Thame & surrounds Environmental Newsletter

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Have your say on Cuttle Brook Reserve Management Plan

The Cuttle Brook Local Nature Reserve (the Reserve) that exists today is the result of 30 plus years of good management, planning and work by a dedicated group of volunteers. It’s now time to review and update the current Reserve Management Plan (2019-2024) to ensure the nature reserve continues to thrive. As part of the review process the Cuttle Brook Volunteers in partnership with Thame Town Council are inviting you to revisit the current plan (link to plan) and submit your thoughts on how you see the future development of the Reserve and what you think should be included in the next plan period 2025-2029.

During the last plan period, the Reserve management has increasingly been focused on improvements to the freshwater environment, as well as maintaining the tremendous progress that has been made across the Reserve. The ‘watery’ focus will continue into the next plan period with an exciting suite of projects coming forwards in association with the River Thame Conservation Trust and recently approved by the Environment Agency. This will include: the creation of more ‘scrapes’ and linking them to our existing fish refuges; improvements to the substrate of stretches of the brook to improve flows and to help fish and invertebrates; in-stream habitat structures to manage low-flows better so that there is less silt deposited and more natural scour; and careful reduction of the number of overhanging trees and shrubs.

A great success, though seldom seen, is the regular use of the Reserve by the iconic creature – the otter. During the next five years we also hope to make strong progress towards the re-establishment of another iconic species, one that we sadly lost from the area about 25 years ago. Rycote and Nontron Meadows offer potential for the reintroduction of Water Voles: It’s an opportunity that the Volunteers are keen to pursue, but it will mean addressing one of the most significant, and growing, challenges that we face in managing the Reserve, that is, how to cope with the ever-increasing numbers of dogs being exercised in the Reserve. We would be very interested to hear your thoughts as to how we manage the estimated 30,000+ dog visits made every year.

Please read the current management plan and let us have your thoughts and suggestions as to how you would like to see the Reserve managed during the next five years. The consultation opens on Thursday 5 December 2024 and closes on Wednesday 8 January 2025. All contributions to the consultation will be considered and a new draft Plan produced and presented to the Town Council for adoption at the end of January 2025.

Please email or write in with your thoughts to Thame Town Council. Please mark as 'Cuttle Brook Reserve Management Plan' [email protected]

Winter Farm Walks

Kindly funded by Farming in a Protected Landscape and Chilterns National Landscape, Village Farm, Emmington is hosting a series of fully funded Winter Farm Walks with 3 separate themes - Watercourses and the Chilterns, Geology and 'have-a-go' soil testing, and Archaeology on the farm.

These take place at various dates over January - February 2025, so follow the link for more information and to book your place.

Reserve your spot here - https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/village-farm-winter-farm-walk-series-3867053.

Contact Tom Knowles - [email protected]

Christmas waste and recycling

For all you need to know about waste collections over the Christmas and New Year period – including changes to collection dates, which bin you should put your Christmas rubbish in, what to do with your tree once the festivities are over and much more, please see our special Christmas waste page.

Are you... or could you be... the Binfluencer in your street? The neighbourhood expert on recycling weeks? We’ve got a new way for you to stay up to date with the latest on waste collections. Follow this link.

Tips for a Greener Christmas and New Year’s Resolutions

Christmas presents shouldn't cost the Earth. We are all becoming more aware of the over-consumption that is threatening our wonderful planet. We can all do our bit by finding alternatives. Here are some tips, or if it’s already too late, some resolutions for next year.

‘Secret Santa’ for the grown-ups. This means to only buy one present for one person, and you can set some rules, such as

To buy from a charity shop or make the present yourself or buy a hand-made item
Not to spend more than an agreed amount

Here are a few other ideas:

Why not put together a zero-waste kit? You could include a portable cup, a reusable bottle or some wax food wraps. Shampoo or shaving soap in a bar (like soap).
How about cooking up some sweets, biscuits or making marmalade or chutney?
Adopt an animal as a gift such as an otter or a hedgehog (Wildlife Trust or WWF).
Give the gift of membership to the local Wildlife Trust, National Trust, RSPB, or something similar.
Give a plant, a tree, shrub or even a hedgerow!
Oxfam has some great ideas for gifts that you can give as a donation to a person or community such as a goat or safe water or even a pile of poo! These are called ‘Gift Unwrapped’.
Look out for gifts with little or no packaging and preferably from a local shop.
Charities such as the Friends of the Earth, Woodland Trust, RSPB, Sustrans have websites where you can order gifts.

