Enstone Eco - Newsletter April 2026

🌸 Spring is Here — and So Are We!

As spring finally settles in around Enstone and the days get longer and the sun starts to warm things up, we are seeing lots of activity from nature. The hedgerows are buzzing, the riverbanks are alive, and Enstone Eco have been busy planning the year ahead. 

📸 Nature in Our Village — What We've Been Seeing

Our members have been out and about with their cameras, and what a picture they are painting of our local landscape this March.

• Cowslips are blooming with their petals following that gorgeous hexagonal pattern.

• Red dead nettle is brightening up our verges and, importantly, providing a vital early food source for bumble bees emerging from hibernation.

• Look closely at the plants growing in pavement cracks when you are walking around the village, they are a whole world unto themselves. Dawn spotted numerous Scarlet Tiger Moth caterpillar in The Spinneys!

• Daffodils and blue skies over the churchyard - spring in Enstone at its most classic.

• The Fulwell daffodil bank is looking spectacular.

We also have photos of the team cutting the grass at the crossroads wildflower site a huge thank you to Andy for his hard work there! Also there was a fascinating discovery in the Glyme: a creature they believe may be an eel or Brook lamprey - watch this space as we find out more!

🪲 Riverfly Monitoring — Great Results!

Our riverfly monitoring sessions are back in full swing, and the results from the most recent session at Carol and Andy's garden site are really encouraging with a score of 11, with lots of creatures found. This data is incredibly valuable for tracking the health of the River Glyme over time.

Upcoming monitoring dates, all welcome to join (details also on our website):

Date	Time
Wednesday 22nd April	10am – 12pm
Saturday 16th May	10am – 12pm
Wednesday 24th June	10am – 12pm
Saturday 18th July	2pm – 4pm

If you would like to get involved in riverfly monitoring, get in touch - no experience necessary!

🌼 Surveying Season Begins

April marks the start of surveying season in the area, join us on 18th April 10:30 at the church coffee morning to chat and survey if weather permits butterflies and plants of the churchyard and the wild flower crossroads site.  

Other dates will be planned for w/c 15th June, w/c 13th July and w/c 24th August. Get in touch to show your interest. Last year's yellow rattle took really well despite the hot conditions, so we are excited to see how it fares this summer!

Waterblitz sampling - Friday 24th April 10am. Get in touch to join this vital water quality monitoring of the River.

🌿 No Mow May — Starting the Conversation Early

Plantlife are launching their No Mow May appeal earlier than usual this year, and we think it is worth getting the message out now. The principle is simple: resist the urge to mow your lawn during May and let wildflowers bloom, providing vital habitat and food for pollinators.

If you plan to take part, we would love to hear about it, and do share your photos with us!

🗓️ Upcoming Local Events

🌺 Bridewell Gardens Open Days

A wonderful garden well worth a visit

Bridewell Gardens is a beautiful walled garden and mental health recovery project. They are opening their doors on the following dates this year:

• Sunday 19th April

• Sunday 17th May

• Sunday 14th June

• Sunday 6th September

11am – 4pm | Entry by donation

A truly special place to visit and a wonderful cause to support.

🎉 Fundraising Events Coming This Year!

We are busy preparing some great fundraising events for 2026. Watch this space for more details as plans come together. In the meantime, if you have ideas or would like to help, we would love to hear from you — please get in touch!

🌱 Invasive Species and Keeping Watch

We continue to keep a close eye on invasive species in our area:

• Japanese knotweed at the crossroads will be checked and reported soon we are hopeful it remains dormant where the owners of the airfield treated it last year. 

• Himalayan balsam along the planks area is being monitored. 

If you spot either of these species in the village, please do let us know.

🙌 Get Involved Volunteers Welcome!

Enstone Eco is only possible because of the people who give a little of their time. Whether it is surveying, litter picking, helping at events, or lending a hand with admin (around 5 hours a month), every bit of help makes a real difference.

If you would like to get involved in any way, please get in touch we would love to welcome you to help with keeping the group active.

The Enstone Eco Team