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Help shape the future of Lower Meadow: a one-off opportunity to create something special; for wildlife and the whole community
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Next Wednesday (23rd July), the Parish Council is holding a consultation event about the future of Lower Meadow; a designated Local Wildlife Site and part of a Conservation Target Area. It’s a unique space for biodiversity in our parish.
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The council is close to signing a lease to take over the site and several options are being considered for how it will be managed.
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Some of these include a more hands-on, restorative approach that could lead to thriving wildlife habitats, improved biodiversity, and a valuable community asset for generations to come.
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Other options suggest minimal or no intervention which may seem simpler in the short term, but would likely result in long-term ecological decline.
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Without thoughtful stewardship, this special site risks becoming overgrown, neglected and far less valuable to both wildlife and local residents.
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We believe this is a once in a generation opportunity to restore Lower Meadow for the benefit of both wildlife and the wider community (nature lovers, anglers, swimmers and river users), and we're encouraging all our supporters, and anyone who cares about the future of this space, to attend the consultation and make your voices heard; politely, positively and passionately.
With the right care and attention, Lower Meadow could become:
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A rich wetland habitat for birds, amphibians and pollinators
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A beautiful, accessible place to walk and connect with nature
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A safe, sustainable space for fishing, wild swimming and quiet recreation
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A natural outdoor classroom
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But what do we mean by “the right care and attention”?
With thoughtful, evidence-based management - not major development or big spending - the site could thrive again. For example:
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Seasonal mowing of grassland and removing the clippings would reduce soil fertility and help wildflowers return, supporting insects, birds and small mammals
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Creating a pond, shallow scrapes or backwater areas - paid for through grants - could dramatically boost biodiversity; attracting frogs, dragonflies, wading birds and more
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These are small, practical steps that can make a big difference, while ensuring the space remains a quiet, natural haven for people and wildlife alike.
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We simply want to show strong community support for a future that puts biodiversity, habitat restoration, and public enjoyment at the heart of any plans.
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Please come along, speak up for Lower Meadow and show the PC that our community values this space too much to let it fade away.
Date: Wednesday 23rd July
Time: 5.30pm - 8.30pm
Venue: South Stoke Village Hall
We hope to see you there, but, if you can’t make it and want to express a view, we suggest you email the parish clerk with your comments: clerk@southstoke.org.uk
Some wonderful inspiration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poDXF8_A1Ew.
Following the success of River of Life I, Earth Trust has partnered with local landowners to create wetland habitats that will support biodiversity, help tackle climate change and improve water quality. Follow our progress through summer 2021, and see how the new ponds and backwaters came to life.
upcoming events
Coming up soon...​
​​​Whether you're ready to sign up or just want updates; it's quick and easy - simply click the link and fill in the form​​
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Glow-worm walk, Saturday July 26th. It's that magical time of year again! Join us for a fun, informal, and fascinating evening walk as we search for glow-worms around the village.
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This isn’t just a walk; we’re also contributing to an ongoing citizen science project, collecting valuable data to track glow-worm numbers and trends in our local area.
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Everyone welcome; no experience needed, just curiosity and a torch!
NB: Please note, dates may need to change depending on seasonal conditions. If you've signed up, you'll be the first to know.
No need to sign up for the wildflower and invertebrate walks - just come along to the meeting point. No experience necessary. App usage welcomed!
Woodcote Conservation Group has a raft of events coming up. For more information email: info@woodcotecg.org.uk
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Saturday 19 July at 10am: work party at Tidmore Pool
Come along and lend a hand at our next conservation work party at Tidmore Pool when we’ll be making hay, hopefully while the sun shines! Please dress appropriately for the weather, wear long sleeves and trousers to protect yourself from biting insects and gardening gloves to protect your hands. Elevenses provided but bring your own water bottle if it’s hot.
news
Thanks to everyone who attended 'An evening with Simon Booker' which filled the village hall to nigh on capacity! It was a fascinating, inspiring and hugely entertaining presentation. Thank you Simon.
A truly inspiring initiative - and we have opportunities on our doorstep! Read here for more information. South Stokers can make a difference!
Where are all the butterflies? Following the results of the Big Butterfly Count 2024, Butterfly Conservation have declared a butterfly emergency, and we need your help more than ever before. By taking part in Butterfly Conservation's Big Butterfly Count - a UK wide survey, you can help assess the health of our environment simply by counting butterflies.
Thanks to John Lindley for leading the Butterflies at Lardon Chase, the Moth Recording and Dragonfly walk sessions. All were very interesting and great fun. Moth of the day was a Thistle Ermine which hasn't been recorded in the village before. Also spotted during the Dragonfly walk were Willow Ermine Caterpillars (the first time the species has been confirmed in the village), a Four-banded Longhorn (only the second time spotted in the village) and a Black-headed Cardinal Beetle (scarce local species). Citizen science at its best!
And on the same butterflies and moths subject; June brings a whole new line-up of brilliant butterflies and moths to spot in your gardens and local green spaces
Discover more species and tips on how to attract them with our free monthly e-newsletter http://butterfly-conservation.org/enews
Thanks to everyone who attended the Dawn Chorus Walk led by local birder Paul Rainsden and Simon Booker. For those who want to be reminded, or missed out, Simon has created a gallery which you can view here and a fabulous YouTube video
South Stoke Swifts​ In March/April 2024, we installed 15 new swift nest boxes around the village to help support the local population. We've also recently put two boxes into St Andrews Tower - each with four compartments.
Building on this success, we now have ten more boxes ready to be installed in 2025 - and we're looking for suitable homes!
