Berks, Bucks, Oxon Wildlife Trust Sites
Consists of three coppiced woodlands and a meadow, with the River Pang running through the middle. We've done coppicing work here in the past, and more recently quite a bit of footpath work.
A grassland reserve we haven't worked on for a few years, but which provided one of our long term fencing projects. This was to allow sheep to graze the site. We also did some scrub bashing.
A large area of woodland situated in the Chilterns near the village of Nettlebed, and managed by BBOWT.
At 270 acres, this is BBOWT's largest nature reserve. It is a SSSI formed from a complex of woodland and grassland.
Wildmoor Heath is an 85 hectare area of heath, bog and woodland located between Crowthorne, Sandhurst and Owlsmoor. It is a Site Of Special Scientific Interest, and has been proposed as a Special Protection Area under European legislation. It is owned by Bracknell Forest Borough Council and the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT). BFBC own the Edgebarrow Woods area of the reserve. BBOWT purchased the Owlsmoor Bog area in two lots in 1985 and 1986, and in 1997 purchased the Wildmoor Heath section of the reserve. This last section completed the purchase of the area, and allowed the entire area to be managed as a single entity.
The whole of the heath was planted with Scots Pine shortly after the first world war. As a result of fires in the early years some of the pine was killed, allowing areas of heathland to survive. Traditionally the character of the heathland would have been maintained by grazing, and cutting of the bracken for bedding for livestock. Small scale peat cutting would have provided a constant supply of new pools. Without this management the ecological value of the site would quickly be lost. Purple Moor Grass, Bracken, Scots Pine and Birch would rapidly colonise the area and eventually wipe out the rarer species. Grazing with cattle and ponies has been reintroduced to check the growth of the purple moor grass and bracken, and our usual job involves clearing the re-growth of birch and pine.
The wildlife supported by the site is typical of heathland and bog. On the drier areas bell heather and ling form a patchwork of low shrubs, with purple flowers that provide nectar for the passing insects. In the wetter areas Cross-leaved Heath, Purple Moor Grass, Sphagnum Moss, Bog Asphodel and Bog Pimpernel thrive. Heath Spotted and Southern Marsh Orchids can also be found. The Silver-studded Blue butterfly, Raft Spider, and Stag Beetle also make the site their home, as do 55 species of birds, including the Stonechat, Woodlark, Nightjar and Dartford Warbler. In warmer weather Common Lizards, Adders and Grass Snakes can be seen basking in the sunshine. Indeed the site supports 11 of the 22 species that are listed in BFBC’s biodiversity action plan.
A 10.4 hectare SSSI heathland site in the far west of Berkshire.
A 7 hectare reserve that is part of a larger SSSI. It is on the site of former gravel workings and has been regenerating naturally since extraction ceased in the early 1980's. The reserve consists of heathland, woodland and open water. It is the richest site for damselflies and dragonflies in Berkshire with 23 breeding species.
A 22 hectare reserve consisting of a mixture of heathland scrub and woodland on a north facing slope in the Kennet Valley near Newbury.
BBOWT's newest reserve. Not yet open to the public. A reserve consisting of former gravel workings adjacent to the Kennet and Avon Canal.