Christmas cards

You can save Christmas cards from the year before and send them to friends as postcards. If you prefer to buy new cards, make sure they are sourced from sustainable woodlands and not wrapped in plastic.
Alternatively, send an e-card – some of these can be very amusing!

Green gift wrapping

We use 227,000 miles of wrapping paper at Christmas in the UK. That’s as far as the moon! Much of this cannot be, or is not, recycled.

Lots of wrapping paper contains plastic. Use brown parcel paper or newspaper tied up with string – adding natural decorations like spruce or holly.
Alternatively, try a scarf that is no longer worn or some offcut material.
Use last year’s paper

Book recommendation

A life on our planet by David Attenborough. Buy it from a local bookshop rather than on-line.

Thoughts from Cathy Gaulter Carter and Maureen Dyroff, Chinnor and Thame Friends of the Earth

Other tips for having a Green Christmas can also be found on Thame Green Living's website and from Climate Action Oxfordshire

THAME WOMBLES APPLAUD KUBOTA UK (Thame)

Kubota had initially provided £320 towards Thame Womble's new litterpicking trolleys, so they were delighted when the company contacted them to ask if they could provide 21 employees to participate in a volunteer litter pick on Monday October 14th 2004. It was decided that a group of 12 would cover the morning from 9.30 until 12 noon , and a further 9 continued from 1.30pm to 4.30. They covered 24 colour coded routes chosen by Thame Wombles.

Equipment was supplied by SODC (South and Vale Waste Disposal Team) it was arranged for them to collect the full bags at the end of the event. 24 very full sacks of rubbish were collected.

The weather decided to set an extra challenge, as it was extremely wet and cold, but this did not deter the team who worked in pairs, giving regular Wombles a day of rest. Following this successful event, a spokesman for Kubota said “ It was a great team building exercise, a good start to our regular working week and something we would wish to repeat annually.”

Head Womble, Joe Chapman says “ We would welcome similar initiatives from other businesses in our town, and ASM have already been involved in the Thame Spring Tidy days, which will begin again next year, after a 4 year break.” He added” If any firm requires information about organising an event they should contact me at [email protected]

Thame Wombles are affiliated to 21st Century Thame and Thame Green Living and they are also part of The Official Wombles Community Group in the UK.

New planting around Thame

If you have been out and about on walks around the town you may have spotted some new tree, hedge and Yellow Rattle seed planting. All of this work is part of projects being delivered by 21st Century Thame and Thame Green Living in partnership with Thame Town Council. There are more to come, so if you want to get involved in planting or caring for any of these areas then get in touch through: https://21stcenturythame.co.uk...

Catch the bus for a quid

Cut-price bus travel is returning to Oxfordshire next month. Sunday single fares in December will be capped at £1 this year, making it easier and cheaper for people to get around the county.
Cut price bus travel

Click here to find out more

Get involved in green action in your community

If you want to take action locally, here are current opportunities:

Thame Environmental Forum

Thame & S5urrou45nds Environmental Forum

23/01/2024, 6.45pm for a 7pm 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.

[email protected]

Become a Green Champion

Join a local network to influence change on a local level.

Click here to find out more

Oxfordshire EV car clubs

An electric car club pilot scheme has proved so popular that 18 months after it started, 15 vehicles are set to remain in place at more than 10 locations around the county – including three in South Oxfordshire. More details on the Oxfordshire County Council website.

Add your Green Group to the Mycelium Map!

The Mycelium Map is a digital ecosystem for eco-groups to showcase their work and events. It’s open to everyone in and around the Chilterns working on climate and nature sustainability.

You can read about the map here: https://hedgerleywood.org/mymap/

Or check it out at: https://mymap.eco

Email [email protected] for information and the link you need to put your group on the Map.

Google Calendar for local sustainable events

21st Century Thame have set up a google calendar that is up to date with any environmental / sustainable events - https://21stcenturythame.co.uk/21st-century-thame-environmental-calendar-of-events/

- let them know if we’re missing any - and click on the ‘add’ cross at the bottom of the calendar to subscribe to the calendar so that the events appear on your personal device.

If you would like to unsubscribe, please click here.