Events

A great site to start 2021. Matthew Arnold Field in Boars Hill is a mixed woodland, grassland, and wetland site, named after the poet, cultural critic and influential schools' inspector Matthew Arnold. Today we'll be working for the Oxford Preservation Trust, who own the site, to manage the woods in line with a long-term plan to open up the ground floor to more light, cut back the thicker areas of scrub, keep the paths open, and do some ad hoc DIY plumbing using the materials at hand to enhance the wetland habitat. Some of us may be working near, even in, the woodland ponds, so wellingtons might be useful. Wherever you find yourself working there should be plenty of room to maintain the two-meter social distancing requirement -- our Covid-safe measures are still in force!

The committee meets once a month to make sure that the group operates smoothly. Normally meetings are held in the town hall but for the time being these have been moved online. You don't need to be a committee member to join us, please email secretary@ocv.org.uk for details of how to join the call.

**DUE TO THE RESURGENT COVID-19 VIRUS THIS EVENT IS NOW CANCELLED. THE OCV COMMITTEE IS PLANNING ON MONTHLY REVIEWS OF OUR TASK SCHEDULE. WE AIM TO BE BACK AT WORK AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN, SO KEEP AN EYE ON THE WEBSITE FOR FURTHER UPDATES!** Today is the first of our upcoming occasional Saturday tasks. At the end of last year we found ourselves having to turn volunteers away from tasks to keep within our Covid-safe policies. It's likely that we'll have to keep to the policies well into 2021, so the plan is to schedule some additional Saturday tasks to accommodate the welcome surge in enthusiasm! The Trap Grounds is a small pocket of countryside in the middle of urban north Oxford between the canal and the railway. It's managed by a keen volunteer group (The Friends of The Trap Grounds) and includes a range of habitats: woodland, ponds, reed-beds, and areas of meadow and marsh. For more info see the Friends' website http://trap-grounds.org.uk. We'll be helping out with some winter maintenance work, so make sure you're on the OCV mailing list for the leader's task email which will give all the details.

**DUE TO THE RESURGENT COVID-19 VIRUS THIS EVENT IS NOW CANCELLED. THE OCV COMMITTEE IS PLANNING ON MONTHLY REVIEWS OF OUR TASK SCHEDULE. WE AIM TO BE BACK AT WORK AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN, SO KEEP AN EYE ON THE WEBSITE FOR FURTHER UPDATES!** We last worked in this small private woodland in the winter of 2020 to coppice hazel and install wire cages around the stools to protect the re-growth from being grazed by deer. Today we'll return to check on progress, coppice another discrete area of hazel, and reposition some of the protective cages. Coppicing will promote new growth in the hazel stools, and keep the understory of the wood in good condition -- light levels at ground level are important for the woodland flowers, and the bluebells hereabouts are especially fine in the spring. In more normal times we'd also be harvesting hazel stakes and binders for future hedge-laying projects, but they'll have to wait until we can relax our Covid-safe measures.

**DUE TO THE RESURGENT COVID-19 VIRUS THIS EVENT IS NOW CANCELLED.** The condition of the south fen at Lye Valley continues to improve to such an extent that today we'll be working on the perimeters of the fen rather than the fen itself. We'll be cutting back scrub on the borders with the golf-course, and the neighbouring woodland. We'll also look to pollard some of the willows that are beginning to shade out the high side of the fen just below the spring lines. If there's been rain wellies will be useful. For more information on this relatively rare habitat that's also a listed SSSI see http://www.friendsoflyevalley.org.uk.

**DUE TO THE RESURGENT COVID-19 VIRUS THIS EVENT IS NOW CANCELLED. THE OCV COMMITTEE IS PLANNING ON MONTHLY REVIEWS OF OUR TASK SCHEDULE. WE AIM TO BE BACK AT WORK AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN, SO KEEP AN EYE ON THE WEBSITE FOR FURTHER UPDATES!** Our first visit of the year to this National Nature Reserve in the Chilterns which commands extensive views across the Oxford plain. Tasks at this time of year usually involve tackling the hawthorn, bramble and dogwood that encroach on the chalk grassland slopes. A healthy chalk grassland is a healthy flower habitat, and a diverse and healthy flower population makes for a diverse and healthy insect population, and a diverse and healthy insect population... You get the idea. Make sure you're on the OCV mailing list for detailed information nearer the day. We're always looking for volunteers who might lead tasks, indeed without leaders we can't keep going. So if you can help out have a chat with a task leader or driver, or contact Phil Hunter via tasks@ocv.org.uk . At Aston Rowant we always work under the guidance of one of the Reserve wardens, so today would be a great opportunity to try it out.

**DUE TO THE RESURGENT COVID-19 VIRUS THIS EVENT IS NOW CANCELLED. THE OCV COMMITTEE IS PLANNING ON MONTHLY REVIEWS OF OUR TASK SCHEDULE. WE AIM TO BE BACK AT WORK AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN, SO KEEP AN EYE ON THE WEBSITE FOR FURTHER UPDATES!** Burgess Field Nature Park is another Oxford nature reserve that used to be a city landfill site. It's large - 8.5 hectares of more or less open ground, right next-door to Port Meadow, so plenty of space to spread out and stay safe! The land is owned by the City Council, but the hands-on management is kept up by a local Friends group with occasional help from OCV. Given its location the site has huge conservation and recreational potential, and today we'll be working up at the northern end of the site to check the advance of invasive scrub. We hope to have a full complement of tree-poppers on today's task, so come along and give it a pop. Details, as usual, in the weekly OVC task email.

