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Environmental Groups in Thame		Volunteer		List your Events

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A few spaces left to attend a Q&A with MP Freddie van Mierlo

6.45pm - 9pm, Thursday 10th July

Thame's regular Environmental Forum is hosting a Q&A with Freddie van Mierlo at an in-person event on Thursday 10th July, at Thame Town Hall, 7pm - 9pm. Guests will have the opportunity to voice concerns, ask questions, and discuss environmental issues that matter to them.

Don't miss this chance to interact with your local MP!

There will be time for questions from the floor, but if you would like to ensure that your questions is asked, please email it in advance to [email protected]

Doors open at 6.45pm, the event will kick off at 7pm. Due to limited availability, booking is essential: book your ticket here.

Help shape plans for better walking and cycling in Thame

Read on Oxfordshire County Council’s website or below:

Residents and visitors to Thame are now able to review and comment on a draft plan to improve walking, wheeling and cycling around the town, with a survey open until 29 July.

Last year, Oxfordshire County Council gathered feedback from residents, workers and visitors in Thame, via a ‘map and pin’ exercise to identify improvements to local travel.

Their input was used to create the draft local walking and cycling infrastructure plan, which sets out proposed improvements for local walking and cycling routes over the next 10 years and is now available for comment.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said: “This plan has been drafted using valuable insights that people have taken the time to share with us and it is now our intention to take those changes forward and make these routes the best we can.

“I would like people to look carefully at the plan and share their impressions with us, including whether the most important walking and cycling routes and improvements have been identified and what we can do to make the plan better.”

Feedback will be used to amend the plan. The final version will presented for Cabinet Member Decision towards the end of this year and then be formally adopted as council policy. This will support funding bids to improve walking and cycling in Thame and the surrounding area.

The draft plan is available to view alongside a survey on the council’s digital consultation and engagement platform, Let’s talk Oxfordshire.

OCC are consulting on whether to turn off streetlights late at night.

Light pollution is very damaging to wildlife - disrupting and killing insects, bats and migrating bi

rds. It can also disrupt your sleep – leading to long-term health problems. Many studies have shown that switching off street lights late at night does not increase street crime and traffic accidents and, indeed, in some studies these are reduced.

Oxfordshire County Council are consulting on whether to turn off streetlights after midnight (or 11.30pm). See https://letstalk.oxfordshire.gov.uk/pnl. If you agree please respond positively to the proposal and help restore our glorious night skies.

The proposed ‘Part Night Lighting Implementation Framework’ suggests a range of exemptions. There is some concern that these are too wide ranging and would considerably restrict the areas where streetlights could be turned off. If you agree, you may want to ask for these exemptions to be reduced or made only advisory.

The consultation is open to 6 July.

Rycote Meadow footpath – Official Opening

Last week, a group of people gathered at the newly opene4d Rycote Meadow footpath to officially mark that it is open to the public.

Rycote Meadow, bordered by the Cuttle Brook on its eastern side and by Oxford Road on the south, is a rare remnant of precious floodplain meadow, home to a rich variety of plant species and the animals that depend upon them. The project has been a partnership project between Thame Green Living , Thame Town Council and Cuttle Brook Conservation Volunteers (CBCV) to help protect the site for the future.

This marks the end of a project that has spanned almost 4 years. Initial work in November 2021 included the enhancement of the important area of hedging along the western side of the Meadow to provide even more protection for wildlife – birds and the invertebrates on which they feed principally – interspersed with trees of a modest size to contribute more habitat and variety.

In June 2024 Cuttle Brook Conservation Volunteers created a new wetland scrape within the meadow to maintain a more aquatic nature conducive to smaller creatures and plants. This is not a pond as such and will not directly link to the Cuttle Brook itself.

Finally, this year a new footpath was constructed to give new public access from Oxford Road to the rear of the site. This links to the Thame Meadows Estate and gives footpath access to the River Thame beyond. The path was installed to enable local people to enjoy this tranquil natural space, which will remain, however, primarily a conservation area for wildlife, protected by a fence designed to prevent disturbance of birds, aquatic life and the delicate eco-system on which they depend.

Advice on conservation work was received from the Environment Agency, River Thame Conservation Trust and Wild Oxfordshire, and it builds upon the extensive experience of CBCV, who manage the Cuttle Brook Local Nature Reserve. Rycote Meadow is now a part of the Nature reserve and will be managed by CBCV from this point on.

The project was funded through a grant from Trust for Oxfordshire’s Environment, with support from South Oxfordshire District Council, as well as by Section 106 funding from the Thame Meadow development on Oxford Road.

MASS LOBBY of Parliament at Westminster

on Wednesday 9th July

Zero Hour will be joining the largest coalition of climate and nature organisations in Westminster for a mass lobby this summer

on Wednesday 9 July.

