Spaces for Nature

Come volunteer with us at Allen’s Field with Wildlife in Ascot and Rangers Rosie & Tom!

• Learn a variety of skills
• Meet new people
• Improve biodiversity in your local wildlife site

No experience needed.

Meet every second Saturday of the month in the Allen’s Field carpark 9.30am-12.30pm

Pollution can find its way into urban rivers via surface water outfalls (drains) as a result of misconnected plumbing. We are looking for volunteers to help conduct Outfall Safari surveys in the waterways in Maidenhead. This involves bankside surveys of stretches of the river to map and record the impact of outfalls.

The training session will take place at:

Braywick Nature Centre, Hibbert Road, Maidenhead, SL6 1UU,

on Thursday 20th April 13:30-15:30.

Register at: https://MaidenheadOutfallSafari.eventbrite.co.uk

For more information please email: sam.facey@zsl.org

An action plan to increase biodiversity in the Royal Borough through positive habitat management measures and partnership working has been agreed by Cabinet.

The Biodiversity Action Plan aims to provide 30% of land in the borough as a space for nature by 2030 - in line with the national Wildlife Trusts ‘30 by 30’ campaign - and signals the council’s commitment working with partners to improve the natural environment.

It sets out an action plan covering the next four years and has been jointly developed with local wildlife and conservation groups with input from the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT). Feedback has also been sought from residents as well as the borough’s farming community.

Action Plan to increase biodiversity in the Royal Borough agreed by Cabinet | Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (rbwm.gov.uk)

At Ockwells last week the team cleared a section of bramble and thorny scrub. This area will be further uprooted and disturbed by the Windsor and Maidenhead Conservation volunteers throughout the year ahead.

Disturbance doesn't sound great for nature, but actually is an essential conservation process to maintain the wonderful dynamism of biodiversity. In historic times, large grazers would trample areas of vegetation, allowing space for new ones to grow. If this doesn't regularly happen, only the more dominant few species, such as brambles, ever get a chance.

By mimicking this natural disturbance in areas of thick vegetation cover, woodland glades are created. These sun dappled spots will hopefully be perfect for numerous sensitive wildflowers and herbs.

Various groups including the Windsor and Maidenhead Conservation Volunteers have been tirelessly working on creating a dead hedge fence to mark out a path through the bluebell woodland of Thriftwood, Ockwells Park. Thanks for all their hard work!

This area of bluebells has increased in recent years due to our work in the only ancient woodland we manage. With the help of our volunteers we have discouraged the growth of invasive species allowing space for more wildflowers and bluebells to grow. This work forms part of our plans to manage woodland in the Biodiversity Action Plan (See Biodiversity Action Plan project for more details).

We also have a fabulous living fence, created by the Windsor and Maidenhead Conservation Volunteers, outlining a wide path which has plenty of room for you to enjoy being surrounded by these beautiful flowers.

Just remember to stick to the path as bluebells are very easily damaged by trampling under foot or dog paw. It can take up to seven years for seeds to develop into flowering bulbs and they only have a small window each year to gain enough energy to flower the following year.

Bird and bat box assembly with Wildlife in Ascot. ✅

Ready to go up into the woods. We will be back on Saturday 10th December at Allen's field, Ascot from 9.30-12.30. We would love some extra help! No experience necessary. Come and learn more about bird boxes and their importance. We are a friendly bunch. Biscuits provided too!

The Causeway path at Battlemead is now closed as of 1st November until 1st April.

This is part of the seasonal habitat plan for Battlemead, to allow migratory birds a refuge over the winter months. All other paths at Battlemead are still accessible year round. We will be monitoring the wildlife in the wetland area with a winter bird survey and look forward to the wildlife that decides to call Battlemead home this winter!

What is a Waterblitz? An international scheme to monitor water quality all along the various waterbodies, celebrating National Rivers Week. Find information here. The Thames Waterblitz has been running since 2019 and is looking to have it's strongest year yet this September. Read the full 2021 report here. We test nutrient levels (nitrates and phosphates) in the waterways, which are indicators of pollution. Freshwater naturally has low levels of nutrients; higher levels indicate fertiliser runoff from agriculture, sewage or waste pollution. By detecting levels across the Thames, we can help make our River Thames cleaner and healthier for us and the ecosystem.

What is a Plasticblitz? This is awesome initiative is run by Thames21: the aim being to host big litterpicks along our Thames and its waterways. Plastic waste in our rivers threatens wildlife by entanglement and ingestion. Large pieces of plastic will then break down into smaller pieces which are difficult to remove from the environment. Find out more here. We'll also be taking part. As well as collecting all litter along the stretch, our results will be submitted to Thames21, who will analyse the metadata from across the River Thames, to indicate what main types of waste we find, and promote better plastics regulations. The fantastic Keep Cookham Tidy and Eton Wick Waterways are also taking part in the Blitzes within the Borough.

What is The Royal Borough doing? A Waterblitz and Plasticblitz took place on 17th September along the Maidenhead Cut. We measured pollutant levels and collected 6 bags of litter. Thanks to everyone who helped!

Click here to see the Leaderboard from all those taking part in the Thames21 Plasticblitz!

Livestock have been reintroduced to an area of Battlemead Common, north of Maidenhead, in an exciting new trial designed to help enhance biodiversity at the site.

Almost 40 cows - Herefords and a Belted Galloway - are now located in the east field, with some of the herd due to be moved into the north field soon. Both fields are designated as grazing marsh priority habitat by Natural England.

Conservation grazing is an effective and sustainable way to maintain and improve certain habitats and is used successfully across the country by various wildlife and conservation charities. It means areas don’t become overgrown, encouraging a diverse range of plants and animals, including invertebrates, amphibians, birds, and, in turn, small mammals to thrive.