The committee meets once a month to make sure that the group operates smoothly. Normally meetings are held in the town hall but for the time being these have been moved online. You don't need to be a committee member to join us, please email secretary@ocv.org.uk for details of how to join the call.

We plan to resume our outdoor volunteer work today at Crecy Hill with even stricter measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19, including a limit on the number of volunteers. To book a place please reply to the leader's task email sent out in the week preceding the task. If you have not received confirmation from the leader that your place has been booked please don't come to the task. Crecy Hill is a County Wildlife Site and Local Nature Reserve in Tackley, ten miles north of Oxford. The reserve is sited on the slope of a railway embankment with views across the open, rolling countryside opposite. Repeated visits thoroughout 2020 saw us get the upper hand over the dense mix of hawthorn, rose, and bramble that threatened to overhelm the reserve. The plan now is to return this winter to consolidate the manageable balance between scrub and grassland. As with all our out of town tasks at the moment we're not using the minibus to transport volunteers, so you'll have to make your own way there. Watch out for the weekly task email which will give all the details. In the meantime you can check out the location maps on the reserve page on our website. Note that there is ample parking on site.

Our reinforced measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 will continue for this task, including a limit on the number of volunteers. To book a place please reply to the leader's task email sent out in the week preceding the task. If you have not received confirmation from the leader that your place has been booked please don't come to the task. There are several things to do today: we'll prune back the vigorous top growth in the central hedge to encourage regrowth from lower down that should widen and thicken the girth of the hedge; we'll lay a very short section of the hedge along the boundary with the WI car park and prune back, or even remove, some of the small trees on the same fence-line in order to give room to others; and we'll lay a bonfire to reduce the amount of cut material that's been piled in the far corner of the site on previous tasks.

Our reinforced measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 will continue for this task, including a limit on the number of volunteers. To book a place please reply to the leader's task email sent out in the week preceding the task. If you have not received confirmation from the leader that your place has been booked please don't come to the task. Burgess Field Nature Park is another Oxford nature reserve that used to be a city landfill site. It's large - 8.5 hectares of more or less open ground, right next-door to Port Meadow, so plenty of space to spread out and stay safe! The land is owned by the City Council, but the hands-on management is kept up by a local Friends group with occasional help from OCV. Given its location the site has huge conservation and recreational potential, and today we'll be doing some work on the hedges and paths. Check out the leader's task email for details!

Our reinforced measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 will continue for this task, including a limit on the number of volunteers. To book a place please reply to the leader's task email sent out in the week preceding the task. If you have not received confirmation from the leader that your place has been booked please don't come to the task. Swyncombe Estate consists of over 600 acres of high, mature beech woodland and chalk grassland in the Chilterns Area of Outstanding National Beauty. As in recent years we'll be cutting scrub on the exposed spur of Sliding Hill, with 180 degree panoramic views over the Oxford plain. We'll also be using our set of tree-poppers to remove hawthorn saplings complete with their root systems (provided we can haul them up to the site), so expect a mixture of cutting and pulling. As last week, you'll find the details in the email from the task leader that will be sent via the mailing list sometime in the week preceding the task, so make sure you're on the list!

The committee meets once a month to make sure that the group operates smoothly. Normally meetings are held in the town hall but for the time being these have been moved online. You don't need to be a committee member to join us, please email secretary@ocv.org.uk for details of how to join the call.

Jubilee Fields were purchased from the Duke of Marlborough by the Wootton Conservation Trust in 2003 to mark the Queen's Jubilee. It's a lovely site at any time of year, a classical example of a traditional water meadow environment, lying between the rivers Glyme and Dorn. The task today will be to continue with a mixed bag of jobs from where we left off last December. Note that at the time of writing it's unlikely that we'll be using the OCV minibus to transport volunteers, so you'll have to make your own way to the site. Watch out for the task email for all the details.

Our reinforced measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 will continue for this task, including a limit on the number of volunteers. To book a place please reply to the leader's task email sent out in the week preceding the task. If you have not received confirmation from the leader that your place has been booked please don't come to the task. Crecy Hill Local Nature Reserve is a County Wildlife Site and Local Nature Reserve in Tackley, ten miles north of Oxford. The reserve is sited on the slope of a railway embankment with views across the open, rolling countryside opposite. We've made a good fist of restoring the central areas of grassland and one of the aims of today's work will be to concentrate on the access routes at either end. The scrub is thick and thorny hereabouts and as the site will have been grazed by cattle over the winter it may be very muddy underfoot. If it's been wet, wellies could be useful.

Our reinforced measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 will continue for this task, including a limit on the number of volunteers. To book a place please reply to the leader's task email sent out in the week preceding the task. If you have not received confirmation from the leader that your place has been booked please don't come to the task. We were scheduled to be at our local National Nature Reserve at Aston Rowant today, but work there has been postponed until next month. So, instead, we'll make a return visit to the Swyncombe Estate to help out once more with the scrub clearance project that the estate manager has in hand on the grassland habitat on Swyncombe Down - a notable location for native butterflies. This can be a tricky site to find, so watch out for instructions in the leader's task email! We had extraordinarily fine February weather on our last visit, but the site is open to the elements and there can be a sharp wind chill so bring plenty of warm clothing.

Our reinforced measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 will continue for this task, including a limit on the number of volunteers. To book a place please reply to the leader's task email sent out in the week preceding the task. If you have not received confirmation from the leader that your place has been booked please don't come to the task.The meadows lie just to the south east of Cutteslowe Park, between the Cutteslowe Community Woodland, the A40, and the river Cherwell. They form the flood plain of the river, so are subject to seasonal flooding, and have a series of discrete ponds -- so it's an interesting liminal habitat of mixed wet and dry conditions. The site is owned by Oxford City Council, and they've agreed to a collaborative management plan drawn up by the Freshwater Habitats Trust and the Oxford Botanical Gardens to reintroduce some native dry and wetland flora. The Trust have asked us to make a start on the scrub on the border with the river and the ring-road before it can get established and begin to further encroach on the meadows. We've timed this task with care to fall between the likely winter flood conditions and the onset of the nesting season.