Organised by The Climate Coalition, the mass lobby will bring people face-to-face with their MPs to ask for action on the things that matter: health, nature, communities, climate and futures.

Act Now, Change Forever has the potential to be the most impactful climate and nature lobby in history.

If you would like to join the mass lobby, you can signup using this link. C&T FOE will also keep you posted on their plans.

Several members of the group are thinking of going on this, so please contact them if you want to join them.

Please support our Hedgehogs!

As it has been so hot again 21st Century Thame are urging residents to put out shallow water bowls in your gardens to help hedgehogs and other wildlife stay hydrated.

A plant pot tray often does the trick, and it's helpful also to add some stones to weigh it down a bit too. Please ask your neighbours and friends to do the same so that we can help Thame's hedgehogs survive this heatwave

Get involved in their Hedgehog Highways project here https://21stcenturythame.co.uk...

Thame Sustainability Champions Award continues

Clean Air Day is the UK's largest annual air pollution campaign and this year fell on Thursday 19th June. The second Thame Sustainability Champions event ran on this day, focusing on what action businesses and community groups could take to improve our local air quality.

If you are part of a business and would like to get involved then the award operates a roll-on roll-off structure, so you can join at any time. Find out more through this link

Have you explored the Oxford Rivers Portal?

This website is a one-stop shop for river information in Oxfordshire. On the standard view, they show live river levels, sewage overflows and flood warnings.

On the detailed view, you can explore water quality of our local rivers in depth, including combining data from the Environment Agency, citizen scientists and academics over the past 4 years. You can easily see bacteria levels at designated swimming spots.

You can access the portal at https://oxfordrivers.ceh.ac.uk/

Thame Sportive a great success

Thanks to Cathy Gaulter-Carter for the photo!

Thame Cycling Sportive saw over 700 riders taking part in 3 different rides on Sunday 15th June. Soon after 7am, the first riders were pedalling in to register for the event and By 8am, the first of the riders set off on the two long courses – an 80km (50 mile) intermediate ride and a 130km (78m) ride up and down the hills of Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. 1pm saw the start of the Family Bike Ride. 13km along the Phoenix Trail, past Towersey and looping back on Manor Lane, through Towersey village and back to Thame.

With so many riders and 3 routes, this was a major logistical exercise and we are indebted to Jeremy and Clare from Thame Cycles, Thame Cycling Club and Thame Town Council for their help in making it happen. Thanks also to our sponsors, the ever-supportive ASM and Thame Cars, and to David White at Cotmore Farm and Miles Podmore at Windles for facilitating a safe route for families, thus avoiding the busy bypass. Thanks also to all the hard working café, bakery and concession vendors who contributed to a truly memorable day for Thame and its visitors.

Her Land is fundraising - could you support them?

Her Land is a women-led social enterprise based on a farm just outside Thame, Oxfordshire with the vison of becoming a unique regenerative development where women an girls gain the skills to heal both themselves and the land, for a healthier, regenerative world for all.

The project currently delivers weekly sessions for women to get involved in a variety of activities outside. This Crowdfunder will allow them to expand these sessions to girls, and mums with children under the age of 5.

As well as giving women and girls the opportunity to learn skills and participate in climate friendly growing and building, Her Land seeks to improve the health, wellbeing, and lives of everyone that takes part. The project provides the opportunity for them to build resilience, confidence, connection to the earth, and crucially, connection to other women and girls.

Find out more here: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/...

Get involved in green action in your community

Did you know Thame has a Green Living Plan - a 10 year plan for a greener, cleaner Thame. The plan includes over 190 actions that we want to take by 2030 to help achieve this.

You find out more about these actions and see what has already been completed, what is in motion and what still needs to take place at the Thame Green Living Website - https://thamegreenliving.org.u...

There is so much to achieve so get in contact through the website to play a part.

Events coming up

All information below is correct at time of sending but is subject to change. Events are delivered by different groups and each button below links to more details. Please make sure you click through to book your space/read more information prior to attending.

Tues 8th, 15th, 22nd & 29th July (9.30-11.30am), Every Sunday 2pm - 4pm. Her Land Work Party (women & girls): YOU MUST REGISTER BEFORE ATTENDING IN CASE OF CHANGES

Wednesday 9th July: MASS LOBBY of Parliament at Westminster - see article above

Thursday 10th July: 10.30am. Chinnor Climate Cafe. Chinnor Village Centre

Saturday 19th July: Repair Café: 2pm-4pm Scout Hut, Southern Road. Click for more info and next date

Sunday 20th July: Cuttle Brook Nature Reserve Work Party - meet at 10am at Southern Road.

Wednesday 30th July: Cuttle Brook Nature Reserve Work Party - meet at 10am at Southern Road.

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.

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.

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