Stockbridge Down is one of my favourite local nature reserves. There are amazing views of farmland and villages below with soaring red kites and buzzards above and greater for rare wildflowers, butterflies and moths. The site is a Site of…
Category: out and about
DEVIZES IS LOOKING FOR A NEW PIE!
Devizes Pie was a local speciality for hundreds of years, an ancient version of the recipe written in Old English. The Devizes Food and Drink Festival think it is about time Devizes has a new pie and a competition is being run to discover the new pie.
The Wonders of a Wander seize your right to roam
I love walking. I love being out and about, seeing, touching, smelling, listening, getting the air and exploring. However, sometimes life and your brain get in the way. Sometimes we need to just get out there, enjoy that Wonders of…
Rodborough Common, a herb-rich limestone grassland, Site of Special Scientific Interest, Special Area of Conservation and owned by the National Trust
Rodborough Common is a 116-hectare site situated on the outskirts of Stroud, Gloucestershire. The site is now owned by The National Trust and was cited as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in 1954. The site is also a…
Harmony Woods – a new community woodland
Harmony Woods is part of the Jubilee Woods complex found on Augusta Park. The project to create a new community woodland was started in 2012 by Andover Trees United. The ‘woodland’ has been planted using mainly deciduous native trees by…
Wild garlic – Seasonal foraging and food
Last spring, like most of us during the lockdown, I did a lot of exploring in my local area. While wandering through the woodlands and coppices I had discovered on the Dorset/Wiltshire border, I came across loads of wild garlic…
Hedge cutting: when and how to do it – some balance.
There is a lot of outrage over hedge cutting. This gives me so much hope, as it shows a level of emotional investment in these wonderful habitats. Often, this frustration is justified, but sometimes it’s a little misplaced. Let’s have…
Want to Blog – but don’t want the admin?
Want to try to write something? Passionate, or got something to say? This might be the place for you. Read on. We are looking for people that would like an opportunity to write for this site. Anything from regular features…
Rooksbury Mill Nature Reserve – a mosaic of wetlands valuable for wildlife
Formerly used for Gravel extraction, now important for many rare and declining species of wilslife. Andover is fortunate to have Rooksbury Mill Nature Reserve, nestled between the A303 and Watermills Park. The site started life as part of the Rooksbury…
Where to start when creating a new nature reserve
Recording first, and what platforms to use. When creating a new nature reserve either on a large scale, or just creating a wild area in your garden, or improving a wild area, it is best NOT just to get stuck…