thame-surrounds-environmental-newsletter

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Environmental Groups in Thame		Volunteer		List your Events

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December social get together - Thursday 4th December

This Thursday, December 4th, from 6.45pm, the final meeting of Thame Environmental Forum for 2025 will take place at Thame Town Hall. All are welcome. It will be an informal time to reflect on 2025 and share plans for 2026.

If you would like to, please bring a drink or some food to share. Mince pies and hot drinks will be provided.

If you want to be added to the mailing list for this meeting, please email [email protected] to request this.

Cuttle Brook Channel & Floodplain Restoration Project

It’s been an exciting year for River Thame Conservation Trust's (RTCT) Cuttle Brook Channel & Floodplain Restoration Project! In partnership with Thame Town Council and the Cuttle Brook Conservation Volunteers (CBCV), RTCT has made significant progress in restoring this special stream and its surrounding habitats. Key achievements over the past year include:

Weir removal: A dilapidated weir downstream of the nature reserve was removed, restoring fish passage between the Cuttle Brook and the River Thame. Early fish surveys suggest larger chub are now moving freely, enhancing population resilience.
Wetland habitat creation: Three new scrapes were constructed in Rycote Meadow, Southern Meadow and Nontron Meadow, providing seasonal wetland habitat. Early plant surveys recorded 29 species in Rycote Meadow and an impressive 56 species in Nontron Meadow — the highest ever recorded at this site!
In-stream habitat improvements: CBCV, guided by RTCT, installed woody structures and managed riparian vegetation to improve flow, expose gravel beds, and create microhabitats for aquatic invertebrates and fish.
Riparian tree planting: Two rare native black poplars were planted in Nontron Meadow, enhancing habitat diversity and supporting birds, moths, and beetles.
Community engagement: RTCT, with Chiltern Rangers CIC, and CBCV hosted a “New Shoots” session — a conservation programme for young people to connect with the outdoors, see habitat restoration in action, and gain hands-on experience with vegetation management in the Cuttle Brook Nature Reserve.

RTCT is very pleased to see these positive early results at the Cuttle Brook Nature Reserve and looks forward to continuing to work closely with the Cuttle Brook Conservation Volunteers and Thame Town Council, the long-term stewards of the site, to monitor the habitat, support ongoing improvements, and collaborate on future projects. Cuttle Brook is one example of RTCT’s catchment-wide work — working with farmers, monitoring river wildlife, coordinating citizen science, and bringing partners together through the Catchment Partnership. To find out more or get involved, visit: www.riverthame.org

The Big Green Action Calendar - An inspiring Christmas gift

Remember to pick up a Big, Green Action Calendar for yourself, or as a gift to provide someone with inspiration about action they can take each month to help make our local area a greener, cleaner place to live. Plus listings of environmental events and activities taking place over 2026 for them to participate in.

£8 from Thame Information Centre, Thame Town Hall or Renewed Eco in Long Crendon.

Thame Information Centre has four copies that are already wrapped for no extra cost. First come first served.

Plastic Free Thame - get creative, and plastic free, this Christmas

This Christmas, challenge yourself to wrap greener 🎁✨

Skip the store-bought paper and get creative — try old newspapers, swap shiny ribbons for spare shoelaces, or turn an old shirt into a bottle wrap. The possibilities are endless!

Then join the Plastic Free Thame Facebook page and enter a picture of your planet-friendly wrapping alternative for a chance to win a prize from Renewed Eco 🎉

Cycling Participation survey

Oxfordshire County Council are working with British Cycling to employ two Community Developers for a 18 months, one in Oxford and one for the wider county. They will be working on ways to increase cycling in the area, through actions such as community events, rides and training.

To inform this, they have set up a short survey to provide information which takes only 5 minutes. Please complete it - especially if you dont cycle.

Oxfordshire Cycling Participation Survey – Fill in form

Thame Green Living Plan inspires London Borough

In November this year, a consultant supporting the Victoria Neighbourhood Plan Forum in Westminster reached out to speak to Charles Boundy lead author of Thame's Green Living Plan. They were inspired by it, and following a meeting with him, went on to create a Vision for Westminster City Council Climate Change Guides. This received positive feedback from all key stakeholders.

They reached out to three top consultancies to lead the work who were all impressed with the Thame Green Living Plan and have embedded key principles at the heart of their proposals.

In their words 'the country urgently needs more education on what Climate Resilience means - and your Guide is an early pioneer in this regard'.

A helpful link for dealing with waste this Christmas

South Oxfordshire District Council has put together this handy guide for reducing and dealing with waste this Christmas: Christmas Waste - South Oxfordshire District Council

Get on our land

Please join us for the opening of our footpath at Lopemede Farm Thame.

We will meet at 10.30am on Sunday 14^th December at St Mary’s Church, Thame on the Priest End side, before walking along the old, Thame to Long Crendon road.

Andy Gilbert the Mayor of Thame will be officially opening the footpath, by cutting a ribbon after which we will travel to the top of the farm where an artisan Christmas market will be occurring, as well as the opportunity to enjoy food and drink at Fallow & Fields Kitchen.

We decided to create the footpath to strength our connection to our largest community Thame and surrounding villages; so there is a sustainable and safe way to walk to the farm to enjoy the services at the farm, or to simply to connect to nature.

Sadly the UK is the worst nature connected country in Europe, so we hope the footpath will offer the opportunity for people to connect to nature; we know that time spent in contact with nature improves our mental and physical health.

We have planted NEW hedges and woodlands along the footpath to improve our farms bio-diversity and also to help sequester carbon.

Therefore our duel objectives of the footpath is to improve planetary and human health.

Dogs are very welcome on leads.

Please wear suitable footwear; welly’s or walking boots.

Look forward to seeing you all on the 14^th November.

Eddie Rixon – Farmer at Lopemede Farm – any questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch [email protected]

https://www.facebook.com/Lopem...

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

To find out what is happening in the local area please visit the Calendar you can find at this link: https://thamegreenliving.org.u...

To add an event to the calendar contact [email protected]

Send details of your event to be included

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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