Thame & surrounds Environmental Newsletter

Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.

Environmental Groups in Thame		Volunteer		List your Events

If you have been forwarded this email, sign up to receive it directly here.

Oxfordshire’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) survey - phase 1

The Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) is a new strategy designed to target actions that help nature in locations where they are most needed. The goal from these actions is to provide the best outcomes for nature and wildlife across Oxfordshire. Local Nature Recovery Strategies are expected to help join up national efforts to reverse the decline of biodiversity.

Until 31st March 2024 there is a survey open so you can tell Oxfordshire County Council about your priorities for nature and biodiversity in Oxfordshire and any nature recovery actions that you are taking or that you think are urgent for people and organisations to take.

Have your say here

South Oxfordshire District Council - Latest updates

Simply the best!

Residents in South Oxfordshire are officially the best recyclers in England!

The latest government recycling performance table ranked us top nationally for 2022/23 with 61.6% of all our household waste being recycled.

Thank you for all your efforts in helping us reach this incredible goal! We’re sure that you will keep up the good work, but please do keep trying to reduce the amount of rubbish you throw away and reuse as many items as possible.

Helping us all breath more easily

Taking action on air pollution through reducing traffic emissions is an important focus for our council, as outlined in our recently adopted action plan.

We aim to do this by promoting healthier and cheaper options for short journeys, such as walking and cycling and - where vehicles are needed - we’ll encourage more use of public transport and low emission vehicles such as Electric Vehicles.

The good news is that, in the last five years, most places in our district have seen a consistent reduction in nitrogen dioxide, a pollutant primarily linked to vehicle emissions.

As a big part of this, we recently adopted a new joint Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP) with Vale of White Horse District Council which focuses on reducing traffic emissions. The plan aims to build on the success so far.

You can find more about the AQAP on our air quality page. For up-to-date info on air quality in specific spots in Oxfordshire see the OxonAir website.

Energy saving advice

We are promoting advice and financial support available to you for energy saving measures ranging from draught proofing to solar panels.

Our new leaflet promotes direct support from the council as well as from partners such Better Housing Better Health and from government schemes. To view the leaflet, visit our page on retrofitting your home.

21st Century Thame

Get Hedgehog ready

Now is the ideal time of year to put a hole in a garden fence for Hedgehogs to travel through. It’s ideal because vegetation may get in the way once spring fully arrives, and also the holes will help Hedgehogs feed and mate easily once they come out of hibernation in late March.

Hedgehog streets have a great article explaining in more detail why Hedgehog Holes are necessary and how to put a hole in your fence here

If you want a hand putting one in your own fence or wall, then email [email protected]

Are you wild for wildlife?

Volunteers are needed to help our legally protected species and their habitats in Oxfordshire!

Join Oxfordshire County Council's biodiversity team out and about across the county, surveying some of our most-loved species and gaining new skills.

Find out more here

A local resource to explore

Did you know that Oxford Martin School promotes a wide range of environmental research as well as organising lectures and debates, most of which are available online.

Explore more at their website

State of our rivers

Healthy rivers are a powerful ally in mitigating the effects of climate change; they can protect communities from flood and drought events, and they bolster ecosystem and biodiversity resilience. Yet, the majority of our rivers in the UK & Ireland are far from healthy.

Read more here

Upcoming events

Wild Reconnection Walk @

Date and time: 15/03/2024, 15.30pm - 17.30pm

31/03/2024, 15.30pm - 17.30pm

Location: Moreton & Oxfordshire Golf Course

Brand new nature walks: look out for some of the more unusual and lesser seen wildlife; take time to be mindful in nature; meet new people; take part in storytelling; and more. Recommended contribution of £20 per person suggested, but operation on a pay what you can basis.

Learn more & book your space here

Chinnor Litter Pick

Date and time: 17/03/2024, 10am - 12pm

Location: Meet at Whites Field Car Park, Mill Lane, Chinnor

Children must be accompanied by an adult

Gloves essential

Organised by Chinnor Wombles and Friends of the Earth

Thame Repair Cafe - 21st Century Thame

Date and time: 23/03/2024, 2pm - 4pm

Location: Racquets Fitness Centre

The idea is to match amazing amateur repairers with people who need stuff fixed and all for FREE. The Repair Cafe will be a learning experience to help everyone get more confident on fixing things at home.

Bring your small electrical, mechanical, household items and textiles and learn how to repair them.

READ MORE

Thame Environmental Forum

Dates and time:

28/03/2024, 6.30pm for a 6.45pm start

23/05/2024, 6.30pm for a 6.45pm start

25/07/2024, 6.30pm for a 6.45pm start

12/09/2024, 6.30pm for a 6.45pm start

28/11/2024, 6.30pm for a 6.45pm start

Location: Thame Town Hall

A regular meeting with the purpose of working together to embed environmental issues in the community muscle – ensuring they become an integral part of community and citizen life (and ultimately a part of political life), recognising that much of this work will have to happen through empowering, connecting and nurturing community groups, rather than creating a plethora of ‘new’ initiatives through the Environmental Forum.

Get in touch!

email [email protected] if you have an article you would like to include in this newsletter

If you want to unsubscribe, click here.