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Dry Sandford Pit Nature Reserve - Saturday, 28th February 2026

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Blog by Sally.  Photos by Julio, Margaret and Sally For the last session of our winter 2025/26 programme, we returned to Dry Sandford Pit Nature Reserve in Cothill, assembling in the car park, where Adrian, our session leader, met us all.  The Nature Reserve is owned and managed by the Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust (or BBOWT) and provides a range of habitats for flora and fauna to thrive, including grassland, woodland, sandy cliffs and fen.  Adrian had been given a list of tasks from Beth of BBOWT for us to do.  The weather was mild and cloudy to start with, but the sun soon came out. Kevin and Simon were asked to return to the alkaline fen to finish off removing scrub (mainly willow) from an area which we were unable to complete last time.  If left unchecked, the willow would grow into large trees, not only crowding out the specialist fen flora, but also drying out the fen.   Adrian asked the remainder of the group to work on the grassland eith...
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Kennington Memorial Field - Saturday 21st February 2026

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       Blog by Eleanor, photos by Julio, Sally and Margaret                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      ...
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Boundary House Fen, Frilford Heath Golf Course - Saturday, 14th February 2026

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Blog by Sally.  Photos by Adrian, Julio and Sally For the second time in a week, we went to Frilford Heath Golf Course, but this time we were working on Boundary House Fen, the larger sister to Two Pines Fen, where we had been on Tuesday.  It is another alkaline fen, which we have been helping to restore for over a decade.  It was a glorious sunny morning.  There were 13 of us and we met Rod d'Ayala, consultant ecologist on site. Rod briefs the group With only four scythers in the group, we had our work cut out for us as the main task was to continue with scything and raking the tall, rank vegetation following on from where we had left off when we were here last month.  This is essential for the emerging fen flora, such as orchids, which would otherwise be out-competed for light by the tall rush and reed.  Whilst the scythers got going, some people were asked to cut back bramble from the far edge, which borders onto the adjoining houses, and form a dead hed...
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