June 2026 - Enstone Eco Newsletter

Hello June 🌸

June is here, and with it comes longer evenings, warmer air, and a whole calendar of wildlife to discover right on our doorstep. Whether you are a seasoned naturalist or just enjoy a quiet evening walk, there is something for everyone in Enstone this month. Read on for everything happening in and around the village.

🏎️ Enstone Whiteways F1 Tour: Alpine Factory Visit

Exciting news! Our Enstone Whiteways Tour to their wildlife site and the F1 Alpine Factory is confirmed for Friday 12th June. This is a brilliant opportunity to go behind the scenes at one of Formula 1's most historic sites, right here in our own backyard.

Interested in joining us? If you have not emailed to RSVP already, please get in touch as soon as possible, as spaces are limited and we would love to have you along for the ride. https://www.enstone-eco.co.uk/event-details-registration/whiteways-technical-centre-tour

🦋 Wildlife Trusts: 30 Days Wild in June

June marks the Wildlife Trusts' brilliant 30 Days Wild initiative, a challenge to do one wild thing every day throughout the month. It does not have to be big. A moment with a bumblebee in the garden counts just as much as a dawn chorus walk. Here are some ideas to get you started right here in Enstone:

• Visit the churchyard and wander the paths in search of butterflies and birds. Four different species of butterfly were recorded there in May alone. The new wildflower areas are also thriving with yellow rattle. Kidney Vetch and many others. Who knows what June will bring?

• Take a walk and check out the Wildflower planting area at the Great Tew crossroads. It is well worth a visit as the season really gets going.

• Join the Riverfly monitoring on 24th June, a hands-on way to contribute to local river health data.

• Take an evening walk across the planks as the light fades and look out for bats hunting overhead.

• Look around the village for Swift boxes. The Swifts have returned to Enstone from their remarkable journeys across Africa, and they need our support. Keep your eyes and ears open: that screaming overhead is them! We would love to hear your sightings.

Tell us what you have done for 30 Days Wild! Share your wild moments with Enstone Eco. Every sighting and every experience helps build our picture of village wildlife.

🦔 Go Wild for Hedgehogs

Hedgehogs need our help, and the good news is that they are already making themselves at home in Enstone.

There have been sightings of hedgehog poo around the village and several sightings of the prickly friends themselves in Church Enstone. This is wonderful news, but they still need support, especially as the warmer months bring more activity.

Here is how you can help:

• Leave out fresh water and hedgehog-friendly food (cat or dog food works well; avoid milk and bread).

• Keep a wild corner in your garden, where patches of long grass and leaf litter are perfect foraging ground for slugs and beetles.

• Check before strimming or mowing, especially near hedges and borders.

📍 Record your sightings on the Big Map at www.hedgehogstreet.org and do let us know at Enstone Eco too!

🌼 Proposed Enstone Community Orchard and Wildflower Meadow

Work continues on our exciting proposed Community Orchard and Wildflower Meadow, and things are looking promising.

Some of Enstone Eco spent a sunny morning making baseline observations of the flora and fauna on the site near the allotments. Using the iNaturalist App, we recorded an impressive 24 species of plant and one Common Blue butterfly. Our favourite finds of the day? Hedge Bedstraw and Corn Salad, beautiful, unassuming plants that speak volumes about the potential of this site.

The iNaturalist App is a fantastic tool that feeds data directly into local Oxfordshire projects and TVERC (Thames Valley Environmental Records Centre), helping us confirm identifications to research-grade data. If you have not tried it, it is well worth downloading.

We were also delighted to welcome Rev. Mark Abrey, who took some drone footage of the area, and we look forward to sharing that soon.

Wildflowers in the churchyard

Our next survey date is 15th July. Come along and see what you can notice. No experience necessary, just curiosity.

📅 Dates for Your Diary

Event	Date
🏎️ Enstone Whiteways F1 Tour: Alpine Factory	Friday 12th June
🦟 Riverfly Monitoring	24th June
🦋 Churchyard Butterfly Survey	Week commencing 15th June - TBC depending on weather. Please RSVP for full updates.
🦋 Churchyard Butterfly Survey	Week commencing 13th July - TBC depending on weather. Please RSVP for full updates
🦋 Churchyard Butterfly Survey	Week commencing 24th August - TBC depending on weather. Please RSVP for full updates
🌿 Community Orchard & Meadow Survey	15th July

Have a wild June, Enstone. We would love to hear what you discover. Drop us a message, share a sighting, or simply say hello on a walk. Every small act for nature adds up.

The Enstone Eco Team