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upcoming events
Coming up soon...two unique South Stoke opportunities
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Sunday 27th April: Springtime pond dipping. A hands-on adventure for all the family! Explore the hidden world beneath the water's surface with nets, trays, a microscope and expert identifiers provided! A rare chance to discover pond life at a private South Stoke waterway. FULLY BOOKED
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Saturday 3rd May: Dawn chorus walk. The only opportunity you'll get to join a guided walk with renowned birder Paul Rainsden and expert wildlife photographer Simon Booker. Too good to miss; please sign up early as numbers will have to be limited.​
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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​​
No need to sign up for the wildflower and invertebrate walks - just come along to the meeting point. No experience necessary. App usage welcomed!
news
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
DEFRA has set a target 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.​
South Stoke Swifts
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In March/April 2024 we installed 15 new swift nest boxes around the village to support the local population. They're fascinating birds; read the article for more information.
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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
CPRE releases groundbreaking new research into hedgerows. Read more here
The insect apocalypse: insects have declined by 75% in the past 50 years – and the consequences may soon be catastrophic. Biologist Dave Goulson reveals the vital services they perform. Read the Guardian article here
Jays and grey squirrels get planting! Half the trees in two new woods were planted by jays scientists find. Read more here
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!).
