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The Covid Memorial Woodland provides a peaceful place for remembrance and reflection near California Country Park.
Join us at the Covid Memorial Woodland
Join us this Thursday for the opening commemoration of the Covid Memorial Woodland, near California Country Park. Residents, volunteers and partners are all welcome.
Created as a peaceful place to remember and reflect on the impact of the pandemic across Wokingham Borough, the woodland has been shaped by the community, with people of all ages helping to plant thousands of trees.
The commemoration takes place from 6.30pm to 7.30pm on Thursday 27 August and will include a short reading, a moment of reflection, a commemorative watering and the opportunity to walk through the woodland as the sun sets.
If you helped plant the woodland, we'd love to welcome you back.
 Bank holiday bin collections
Bin collections will continue as normal on the August Bank Holiday.
Collection crews will start earlier than usual from 5.30am on Monday 31 August. To make sure your bins are collected, please put them out the night before.
Your usual bin collection day will not change after the bank holiday.
You can check your bin collection day online.
The living willow caterpillar near the children's play area at Dinton Pastures Country Park.
Help choose a name for Dinton's willow caterpillar
Earlier this summer, residents submitted 517 ideas as part of a community naming competition. Rangers have now reviewed the entries and shortlisted 10 finalists.
Now it is over to you to help decide the winner.
The living willow caterpillar has been carefully shaped, woven and restored by Rangers, volunteers and local students.
The person who suggested the winning name will receive a family visit to Dinton Pastures, a photo with the caterpillar, a handmade willow tree grown from caterpillar cuttings and a family boat hire session at Dinton Activity Centre.
Vote for your three favourite names by the end of August and help decide what the caterpillar will be called.
Watch Simon Bartlam explain how the path improvements will benefit Ashenbury Park.
Easier year-round access at Ashenbury Park
Ashenbury Park is now easier to access and enjoy throughout the year following completion of the path improvement project.
The upgraded route network creates an approximately one-mile circular route linking Ashenbury Park with Aldermoors Local Nature Reserve, Waingels Road and Beggars Hill Road.
During wetter months, parts of the park can become muddy and difficult to use. The improvements will help people continue to enjoy the park throughout the year and make it easier to walk, wheel and explore the area in all seasons.
Watch Countryside Ranger Simon Bartlam explain how the improvements benefit visitors and help protect the surrounding landscape.
Read more about the completed path improvements, wildlife plans, future ambitions for Ashenbury Park and the current parking consultation.
Volunteers have signposted the Lower Earley Green Corridor Trail, making green spaces easier to discover and enjoy.
Explore the Lower Earley Green Corridor Trail
A newly signposted walking trail makes it easier to explore some of Lower Earley's most attractive green spaces.
The 3.5-mile, mostly traffic-free route runs from Loddon Bridge to Shinfield Road, passing through woodland, meadows and parkland including Pearman's Copse, Swallow's Meadow and Wood of Eagles. The trail can be used for leisure walks or active travel, with public transport links at both ends and along the route.
The route has been signposted with new waymarkers installed by volunteers from Loddon Valley Ramblers and Earley Environmental Group, helping more people discover and enjoy the area's connected network of green spaces.
What is this boat doing? Watch how aquatic plants are removed to help keep Dinton Pastures' lakes healthy.
Keeping our lakes healthy and thriving
You may have spotted a specialist weed-cutting boat working on lakes at Dinton Pastures this summer.
The work helps remove excess nutrients from the lakes. Too many nutrients can lead to excessive weed and algae growth, creating poor water quality and potentially harmful conditions for wildlife, people and pets.
Each year, aquatic plants are carefully removed at the end of the summer, taking away a proportion of the nutrients that would otherwise fuel growth in future years.
This helps support clearer water and a greater diversity of aquatic plants.
The results are encouraging. Following a major algal bloom around 10 years ago, around 160 six-tonne trailer loads of vegetation were removed in a single year.
Today, the team expects to remove just 15 to 20 trailer loads, suggesting the lakes are becoming healthier and more naturally balanced over time.
Blue-green algae has been detected at South Lake, Woodley
Conditions at South Lake during dry weather
Recent Environment Agency testing has identified blue-green algae at South Lake, Woodley, and warning signs are in place.
Like many water bodies, South Lake has been affected by recent dry weather and high temperatures. These conditions can encourage algae growth and reduce oxygen levels in the water, affecting wildlife and fish.
The Environment Agency, local angling club and council are continuing to monitor conditions and are working to increase oxygen levels in the lake where needed.
If you're visiting South Lake or other freshwater sites, please follow any local guidance. Dog owners should keep pets on a lead and prevent them from entering or drinking from affected water.
Learn more about blue-green algae and how to stay safe
The first-ever Repairium at Reading Festival helps keep useful items in use and out of landfill.
Fix it, don't bin it: Welcome to the Repairium
Festival-goers heading to Reading Festival this weekend can visit the first-ever Repairium, where volunteers from repair cafés across Berkshire, including Wokingham Repair Café and the Repair Café at Lambs Lane Primary School in Spencers Wood are helping people repair damaged tents, clothing and everyday essentials.
The aim is simple: keep useful items in use for longer and out of landfill. By repairing items instead of replacing them, festival-goers can save money, reduce waste and help give their belongings a longer life.
If you've got something at home that needs fixing, local repair cafés across Wokingham Borough offer free opportunities to repair household items, learn new skills and stop useful items going to waste.
 New partnership for Cantley Park
A new partnership between Berkshire and Buckinghamshire Football Association (BBFA) and us aims to support and enhance football facilities at Cantley Park in Wokingham.
Under the agreement, BBFA will manage the pavilion, changing rooms, grass football pitches and 3G pitch, helping to maintain high-quality facilities and encourage greater participation in grassroots sport.
The wider park, open spaces and other facilities will continue to be managed by us.
The park will remain open and accessible to residents, with a refreshed café in the pavilion now open.
Free screening of the People's Emergency Briefing at Charvil Village Hall on 26 August.
Join the People's Emergency Briefing in Charvil
There's still time to book a free place at this screening event at Charvil Village Hall this Wednesday 26 August at 7.30pm
Hosted by Charvil Parish Council, the event includes a 50-minute film exploring climate change and nature loss, followed by a community discussion.
Places are free but limited, so booking is recommended.
Take inspiration from the sounds of nature and enter Wokingham Borough Libraries' summer poetry competition.
One week left to enter our summer poetry competition
There's still time to enter Wokingham Borough Libraries' summer poetry competition, but you'll need to be quick.
Residents of all ages are invited to take inspiration from the sounds of the natural world, from birdsong and rustling leaves to rainfall and flowing water.
There are prizes for the most creative entries across a range of age categories, from under-fives through to adults.
Whether you're an experienced writer or simply enjoy putting pen to paper, email your poem to library.events@wokingham.gov.uk by 1 September 2026. Please include your name, email address and contact number.
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