Nature Reserve Update March 2026

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 as scythes in preference, but these are not suitable for all tasks.) This means we need an electricity supply to the store to charge the batteries. So we have decided to locate the store on Quaker Wood, nearer to an electricity supply. We also think it will be more secure here. John Ogden has researched stores and ordered a shipping container, which is about as secure as one

can buy.

Thames Water’s contractors have also done some work on site to improve the habitats. The pond dried out very early last year so they have deepened it in the hope that it will contain water for longer each year. We know it will always be ephemeral but if it stays wet for a bit longer, this will help the biota. They’ve made a bank with the spoil and planted it to attract butterflies.

They have also planted more trees in the ‘orchard’ and around the perimeter in the hope of hiding the fence. We’ve chosen species which we know the deer tend to ignore. Do take a walk and see the changes. Yellowhammers and Chiff-Chaffs have been heard singing there recently and the Whitethroats should be returning soon.

Our volunteers have continued to do maintenance work monthly, when the weather has

permitted. A couple of sessions had to be cancelled because it was too cold or wet. Despite that, we made good progress in scything the ‘orchard’ and ‘rough grassland areas’, and raking the cuttings into huge mounds, as well as trimming round the hedging plants and mulching them. Some volunteers also pollarded some of the willows so that we have trees of all different heights. Thanks to them all.

Our reptile monitoring is about to start again. Please see this article.

Jane Kinniburgh