If you're interested in having a swift box, we'd love to hear from you. Please email us at contact@southstokewildlife.org and we'll arrange a quick site survey.​​
Thanks to everybody who attended our pond dipping event. We had a great turnout; 28 children and adults. Fun had by all and lots of species spotted and recorded! Thank you
White Hill Quarry Update SSWCG manages White Hill Quarry on behalf of the Parish Council, aiming to enhance biodiversity and create a welcoming space for visitors. Recent work includes cutting grassland, removing scrub and laying hedges. We've also planted a few more trees, including apple trees, to provide a food source for the many insects, birds and possibly visitors enjoying the site.
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We've built a splendid new bench using a repurposed Amenities Charity sign, and logs donated by Darren from Goring Logs. We owe Wallingford Green Gym a huge debt of gratitude for their help in tidying and improving the site.
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With thanks to SODC, and Cllr Maggie Filipova-Rivers in particular, for generous Grant support.
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White Hill Quarry is a small, peaceful wildlife site at the top of the first hill out of the village on the Woodcote Road opposite the Postman's Path. Go and take a look and enjoy the view from the new bench!
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Hedge planting update Big thanks to all the volunteers who helped plant whips on Icknield Road. We're now just 50 metres away from reaching 1,000 metres of hedging across the parish!
Disease resistant elms We've recently planted twenty disease-resistant elms around the parish - huge thanks to Guy Hildred for his support. The varieties are Ulmus 'Ademuz' and Ulmus 'Lutece'. Curious to learn more? Read up on them here
Pond dipping event Curious about our springtime Pond Dipping event? Want to see what it's all about? Check out this video
Three years in the life of SSWCG:
DEFRA hedgerow planting targets: to create or restore 45,000 miles of hedgerow by 2050. SSWCG will be continuing our hedgerow planting projects in 2025.
The Big River Watch: Our rivers face threats from plastic, sewage, nutrient and chemical pollution, which harm wildlife and us. The Big River Watch app is a simple citizen science survey that anyone can take part in across the UK and Ireland, that aims to help support river restoration.​
All you need to do is spend a little time watching your local river and answering the questions in the app. From wildlife and water colour to plastics and pollution, Big River Watch app allows you to record your valuable observations and to upload a photograph of your local river. The app also contains handy wildlife and pollution ID guides.
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The Big River Watch is coordinated by The Rivers Trust and supported by partners and funding from: CIWEM and The Rivers Trust Foundation, for Water Research (FWR) legacy fund and Catchment Systems Thinking Cooperative (CaSTCo) project from the Ofwat Innovation fund.
Not all slugs are pests: This one - Testacella haliotidea - is a carnivore and feeds on other slugs and snails. It's unusual because it has a tiny shell at the end of its body, a relic of when slugs evolved from snails. It's also very rare - this is only the eleventh confirmed record for this species in the UK and our very own John Lindley photographed it in his garden!
The new Oxford Rivers Portal has lots of up-to-date info about water quality and conditions locally. Well worth checking out!
With thanks to Maggie Filipova-Rivers: If you have a great idea for a community tree-planting project that will benefit people and nature, then Oxfordshire County Council’s Community Tree and Woodland Opportunity team would love to hear from you!
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Oxfordshire needs more trees, and you can help find the best places for them. The CTWO team is looking for community planting projects to support, to increase our tree cover and the environmental benefits they provide. They're especially looking for projects where they’re most needed, such as areas without many trees or where local people have limited access to green spaces.​
We are happy to announce that we can now share John's awesome presentation at the Why iRecord? Virtual Symposium:
How iRecord Helps a Local Wildlife Group - John Lindley
South Stoke Wildlife & Conservation Group are trying to monitor biodiversity within our village. This presentation covers our recording activities, how we identify what we've found, and our experiences of using iRecord. We aim to use the information we gather to monitor trends for some of the key species that are present in our village.
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Link to YouTube: https://youtu.be/ah0FxeNq_fE
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We're pleased to announce that SSWCG are members of CAG Oxfordshire and also Social Farms & Gardens.
CAG Oxfordshire is a network of almost 100 community action groups working across the county to green and sustainable ends. Social Farms & Garden is a UK wide charity supporting communities to farm, garden and grow together.
worth a read
End of season wildflowers​
If you joined in with No Mow May, you may be wondering what comes next? Here are Plantlife's top tips to wrap up the season and prep your mini meadows for a marvellous display of wildflowers next year:
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Cut and collect the meadow areas you want to manage for wildflowers
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If you have already cut and collected your meadow areas, consider another cut and collect to keep the grass short - do this as often as needed until April next year
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Leave selected areas long - these may not be as interesting for wildflowers as later cuts can encourage more coarse grasses, but they will be a welcome refuge for insects
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If you plan to sow Yellow Rattle or native wildflower seeds, prep the ground by scarifying/raking to create bare ground over about 50% of the area. Remember to use fresh Yellow Rattle seed. Once you’ve sown your seeds and gently trampled them in, keep the grass short until end of March and regularly check for Yellow Rattle seedlings
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Read more about Yellow Rattle
For a really inspiring read: 'I feel I've made a mark': the man who built homes for 60,000 swifts
Trees should be planted without plastic guards, says UK study
Ten ways to be more sustainable in your garden - practical advice from the RHS
e-newsletter
We will be producing e-newsletters on a quarterly basis. If you’d like to receive them, please sign up.
Previous e-Newsletter issues can be found in the archive at the foot of the sign up form.
We LOVE volunteers. We try to ensure everybody has a fun time whilst hopefully gaining some useful tips for their own gardens too. If you're interested in joining in, please sign up here. There's a huge variety of opportunities, so choose what you're into and we promise you a very warm welcome (irrespective of the weather!).
