Enstone Eco Christmas Newsletter - December 2025 ☃️🎅
- Ian Cave
- Dec 12, 2025
- 3 min read
As the year draws to a close, we’ve had a wonderfully active month filled with outdoor work, community collaboration and some truly beautiful wildlife discoveries. We'll be back in the spring with our monthly newsletter!
Allotment Cleanup
A huge thank you to everyone who joined the recent session at the allotments, a mix of good work and plenty of fun - photos below! 🌱✨ The grass is looking brilliant thanks to Philip’s mowing too, and we’re grateful to Kari, Cara, Louis, Craig and all who helped keep things moving on the day alongside the Enstone Relief in Need Charity trustees and volunteers. We are also in the process of presenting new plans to increase biodiversity in the village - watch this space, more news to follow in the new year. 📅💬
📸 Wildlife Moments: Puddles, Patterns & Damselflies
We’ve received some fantastic photos this month, including puddles, leaf patterns, animal tracks and a lovely damselfly spotted at the Radford–Cleveley footpath site 🦋💧. Special thanks to Carol Hicks for her excellent Parish wildlife captures. Dawn also pointed out the striking gills on a flat-bodied stoneclinger. It’s wonderful to see such freshwater diversity continuing through the colder months. 🪸❄️
💧 Great UK WaterBlitz Results – What We Learnt
The Great UK WaterBlitz (Sept 2025) results are now out, and thanks to many local volunteers who submitted monthly tests and WaterBlitz samples, Enstone is part of an important national dataset. 📊🌍 Shockingly, 60% of datapoints across the UK show poor water quality, and the water quality for Oxfordshire is about 80% unacceptable. There is, however, a shout out for Citizen Scientists from Oxfordshire who took the greatest number of measurements - 172! 🏆 but nutrient pollution still poses a major challenge.
Imperial College also analysed samples for antibiotics, insecticides and other emerging pollutants. 🧪
💡 What can you do?
Small changes make a real difference:
Avoid pouring fats, chemicals or cleaners down the drain 🚫🧼
Choose eco-friendly cosmetic and household products 🌿
Reduce washing of polyester and synthetic fabrics to reduce microplastics in our water 👕✨
Avoid PFAS-containing items where possible (some cookware & clothing) 🍳
Everything that goes down our drains eventually returns to our rivers, and back into our drinking water. 💦💚
If you’d like to join local water testing, please get in touch!
🐟 Riverfly & Freshwater Monitoring – Next Session
Our next riverfly and freshwater survey session is scheduled for 21st January, 10:00–12:00. 🗓️🦗New volunteers are always welcome - no experience needed!
🍁 Get Out in Nature – Winter Wonders
This time of year offers magical moments outdoors. Listen to the rain on your umbrella ☔, watch puddles ripple after a storm 💧, and look out for flocks of birds gathering across the fields near Fulwell 🐦✨. And don’t forget to pause in the evenings to listen for owls calling in the dark like Ian did last week - a true winter delight. 🦉🌙
🎄 Seasonal Curiosity: What’s in Your Christmas Pudding?
Take a look at “The Plants in Your Christmas Pudding” from the Natural History Museum — a fascinating reminder of the plants behind our festive traditions! 🍊🌿
🐦 Big Garden Birdwatch 2026
Mark your calendars! 23–25 January 2026 - spend just one hour watching your garden birds and help contribute to one of the UK’s biggest wildlife surveys. Perfect for all ages! 🏡🔭✨ https://www.rspb.org.uk/whats-happening/big-garden-birdwatch?gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22758350326&gbraid=0AAAAADLmW3iDHuKQbgx6VULbLzAD8hq9F
💚 Friends of the Earth – Local Actions
This festive season, why not spread goodwill in a way that’s kinder to the planet? 🎄💌 Friends of the Earth are encouraging people to send eco-friendly eCards instead of traditional posted cards. It’s a simple switch that saves paper, reduces transport emissions, and still lets you send warm wishes to friends and family. You can choose from a lovely selection of designs and personalise your message.
Local Group Events
If you’re feeling generous, you can also make a small donation or action to an environmental cause in place of buying cards or gifts. 🎁🌍 It’s a thoughtful way to support nature, protect wildlife and help fund campaigns that safeguard our climate.
Little choices like these add up — and together, they help make the season brighter for people and the planet. 💚✨
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
The Enstone Eco Team
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