Once in a while we spend some time at the OCV toolshed in the Council's Cutteslowe Parks Depot working on our tools and various bits of kit. So today we'll be doing some maintenance of our own. We'll be cleaning, oiling and sharpening tools, everything from scythe snaths to bill-hooks, and from loppers to slashers - all done by hand. We'll also give the shed (actually a decommissioned freight container) and the van a good spring clean. If there are any OCV volunteers out there who might fancy leading a task or two (and we're always more than happy to welcome new leaders) then today will be a great chance to come along, see where everything is and how things work, and have a chat. Watch out for the weekly task email which will give details of exactly where and when we'll meet. Note that we'll still be enforcing our Covid-19 restrictions (not least the 2 meter rule) in addition to the requirement that everyone wear a face covering while in the depot.

The committee meets once a month to make sure that the group operates smoothly. Normally meetings are held in the town hall but for the time being these have been moved online. You don't need to be a committee member to join us, please email secretary@ocv.org.uk for details of how to join the call.

Our reinforced measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 will still be in place for this task, including a limit on the number of volunteers. To book a place please reply to the leader's task email sent out in the week preceding the task. If you have not received confirmation from the leader that your place has been booked please don't come to the task. Stansfeld Park in Headington Quarry, Oxford is set within 18 acres of woodland with ponds, marshland and meadows. The undulating landscape results from quarrying for limestone in the area that was used to build many of Oxford's colleges, churches and civic buildings. When quarrying ended, a variety of habitats formed, including limestone grassland, ash and hazel woodland, dense hawthorn scrub, ponds and wetland. We'll be working for the Oxford Trust who have rejuvenated the site partly as a local amenity and partly an educational resource. Today's task has been arranged with Dr. Roger Baker, the Trust's Outdoor Learning and Ecology Manager. At the time of writing it's likely that we'll be doing some pond work, but Roger usually has a wide range of conservation tasks in hand. For more info nearer the day see the OCV weekly task email, and for more on the exciting prospects for Stansfeld Park under the management of The Oxford Trust see their website: http://theoxfordtrust.co.uk/stansfeld-education-centre/.

A socially-distanced evening litter-pick around the footpaths, cycleways and nature reserves of south-east Oxford. Instead of an evening social, which would not be very practical with the rule of six, we'll instead try to clear up some of the unsightly lockdown debris before it makes it way into streams and rivers and potentially affects wildlife. We'll divide into teams of 2 to 4 people, with each team assigned different routes. It will be mostly paths, parks and nature reserves, largely avoiding main roads. Email chair@ocv.org.uk if you'd like to take part.

Our reinforced measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 will still be in place for this task, including a limit on the number of volunteers. To book a place please reply to the leader's task email sent out in the week preceding the task. If you have not received confirmation from the leader that your place has been booked please don't come to the task.We pick up our regular monthly schedule of tasks at Aston Rowant today with the first task at our local National Nature Reserve since December. It's a site that includes chalk grassland slopes grazed by flocks of sheep. We're always looking for new task leaders (OCV depends on some volunteers being willing to lead) and an Aston Rowant task is a great opportunity to try it out with expert help from one of the Natural England wardens who manage the site. Contact Phil at tasks@ocv.org.uk for more details. At this time of year we might be working on the grass slopes to improve conditions for the flora and, by extension, the insect life special to the site, or maintaining good public access along the various paths. The details of what we'll be doing and where will be in the weekly email as usual.

Our reinforced measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 will still be in place for this task, including a limit on the number of volunteers. To book a place please reply to the leader's task email sent out in the week preceding the task. If you have not received confirmation from the leader that your place has been booked please don't come to the task. Notice that this is one of our occasional Saturday tasks, and that we have a double-header of local tasks this weekend! The Trap Grounds is a small pocket of countryside in the middle of urban north Oxford hard by the canal. It's managed by an enthusiastic volunteer group (The Friends of the Trap Grounds) and includes a range of habitats: woodland, ponds, reed-beds, and areas of meadow and marsh. It's a great example of a state of the art urban wildlife site with an ideal combination of complementary micro-habitats. As usual there will be mixed-bag of things to do. Given the time of year we might well be working in the ponds and reed beds. Another job to take in hand will be to 'pop' (i.e. lever out) a myriad of small self-seeded ash saplings in the wooded areas.

Our reinforced measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 will still be in place for this task, including a limit on the number of volunteers. To book a place please reply to the leader's task email sent out in the week preceding the task. If you have not received confirmation from the leader that your place has been booked please don't come to the task. Milham Ford Nature Park stream and ponds were created in 2008-2009 in an area that had previously been 8 tarmac tennis courts for use of the previous Milham Ford School. A stream which had been piped underground across the playing field was brought to the surface, meandered, and now feeds a complex of 4 interlinked ponds. This is one of the most heavily used urban green spaces in Oxford, and we'll be working on behalf of the Oxford City Council. Most of the work will be in the ponds under the direction of freelance ecologist Judy Webb to dredge invasive plant growth and re-establish areas of open water necessary not least for the local dragonfly population. We'll also be digging out hard rush tussocks on the banks and margins of the pond if you'd rather not wade in.

