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The CPS's wandlebury site is: http://www.cpswandlebury.demon.co.uk/page13.html

Reserve walk, 2004

On the morning of 19th June Barry Pearce lead 15 villagers on a walk around the proposed wildlife/farming reserve. The walk turned out to be quite long - three hours for those who stayed the full course - but only because it was so interesting. As a plus the weather was sunny but not too warm, and the rain held off till the afternoon.

Barry talked about the CPS's plans: there will be extra woodlands planted; some fields will be managed into flower meadows; there will be a picnic site at the top of the hill just before the rifle range; and so on. They will be creating new ponds, and hope to make one very large one, but that depends on environmental agency funding. They will be employing a ranger who will live on site at the new visitor centre to replace the old barn near wheatcases.

Vince, a volunteer, has begun doing counts of the plants, birds and animals currently found on the land with Chris Thorne. The idea is that as the management becomes more eco-friendly they will track the hoped-for improvement in biodiversity. On the walk he showed us some rare plants (round-leaved fluellen, and slender tare, I think - I'm not a plant expert; also the bee orchids at the top of the hill) and some of the birds, including lapwings and two kestrel chicks in their nest.

One of the problems/opportunities with the area is to convince the tenant farmer to farm in a more ecologically-aware way - several of the plants Vince wanted to show us had been mown down by the farmers over-tidy path clearing! Also several of the areas currently set-aside are pesticided each year and thus of little wildlife value. This will be a major part of the management of the reserve.

This was a good chance to hear the CPS's plans and ask questions. They are forming three teams of volunteers - one to do reserve work (planting trees etc); one to do some history of the site; and one to do biology and species counting. Contact Barry Pearce via the CPS (01223-243830) if you are interested.

Barry Pearce points! We are at the medieval ridge-and-furrow system, Barry is explaining. Notice the grass - its too just-pure-grass - over fertilised.
A bee orchid. One of many, a beautiful flower, and astonishingly like a bee.