AGM in the Barn at Blewbury Manor next Wednesday 22 April starting at 7.30pm. Andy Evason will kindly show us what he is doing to make the Manor more sustainable including energy efficiency (moving away from carbon sources) and in his grounds. Following the visit, we will return to the Barn by 8pm for refreshments and the AGM. AGM AGENDA 1. Welcome and introductions 2. Apologies 3. Minutes of last AGM 4. Chair's Annual Report for 2025 and plans for 2026 5

Action for the River Kennet (ARK) is launching a citizen science initiative to address ongoing water quality issues in the Wallingford Brooks catchments. The program aims to fill monitoring gaps by training volunteers in two key methods: Riverfly Monitoring, a long-term monthly commitment to identify serious pollution incidents by studying river ecology, and Fresh Water Watch, a fast testing method used to identify nitrates and phosphates. Currently, there are no active River

Annual Celebration and General Meeting, Weds 22 April, the Manor Barn Andy Evason, one of our Trustees, has kindly agreed for SB to use his barn for the AGM. Andy has been ‘greening’ the Manor since he moved here a few years ago. He will show us what he has been doing and what he is planning to do in future including to improve energy efficiency. We will walk around the Manor Gardens from 7.30pm, return to the Barn for refreshments and then have our AGM when we will give our

This talk by Terry Hurley, a Trustee and Volunteer, and Kirsty Somerville, the education tutor, took place in the Melland Room on 23 February. It covered the 40-year history of the Earth Trust from its establishment in 1967 through to its current plans for expanding its headquarters at Wittenham Clumps. The Trust’s story is remarkable. It was founded as the Northmoor Trust by Sir Martin and Lady Audrey Wood to promote environmental conservation, subsequently acquiring sites s

Last year was the first year of a systematic reptile survey on the site. It took place between March and October when reptiles are not hibernating, and weekly between April and September. Our surveys included carefully looking under 15 strategically placed “Refugia” (mats) and a quiet walk-over transect that takes in the various habitat types found across the reserve. Many thanks to all our volunteers who helped. As a result we now have good baseline data and ideas for potent

Do you know what happens to the food waste that you put out in your caddy each week for collection? Biffa takes it to Severn Trent’s Green Power’s Anaerobic Digestion facility, east of the A4074 in Crowmarsh, where about 700 tonnes of food waste is treated each week to produce electricity and fertiliser for farmland. The site takes all the food waste from South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils (DC). It also takes commercial food waste from commercial wast

If you went up Boham’s road to Churn last Autumn, you may have noticed some cranes and workmen operating on the triangle where the road bears left and there is right turn to Saltbox. Did you wonder what they were doing? There is a pumping station here which is part of the West Berkshire Groundwater Scheme. This is owned by the Environment Agency and operated as a strategic water resource during drought conditions. The scheme consists of 32 boreholes (90 to 195m deep) and pump

The most exciting news is that Thames Water have given us a charitable donation of almost £21,000 so that we can buy equipment and a store for it, to continue to maintain the site. This is really good because up to now, we have depended on the tools of volunteers and had to drive them to the site. We have been researching what to buy. We want to use electric tools rather than petrol tools, due to our commitment to tackling climate change. (We will still use manual tools such

A big thank you for the continuing support from volunteers to plant replacement hedge plants at Quaker Wood. As always, many hands make the job so much easier, and we planted 140 or so plants in around 2 hours. So now we wait for the buds to burst and new growth to come from our trees and hedge into the second season of the wood. Some plants have already made it to the top of the shelters and these should put on growth this year to start looking like young trees. There ar

Thanks to everyone who turned up to help with this on March 7. This was part of the Great British Spring Clean happening across the country in March and April. We had a great turnout for a small village. Twenty-three people came, including one child, and collected 26 sacks of litter. Most of it was food and drink containers although there were also two golf balls, two vapes, a wood saw and a steel bar! Bessels Way ditches didn’t seem as bad as last year but we tackled Boham’s

Thames Water's contractors have spent two days at the Nature Reserve making some enhancements. They have increased the depth of the pond. They have made a butterfly bank with the spoil. They've planted more trees in the 'orchard' and along the outer fence line. They've also created a dead hedge with the willows that were pollarded.