Our reinforced measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 will still be in place for this task, including a limit on the number of volunteers. To book a place please reply to the leader's task email sent out in the week preceding the task. If you have not received confirmation from the leader that your place has been booked please don't come to the task. Jubilee Fields were purchased from the Duke of Marlborough by the Wootton Conservation Trust in 2003 to mark the Queen's Jubilee. It's a lovely site at any time of year, a classical example of a traditional water meadow environment, lying between the rivers Glyme and Dorn. There's lots of work to do, a real mixed bag: maintaning the post and rail, and post and wire fence-lines; cutting back blackthorn; clearing fallen trees; we also have an owl box to install -- made by OCV's very own Chair -- Chris Skepper. So a mix of all-sorts to do today, and as it's likely we'll be well spread out watch for the task email for all the details.

The East Ward Allotments are in the heart of East Oxford off Cricket Road. We were last here in the summer of 2019 to help The Children's Allotment project reclaim a derelict corner of the Allotment site. For more details of the project see http://thechildrensallotment.org. At the time of writing, the central job of today's task will be to install some raised beds. For more details nearer the day make sure you've signed up to the OCV email list.

The Annual General Meeting will be held online at 8pm on Tuesday the 11st May. Everyone is welcome at the AGM, however often you come out on tasks, or if you just want to find out what we've been up to over the last year (you don't need to be a member). We'll have a report about the previous year, and then elect the committee for next year. If anyone is interested in standing for a committee position, please email secretary@ocv.org.uk Details to join the meeting are https://brookes.zoom.us/j/85073035284 Meeting ID: 850 7303 5284

Our reinforced measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 will still be in place for this task, including a limit on the number of volunteers. To book a place please reply to the leader's task email sent out in the week preceding the task. If you have not received confirmation from the leader that your place has been booked please don't come to the task. We're back at one of our favourite sites this week. We'll be helping the Reserve warden maintain the nationally important calcareous grassland habitat. At this time of year we might actually begin to see some of the plants natural to the chalk grassland and the insect populations that depend on them. We could be helping out with fence and gate repairs, or tackling other maintenance jobs required on site. As usual everyone will be welcome and full details of the project and the meeting place will be given in the weekly email. If you've ever thought about getting more involved as an OCV task leader then this would be a great one to start with -- contact Phil Hunter tasks@ocv.org.uk for more info.

Our reinforced measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 will still be in place for this task, including a limit on the number of volunteers. To book a place please reply to the leader's task email sent out in the week preceding the task. If you have not received confirmation from the leader that your place has been booked please don't come to the task. Note the change to the advertised task! As of Monday May 17th. the site at Burnt Mill Meadow is under a foot or so of water, and with more rain forecast. So, instead, we’ll make a return visit to Cutteslowe Meadows to pop and cut more of the invasive hawthorn scrub on site, none of which is substantial enough to support nesting activity. Indeed, that’s a good reason to deal with it sooner rather than later. The meadows at Burnt Mill and Cutteslowe are both owned by Oxford City Council, and both subject to a management plan drawn up by Judy Webb in collaboration with the Freshwater Habitats Trust. So although we’ll be on a different site, we’ll be working for the same clients. Of course, there’s always the chance that, come Sunday, the meadow at Cutteslowe will be flooded too - so watch this space! The task leader will check out the Cutteslowe site towards the end of the week. In any case, although the work area should be relatively dry underfoot, you’ll probably need wellingtons to get to it.

Our measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 will still be in place for this task, including a limit on the number of volunteers. To book a place please reply to the leader's task email sent out in the week preceding the task. If you have not received confirmation from the leader that your place has been booked please don't come to the task. Matthew Arnold Field in Boars Hill is a mixed woodland and grassland site, named after the poet, cultural critic and influential schools' inspector Matthew Arnold. Today, as usual, we'll be working for the Oxford Preservation Trust. There'll be work to do enhance the wet fen habitat by reinforcing the ad hoc dams, and readjusting the outlet stream from the main pond - bring wellingtons! Otherwise we'll be cutting and raking the fen, knocking back any resurgent willow, and doing some repair work on the boardwalk and revetments. Watch out for the task leader's email for the details.!

The committee meets once a month to make sure that the group operates smoothly. Normally meetings are held in the town hall but for the time being these have been moved online. You don't need to be a committee member to join us, please email secretary@ocv.org.uk for details of how to join the call.

Socials are back on! We're now allowed to organise activities other than work parties, so why not join us for a picnic? There might also be some games like frisbee or rounders, which will not be at all compulsory if you'd rather just sit and drink beer instead! Bring your own food, drinks and things to share if you want to. In the event of a bad weather we'll either cancel or come up with an alternative plan such as a walk. If you'd like to come please email chair@ocv.org.uk to book a place. To comply with Coronavirus regulations numbers will be limited to 30.

Our measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 will still be in place for this task, including a limit on the number of volunteers. To book a place please reply to the leader's task email sent out in the week preceding the task. If you have not received confirmation from the leader that your place has been booked plese don't come to the task. Crecy Hill Local Nature Reserve is a County Wildlife Site and Local Nature Reserve in Tackley, ten miles north of Oxford. The reserve is sited on the slope of a railway embankment with views across the open, rolling countryside opposite. Repeated visits have given us the upper hand over the dense mix of hawthorn, rose, and bramble that threatened to overwhelm the reserve. The plan for today is to replace two flights of steps that give access to the reserve from the top of the railway embankment. We'll also be using our set of tree-poppers to take out immature hawthorn from selected areas. We're not often here in the summer months, and if we get some early June sunshine we should be able to see the flowery results of recent work. At the time of writing, and in line with our Covid-safe policies, we're not using the minibus to transport volunteers, so you'll have to make your own way to the site. Watch out for the weekly task email which will give all the details. In the meantime you can check out the location maps on the reserve page on our website. Note that there is ample parking on site.

