What happens if you count every single piece of plastic your household throws away for a week? This spring, ten Watlington households joined tens of thousands across the UK to do just that by taking part in The Big Plastic Count 2026 — and the results were both eyeopening and motivating. Even among residents who already shop thoughtfully and care deeply about the environment, the sheer volume of plastic was a shock. Over just seven days, households of one to four people caref
Lime in West Meadow One of the great pleasures of walks round Watlington is seeing the lime tree when you enter West Meadow. Magnificent in summer, it also has charms in winter. The many bundles of vegetation in its branches are mistletoe. Mistletoe has spread widely in the last few years – some of us have noticed its appearance in our gardens – and there is a very interesting story as to why. It turns out that mistletoe seeds are spread by birds, particularly blackcaps and m
A group of us visited the Broad Arboretum mid-April as nature was already well engaged into its mesmerising spring cycle. The arboretum, a living library, takes its name from Ken Broad, Woodland Project Manager, and planting started 30 years ago to capture every tree and shrub species native to Oxfordshire and help local farmers identify trees on their lands. John Brannan, who was part of the planning and planting team when the project started in 1998, was our expert guide fo
Pyrton Charities Trust and Watlington Climate Action Group held a community hedge laying session on 13th March to rejuvenate an overgrown hedge along a public footpath at Christmas Common.
