 Buckhurst meadow
This 12.5-hectare beauty spot, formerly in the grounds of the old Buckhurst Farm and now part of our South Wokingham major development, was landscaped by developer David Wilson Homes as a condition of its planning permission for new housing at Montague Park.
We're currently in talks about taking over its management and look forward to announcing more soon.
Buckhurst Meadow has grown into a thriving, popular public green space and boasts a community orchard, sustainably surfaced footpaths including a 1.7km circular walk and meadows and copses attracting all sorts of wildlife including birds, dragonflies and amphibians.
The Thames Basin Heaths Partnership says it is a nicely maturing meadow with a treasure trove of habitats – and an ideal visit for nature lovers with a beautiful mosaic of grasses, wildflowers, native trees and ponds.
The partnership has singled out the site’s reedbed as a particular highlight, adding that the surfaced paths allow good access at all times of year and the site offers plenty of space for dogs.
Free parking, including disabled spaces, is available off William Heelas Way, to the north of Drew Crescent.
Buckhurst Farm is among the many new public green spaces measuring some 120 hectares in total, or more than 170 football pitches, which have been created across Wokingham borough thanks to our strategic approach to development.
Stay tuned as we will be featuring more of our fantastic nature and country parks - you may even find out about new local spots you haven't visited yet!
 Award winning green bridge
Observer Way, a 2.3km bypass in Arbourfield, has won an industry award for an innovative “green” bridge that helps animals move safely through the surrounding countryside.
The road has an off-road cycleway and paths which opened in November last year, also includes a bridleway crossing with special features to provide a safe route for wildlife living nearby.
Now it has won the Innovation category of this year's Construction Industry Research and Information Association BIG Biodiversity Challenge Awards, which celebrate projects with at least one element that benefits wildlife and habitats.
Surveys showed a nearby hedgerow which had to be removed was on a major flightpath for bats while other species including rabbits, foxes and mice were following a similar route on the ground.
The bridge, which replaces the hedgerow, features tunnels for animals and wide, gentle slopes planted with trees and hedges as well as a wooden fence to guide bats across until the new planting, which links existing woodland plots on either side, is fully grown.
Before work started, ecologists counted the number of bats crossing and recorded their flight paths using three-dimensional computer maps. They will continue doing so until 2026 to ensure the scheme is achieving its goal.
The CIRIA Award was announced at a virtual ceremony in September last year where judges praised the scheme's forward-thinking approach and commitment to keeping up the bat monitoring.
 Dinton runs
Get ready for the Dinton Pastures Country Park 2.2 Night Run on 2 February!
Run as many 2.2 mile laps around Dinton Pastures Country Park, as a pair or individually, in 1hr 22 mins.
- You must wear your own suitable head or chest torch.
- Glow sticks provided
- Plenty of highly visible marshals and signs
- Glow in the dark medal - as long as you complete one lap!
- Spot prizes for most illuminated runners
- Enter via the barnes fitness webpage.
Wokingham 5/10 k
Whatever the weather, there is always something new to see and a back-up plan up if the paths are flooded; rain doesn't stop play! Have a great start to a Sunday morning with a 5km (1 lap) or 10km (2 laps) run around Dinton Pastures Country Park.
A flat, multi-terrain course with gorgeous lake views and wildlife to spot en-route with amazingly friendly and supportive marshals to keep you smiling.
Suitable for all abilities of runner, so whether you want to challenge yourself to something new, beat your PB or take a slow Sunday run, you can take part.
Sign up via the Barnes Fitness webpage.
 Volunteers work on Sandford Copse
Last month, the Wednesday conservation volunteer group worked at Sandford Copse, an area of woodland in the Northern part of Dinton Pastures Country Park.
The group were tasked with coppicing beech trees, a technique traditionally used in timber production involving cutting young tree stems down to near ground-level, producing a stool from which numerous new shoots grow and become new stems. This process extends the life of the tree indefinitely, as the tree never fully matures.
The Copse (the name given to an area of coppiced woodland) is split into several areas called compartments, which are cut on a several-year rotation. While wood production is no longer the goal of coppicing at Sandford Copse, it serves an important function in improving biodiversity.
By coppicing different compartments on rotation, we can create lots of different age structures in the trees, allowing a wide range of wildlife with different habitat requirements to thrive. It also opens up the understory (woodland floor) to more light, allowing spring flowers such as bluebells and the rare Loddon Lily to grow and carpet the ground.
Some of the thicker sections of cut wood were piled up to create rotten wood habitat piles for insects, while other thinner branches and stems have been put aside for building hedges elsewhere on the site in future weeks.
If you would like to get involved in the countryside volunteer programme, visit our website.
 GB archery instructor course
Enjoy archery? Want to start a career in outdoor education? Why not sign up to Dinton Pastures Country Park archery GB instructor award course. The course takes place on Saturday 19 to Sunday 20 March, 9am to 5pm and costs £250 per person.
This is perfect for anyone wishing to teach archery in a school, centre, or club setting. Ideal for teachers, outdoor instructors and those looking to get into outdoor education.
For more information contact dintonactivitycentre@wokingham.gov.uk or call us on 0118 934 4424
To book visit Dinton Pastures webpage.
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