Our measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 will still be in place for this task, including a limit on the number of volunteers. To book a place please reply to the leader's task email sent out in the week preceding the task. If you have not received confirmation from the leader that your place has been booked plese don't come to the task. We were last at this lovely water meadow site a month or so ago, and today we'll pick up work from where we left off. There's still an extensive job list to work through, including the further renovation of the main post and rail fence; the clearance of a fallen tree at the far end of the site; new sign posts to erect; and even the installation of some owl boxes if suitable locations can be identified. It's likely we'll be well spread out, so watch for the leader's task email for all the details.

We're still keeping a check on numbers so please read the task email for details of how to book. We're back at our local national nature reserve in the Chilterns today. It's a site that includes chalk grassland, grazed by flocks of sheep. Early summer means it's likely that we'll be working on public access to the site by improving paths, or repairing or installing post and wire fences. But whatever the work, it should be worth coming along if only to check out the wild flower habitats. Full details will be in the weekly email as usual. We're always looking for new task leaders (OCV depends on some volunteers being willing to lead) and an Aston Rowant task is a great opportunity to try it out under the supervision of one of the Natural England wardens who manage the site. Contact Phil at tasks@ocv.org.uk for more details.

We're still keeping a check on numbers so please read the task email for details of how to book. The East Ward Allotments are in the heart of East Oxford off Cricket Road. We were last here at the beginning of May to clear the site, install seven raised beds, and generally help out with the development of the Children's Allotment project after a year of suspended animation. For more details about the project see http://thechildrensallotment.org. At the time of writing, the central job of today's task will be to do the groundwork on the side of the site opposite to the raised beds -- there's likely to be a small mountain of topsoil to shift. For more details nearer the day make sure you've signed up to the OCV email list.

Put the words 'skunk' and 'cabbage' together and what do you get? Well, the scientific answer is Lysichiton Americanus, otherwise known as Skunk Cabbage. It's a non-native horticultural monster that tends to quickly dominate the wet woodland habitats that it enjoys. It's also difficult to remove once established, nevertheless that's what we'll try to do today on a private site on the south west slope of Boars Hill. We'll try every which way to see how best to tackle the plant. It grows from a large, usually deep, rhizome so we'll be digging, mattocking, levering and lopping. It may be that removing it by hand is too difficult to be worthwhile, especially given the extent of the spread of the plant down stream from Boars Hill, but if we don't give it a go we'll never know. Notice too that this is one of our occasional Saturday tasks.

You don't see a new OCV site for a year or so, and then two show up at once. We were meant to mow the water meadow at Burnt Mill back in May, but the site was underwater, so today we'll try again. Burnt Mill Meadow (otherwise known as Almonds Farm Fields) lies on the cusp of the Cherwell flood plain immediately to the north of the The Victoria Arms pub in North Oxford, and is owned by Oxford City Council. The Freshwater Habitats Trust, together with Judy Webb and in collaboration with the current tenant farmer, have drawn up a management plan for the site. Today we'll be working on one element of that plan to mow and rake a strip of meadow area in the northern corner of the site along the wet channel that runs along the foot of the shallow-banked escarpment. It's likely to be wet underfoot, so bring wellingtons! The site is a prime example of a unique habitat contingent upon its peculiar geographic and geological characterists. For more details on the history of the site and the flora and fauna it supports see Judy Webb's web-site page here: https://judithwebb.weebly.com/almonds-farm-bank.html

The committee meets once a month to make sure that the group operates smoothly. Normally meetings are held in the town hall but for the time being these have been moved online. You don't need to be a committee member to join us, please email secretary@ocv.org.uk for details of how to join the call.

Crecy Hill is a small reserve just to the east of the village of Tackley hard by the main railway line into Oxford. It's owned by the local parish council, and we've been making regular visits over the last year to reclaim the unimproved grassland from the invasive scrub that had come to dominate. We were last here a month ago to reinstate good access to the site via the main entrance with some extensive path and step work. The plan for today is to securely revet the steps we constructed in June, and to renovate the stepped path in the middle of the site.

The Aston Rowant National Nature Reserve in the Chilterns is managed by Natural England and, as usual, we'll be working under the guidance of one of the site wardens. This is often the best time of year to appreciate the flowers natural to the chalk grassland habitat, the main feature of the reserve. It's likely that we'll be asked to help out with work that had to be postponed over the past year. Details will be announced on the mailing list in the week preceding the task. So if you're not already on our mailing list, then now is the time to join it. We're always looking for new task leaders (OCV depends on some volunteers being willing to lead) and an Aston Rowant task is a great opportunity to try it out under the supervision of one of the wardens. Contact Phil at tasks@ocv.org.uk for more details.

Last summer we spent two days mowing the two meadow areas on the reserve either side of the central hedge. Today we'll try and complete the job in just the one day. This is an urban reserve, owned and managed by the local parish council, with an unusually complex mixture of habitats in a relatively small space -- a real gem. There will be full details in the weekly task email as usual.

A new site for OCV. The Wolfson College water meadows lie immediately opposite the college grounds on the east bank of the Cherwell. Both of them are designated sites of special scientific interest (SSSI). They lie in the flood plain of the Cherwell and have been used as pasture and hay meads since medieval times. They remain a superb flower habitat, now owned and managed by Wolfson College. The meadows are grazed in winter which mean they need stock proof fencing. Today we'll install the first stretch of a new fence that will separate the north meadow from the public footpath that follows the bank of the river. We'll need to cut back some head high vegetation to get to the fence-line; remove the old fence, then install straining posts, intermediate posts, and, finally, the new stock wire. There'll be lots to do! For more details look for the task email. For directions to the site check out the reserve web page for Wolfson College Water Meadows on our website.

