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May Matters: Wildflowers, Wildlife & Community Action

Welcome to our May edition – and what a great spring it’s been so far! We’ve had a packed April full of hands-on learning, wonderful wildlife, events, and creative fun with the community. If you missed any of it, here’s your chance to catch up – and find out how you can get involved next!


🌿 APRIL HIGHLIGHTS: COMMUNITY IN ACTION


🪵 Hedgelaying at the Crossroads

A big thank you to the Green Gym, the Cotswold Wardens, and our brilliant volunteers for transforming the hedgerow at the Bicester Rd/Great Tew Road crossroads. This living boundary now provides a beautiful, healthy habitat for wildlife.

🧒 Riverfly Testing with Enstone Primary School

It was wonderful to welcome pupils from Enstone Primary down to the River Glyme for a hands-on riverfly session with Dawn and Ian. The children had a fantastic time spotting caddisfly larvae, mayfly nymphs and freshwater shrimp – excellent signs of a healthy river.

🌼 Growing Wildflowers at School

Thanks to Kari for helping Enstone Primary children plant wildflower seeds for their outdoor learning zone. We can’t wait to see these blooms burst into life!

💧 RARE SIGHTING: Lampreys in the Glyme!

Huge excitement as Carol and Andy Hicks spotted 8–9 brook lampreys mating in the river – a rare and wonderful find, suggesting our local water quality is improving. Check out our Mid-April blog post for videos and further information!

🐦 Birdbox Bonanza at School & Church

We donated 12 birdboxes to Enstone Primary for a pupil design competition – six winners took their boxes home, and others will be awarded as prizes later this year. Meanwhile, new birdboxes were also installed in the old churchyard by Dave, Dawn and Matthew. More safe homes for local birds!




📱 iNATURALIST WILDFLOWER SPOTTING WORKSHOP

We had a brilliant afternoon at our iNaturalist event in the St Kenelm’s churchyard, spotting everything from Meadow Saxifrage (very rare in Oxfordshire!) to Ashy Mining Bees. Thanks to Ian, Dawn, Marcus, Joanna from TVERC and CAG Oxfordshire for the demos and guidance. 14 people joined us and we uploaded over 35 species to iNaturalist – download the app and get snapping to help increase the village biodiversity record!


🦔 Special Guest: The Hedgehog Whisperer!

April also brought a visit from hedgehog expert and author Hugh Warwick, who spoke passionately about these much-loved mammals to a crowd of schoolchildren and residents. Thanks to Hugh for inspiring us to make Enstone hedgehog-friendly!


🌼 NO MOW MAY BEGINS!

Let your lawn grow and help pollinators thrive! Thank you to Enstone Parish Council who are again supporting No Mow May to encourage wildflowers and support biodiversity. Even a small patch helps – so let it grow and let us know what you spot!




🐝 GET INVOLVED: UPCOMING THINGS TO NOTE

  • Bee-Friendly Plant Donations Needed

    Can you spare any pollinator-friendly plants? They’re needed for the bee garden outside the Parish Hall.

    📧 Contact Hannah at: hannah.bournetaylor@enstone-pc.gov.uk

  • 📣 Have your say! Join us 14 May at 2pm to discuss ideas to put forward to the Parish Council for biodiversity projects in the area. Please RSVP here so we can keep you updated on any location changes due to the weather.

  • 30 Days Wild – Sign Up Now!

    June is coming fast – why not join the Wildlife Trusts’ 30 Days Wild challenge? A great way to connect with nature every day.

    🌍 Sign up here

  • Evening Birdsong Walk – Limited Spaces! 🐦

    Join us for a special guided walk with local bird expert Andrew Mann from Magic Moments with Birds as we enjoy the evening chorus and learn how to identify birds by both sound and sight. This gentle circular walk around the Enstone countryside is a great way to connect with nature and support Enstone Eco.

    📋 Booking essential – limited to 15 places!

    👉 To reserve your spot, RSVP here.


🗣️ Tell Us What You Think – Take the Enstone Eco Survey!

We’d love to hear from you! Whether you’ve joined us for an event or just followed along from afar, your views will help shape what Enstone Eco does next. Your feedback will help us plan future projects, improve what we do, and ensure we’re making a difference in the ways that matter most to you and our community.

👉 Take our quick survey here (just a few minutes): https://forms.gle/hpxy2tp8RqjNVpQM9


📸 PHOTO CORNER

The ENCON competition “Where We Live” has received a fantastic 58 entries from Enstone, Middle Barton, and Great Tew schools. Enstone Eco is proud to be awarding a special prize for the photo that best captures local biodiversity. We’ll share the winning entry next month!


Thank you as always to everyone who’s supported us, from volunteers and schools to local organisations. Whether you’ve planted a seed, spotted a lamprey, or just let your lawn grow – you’re making a difference.


Until next time – enjoy No Mow May, and we hope to see you out and about soon!


Warm wishes,


The Enstone Eco Team


📧 Get in touch: enstoneeco@gmail.com

 
 
 

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