The committee meets once a month to make sure that the group operates smoothly. Prior to COVID19 meetings were held in the town hall and we hope to return there soon, but for now we'll be taking advantage of the warmer weather to meet outdoors. You don't need to be a committee member to join us, please email secretary@ocv.org.uk with a few days notice so that I can make a booking.

Another day on the Wolfson water meadows with more work on a new fence that separates the north meadow from the public footpath on the bank of the Cherwell. Today we'll look to install three more straining posts to accommodate the beginnings of a gentle curve in the course of the river. If you were with us last week you'll know what to expect. If not, get to it! Full details as usual in the weekly task email, so make sure you're signed up to the OCV email list.

OCV has raised funds to pay for a one day training course on the use of the particular kind of scythe, a so-called Austrian scythe, that we have been using for six or seven summer seasons now. Of all the tools that we have the scythes are the most difficult to use, but the most satisfying to use when used properly. They are also our most delicate tools and there is some skill required to use them well and safely. Today is a great opportunity to learn the basics. The course will be given by Clive Leeke at his base in the Chilterns just outside Reading (https://www.theoldfarmyard.co.uk ). The course will be free to volunteers. There will be eight places on the course and a reserve list. This is the place to thank the fund raising officers on our committee whose work often goes unnoticed. Booking priority will be given to members of the OCV committee, OCV leaders and drivers, paid up members of OCV, then all volunteers. At the time of writing we intend to take volunteers in the OCV minibus from Oxford. Contact Phil Hunter tasks@ocv.org.uk for more details.

This National Nature Reserve is an OCV favourite. It's set on the chalk slopes that mark the western boundary of the Chiltern Hills. The sheep-cropped grass that covers the chalk is an ideal wild flower habitat. As usual at Aston Rowant we'll be working with one of the wardens. Full details of what we'll be doing, and where and when to meet, will be in the weekly task email as usual, so make sure you've signed up to the OCV mailing list.

A very gentle walk to Wolvercote across Port Meadow. Then a chance to enjoy a drink at a Wolvercote pub, then a walk back, probably ending up in pub in Jericho. All welcome, contact socials@ocv.org.uk for details.

As last summer, we'll be working with the determined group of locals who maintain this popular conservation area owned by the local parish council and situated between St. Mary's Church and the river Cherwell. The job is to rake off the mown material from the yearly grass-cut. This is important to keep the fertility of the soil low and so encourage the rarer plants and wildflowers. It will be hard but straightforward work and important for biodiversity. It's a big site, and a big task. Last year was our best effort yet with about 5/6ths of the job completed on the day. As last year, we'll be using tarpaulins to raft the mown cuttings to the compost dumps.

A traditional OCV task for high summer: our regular cut of this SSSI by the Thames, on behalf of the Oxford Preservation Trust. Despite its name the site is not quite an island, but there are houseboats on an inlet to one side and the open river to another. We'll cut the sedge and reeds and rake the cuttings off so they won't enrich the soil. The end result is beneficial to the wild flowers on the site, and, in particular, to the fritillaries hereabouts. If the sun shines this is one of the high-lights of the OCV calendar. As last year we'll be using our set of Austrian Scythes. If you had a place on our scythe training course earlier in the month today is the day to put it all into practice. Look out for more details in the task email.

Stansfeld Park in Headington Quarry, Oxford is set within 18 acres of woodland with ponds, marshland and meadows. The undulating landscape results from quarrying for limestone in the area that was used to build many of Oxford's colleges, churches and civic buildings. When quarrying ended, a variety of habitats formed, including limestone grassland, ash and hazel woodland, dense hawthorn scrub, ponds and wetland. We'll be working for the Oxford Trust who have rejuvenated the site partly as a local amenity and partly an educational resource. We'll be working with Roger Baker (the site's Outdoor Learning and Ecology Manager) and at the time of writing he's suggested that we might take on a mixed bag of jobs from pond work to path work. So make sure you're on the OCV mailing list to receive details of today's task. For more on Stansfeld Park see the Oxford Trust website: http://theoxfordtrust.co.uk/stansfeld-education-centre/.

The committee meets once a month to make sure that the group operates smoothly. Prior to COVID19 meetings were held in the town hall and after a long break I hope we will be able to return there, but please await further information by email. You don't need to be a committee member to join us, please email secretary@ocv.org.uk for details.

Aston Rowant is our local National Nature Reserve on the Chiltern escarpment just above the Ridgeway footpath. On a clear day there are extensive views across Aylesbury Vale past, and sometimes over, the Red Kites that cruise the updrafts. Today's task involves coppicing stands of hazel just off Hill Lane. We'll look to harvest stakes and binders to use on a hedge laying project on the reserve planned to start this winter. Laying a hedge encourages vigorous regrowth to form a compact, dense hedge-line, the ideal habitat for nesting birds. As usual we'll be working with Steph Wilson (one of the Reserve's wardens). Exact details of where we'll meet and the start time will be advertised via the OCV email list -- so make sure you're signed up!

Join us for pizza at Mario's on Cowley Road. More details nearer the time, or contact socials@ocv.org.uk if you'd like to come.

Note that this is one of our occasional Saturday tasks. Back in July we mowed and raked the community orchard and the perimeter of the flower meadow. Today we'll return to finish the work on the meadow and to prune back the willows surrounding the pond. This is an urban reserve, owned and managed by the local parish council, with an unusually complex mixture of habitats in a relatively small space -- a real gem. There will be full details in the weekly task email as usual.

Today we'll pick up work that was postponed earlier this year. We'll be working on the perimeter of the south fen, that's the smaller of the two Lye Valley fens, the one by the golf course with no public access. The willows at the top boundary of the fen need to be pollarded to ensure that they begin neither to block out light, nor to extract any significant quantity of moisture from the spring lines that are crucial to the fen habitat. The hedges that suround the fen on its other three sides are also in need of serious attention before they get out of hand. We'll be back here again in October to carry out the usual seasonal cut and rake. Ecologist and Lye Valley expert Judy Webb will be with us for the day and she's always more than happy to explain in detail why this kind of local, grass-roots conservation work on sites like this SSSI are so important. If it's been wet wellies will be useful.

We first mowed the meadow in Cuxham back in the summer of 2017. Today we'll return to mow and rake the meadow for the fifth consecutive time. The work gets progressively easier each time we go back, though that's not to say that you can expect an easy day's work! We'll aim to mow a relatively large area of the grass meadow, and to cut back any scrub that's beginning to encroach from the thick hedge-line at the bottom of the site. Everything we cut will need to be shifted, so we'll be using tarpaulins to raft the cut swaths off the meadow. We'll be using the OCV set of Austrian scythes (if you can bring your own, then you'll be more than welcome) and will be working for the local parish council who own and manage the site as a wild flower meadow. You'll get an idea of what's involved from the photo gallery (click 'Cuxham South Oxfordshire' in the top right to go through to the reserve page, then click on 'Photos', again in the top right).

This large 30 acre site is an 'island' bordered by the Thames, Cherwell New Cut and Shirelake Ditch, just downstream from Christ Church Meadow. The land is owned by Christ Church College and is managed by an enthusiastic Friends group with some help from the Oxford City Council. One aim of the long-term management plan for the site is to improve the condition of the Shirelake Ditch -- the watercourse that runs, or rather should run, round the eastern boundary of the site from the Cherwell to the Thames. Today we'll pick up work at the confluence with the Thames. We've worked here before in 2017 and 2019 and the good results are still evident. The inlet is an ideal habitat for spawning fish, with lots of fry in season. We'll be digging out thick mats of reed, cutting back overhanging vegetation, and dredging silt. It'll be mucky, smelly, and wet, so bring wellingtons. If the water levels turn out to be too high we'll change the work programme, so watch out for the weekly task email on the OCV mailing list.

Notice that this is another of our occasional Saturday tasks.The Trap Grounds is a small pocket of the countryside in the middle of urban north Oxford hard by the canal. It's managed by an enthusiastic volunteer group (The Friends of The Trap Grounds) and includes a range of habitats: woodland, ponds, reed-beds, and areas of meadow and marsh. It's a great example of a state of the art urban wildlife site with an ideal combination of complementary micro-habitats. As usual there will be mixed-bag of things to do. Given the time of year we might well be working in the ponds and reed beds. Another job to take in hand will be to 'pop' (i.e. lever out) a myriad of small self-seeded ash saplings in the wooded areas.

Aston Rowant is our local National Nature Reserve, perched on the west facing escarpment of the Chiltern hills. This winter we've made arrangements with the reserve managers to begin a hedge-laying project at the top of Hill Lane. There are 100 meters or so of hedge to lay and we'll look to do as much as we can over the coming winter months. There will be a lot of cut material to process, so even if you don't fancy the first-order work of laying the hedge there will be plenty to keep you busy. It may be that other work on the reserve will prove more important in the short term, so keep and eye on the website and the weekly task email for confirmation of the task details nearer the date.

Today is the first of two days work in Lye Valley, Headington. The early autumn cut of the both fens in the valley, the north fen and the south fen, is the major cut of the year, usually done by machine by the Oxford City Council green spaces team. The raking is done by hand, and that's where we come in. The aim is to keep the fertility of the soil low by removing as much of the cut material as possible. Any number of volunteers stomping up and down the fen at this time of year also mimick some of the desired effects of livestock grazing. The balance in favour of the wild flowers on this relatively rare habitat is now well established, but will need regualar maintenance to keep it that way. Ecologist and Lye Valley expert Judy Webb will be with us. (See a selection of her photographs taken on site in the photo gallery.) We'll be working on the south fen today (that's the fen with no public access by the golf course) but check the weekly email for confirmation. Make sure you're on the OCV mailing list! Wellies recommended even if there's been no rain.

Thursday night is the new Friday night! Join us for a drink or two at the Turf Tavern, one of Oxford's oldest pubs and certainly its most difficult for newcomers to find! Everyone is welcome, even if you haven't been out on a task yet. We'll be outside if the weather is anything like decent, so wrap up very warm.

Day two in Lye Valley. Today we'll be working on the larger north fen with public access from the Slade. As well as the raking it's likely that we'll be working to control the flow of the central water course that runs through the valley by using the natural materials to hand. OCV have been involved with the Lye Valley Nature Reserve for many years now, more recently, in collaboration with the active local friends group, although any human time scale looks relatively insignificant given the site's 8,000 year provenance. See the friends of Lye Valley website for lots more information on this important, rare landscape: http://www.friendsoflyevalley.org.uk. As last week, we'll be with Judy Webb, and you'll need wellies even if there's been no rain.

Early autumn is the season for fen work, and Oxford has more than its fair share of these local but relatively rare wetland habitats. You'll find more information about the fens on your doorstep and the Oxfordshire Fens Project organised by the Freshwater Habitats Trust here: https://freshwaterhabitats.org.uk/projects/oxfordshire-fens-project/. The fen alongside the Louie Memorial Fields has similar geology to the fens nearby at North Hinksey and Raleigh Park. All three are fed by natural springs and all three have great potential as wildflower and wildlife habitats. Today we'll be working for the local parish council to carry out as much as we can of the autumnal cut of the fen itself. We cut the fen a year ago when the undergrowth was, in many places, more like overgrowth with a head high, more or less dense mixture of vegeatation. It should be a little easier this year. Make sure you can cover up your arms and legs, and wellies might be useful. We'll be using slashers, grass hooks, and scythes, and drag bags and tarps to haul the cut stuff off the fen.

The committee meets once a month to make sure that the group operates smoothly. Prior to COVID19 meetings were held in the town hall and after a long break I hope we will be able to return there, but for now we'll be meeting elsewhere, November's meeting will be at the Old Tom on St Aldates. You don't need to be a committee member to join us, but please email secretary@ocv.org.uk so I can book enough space

Join us for a Guy Fawkes' night fireworks display at The Plough in Wolvercote. There's no charge for the firework display but we're asked to buy something at the pub or donate to the charity bucket. There will be a barbecue and indoor and outdoor bars serving drinks and snacks including pasties and sausage rolls. The fireworks start at 7pm, so we're allowing time to find each other and buy refreshments. Wrap up warm!

We're back at Aston's Eyot in east Oxford today to do some more work on the willows that line the banks of the Cherwell and the Thames. We'll be working for, and with, the friends group that manage the site. The plan is to tackle only those willows that we can pollard safely. Pollarding will save the trees from complete collapse, significantly prolong their life spans, stimulate new regrowth, and keep the paths along the river banks passable. Some of the willows on the Thames bank have already collapsed and are beyond pollarding. We might experiment with these by, in effect, laying some of the material to create a waterside willow hedge that should mitigate the effects of erosion along the bank.

The Crecy Hill Local Nature Reserve sits on the railway embankment just to the north of Tackley station with views over the shallow valley of the Cherwell to the open country beyond. The three acre site has never been farmed and its unimproved chalk grassland provides the perfect habitat for a good varity of native wild flowers. We'll be working to keep the scrub in check by clearing discrete areas of hawthorn, rose, and bramble. You can probably expect the first bonfire of the winter season.

The beech woods of the Aston Rowant National Nature Reserve always looks magnificent from late October to the onset of winter. This month's visit will most likely see us taking up work on the hedge at the top of Hill Lane, just across from the Cowleaze Wood car park. Laying the hedge will maintain its form and will promote vigorous new regrowth that should result in a thick, dense habitat, ideal for nesting birds. How much progress we make over the next couple of months will give us some idea of how long it will take us to complete the whole project. It may be that, come November 21st , the reserve warden would rather we tackle other, more urgent work, so keep and eye on the website and the OCV task email for confirmation of today's task.

Burnt Mill Meadow (otherwise known as Almonds Farm Fields) lies on the cusp of the Cherwell flood plain immediately to the north of the The Victoria Arms pub in North Oxford and is owned by Oxford City Council. The Freshwater Habitats Trust, together with Judy Webb and in collaboration with the current tenant farmer, have drawn up a management plan for the Meadow. Today we'll be working on one element of that plan to pollard a small copse of willows that stands in the wet channel that runs along the foot of the shallow-banked escarpment. The plan is to tackle these now, before they get out of hand. There will be lots of material to process. It's likely to be wet underfoot, so bring wellingtons! The site is a prime example of a unique habitat contingent upon its peculiar geographic and geological characterists. For more details on the history of the site and the flora and fauna it supports see Judy Webb's web-site page here: https://judithwebb.weebly.com/almonds-farm-bank.html.

We last worked in this small private woodland in the winter of 2020 to coppice hazel and install wire cages around the stools to protect the re-growth from grazing deer. Today we'll return to check on progress, coppice a discrete area of hazel, and reposition some of the protective cages. Coppicing will promote new growth in the hazel stools, and keep the understory of the wood in good condition -- light levels at groundlevel level are important for the woodland flowers, and the bluebells hereabouts are especially fine in the spring. We'll also be harvesting hazel stakes and binders for next week's hedge-laying task at Burgess Field.

The committee meets once a month to make sure that the group operates smoothly. Meetings are now back in the town hall after a long break, we'll be in the Judge's room. You don't need to be a committee member to join us, but please email secretary@ocv.org.uk if you'd like more information. We'll probably go for a drink after the meeting also.

Burgess Field Nature Park is another Oxford nature reserve that used to be a city landfill site. It's large - 8.5 hectares of more or less open ground, right next to Port Meadow. The land is owned by the City Council, but the hands-on management is kept up by a local Friends group with occasional help from OCV. Given its location the site has huge conservation and recreational potential, and today we'll be doing some work on one of the many hedge-lines on site. The plan is to lay another length of hedge further on from our last day’s work back in February. We’ll be using the stakes and binders we harvested last week to knit the new section together. There will be other work to tackle besides the hedge, so make sure you’ve signed up for the leader’s task email via the OCV mailing list for details!

Join us for a not-very-traditional Christmas meal before the holiday season gets underway. This will most likely be a curry somewhere on Cowley Road. Everyone is welcome to join us, no matter whether you're a regular volunteer or you'd like to find out more about OCV. More details in an email nearer the time, so make sure you're on our mailing list.

Our final task of the year brings us back to Aston Rowant, one of our favourite sites perched on the cusp of the Chilterns. It's more likely than not that we'll be working on the hedge at the top of Hill Lane, but watch out for full details of what we'll be doing and where we'll be doing it in the weekly task email. There will be more hedge laying in the new year, so this is a great chance to get your eye and arm well and truly grooved.

Today is Boxing Day - take the day off! Merry Christmas.