This Sweet Chestnut tree grows on the triangle at the top of Hill Road where it joins the Christmas Common Road. It was planted by the parish council around the time of the millenium. Sweet Chestnut trees are common, especially in the south of the UK and are of the same family as oaks and beeches. Although they are not native to the UK they have been here for very many years and may have been introduced by the Romans. They are a tremendously useful tree. Not only are the flow

Around 150 people, including local councillors, representatives of local organisations and ordinary members of the public, packed St Leonard’s Church in Watlington on Monday for a screening of the People’s Emergency Briefing film. The screening formed part of a wider UK programme of events designed to help communities engage with the climate and nature crisis, and was jointly organised by Watlington Climate Action Group, Benson Area Nature Group and Watlington Environment Gro

Don't miss Watlington Wildlife Open Gardens on the 19th July 1 - 5 pm. Watlington residents are opening their garden gates to show their nature-friendly gardens. You will be able to visit: A beautiful cottage garden with native wildflowers, pond and toad home Watlington's precious and rare chalk stream flows through wild wooded areas A bat bird and newt-friendly garden with pond, pollinator-friendly planting and more A traditional cottage garden, with a pond, a woodland area

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.

Digital technology is now responsible for 3-4% of global carbon emissions – a bigger impact on climate change than even the aviation...

Summer brings an abundance of local produce just waiting to be enjoyed and eating Seasonally is an enjoyable way to reduce your carbon...

WCAG worked with WEG and ArtWeeks to put on a Wildlife and Nature stop at St Leonard's Church - an ArtWeeks first! The artists were all...

This group of cherries and silver birch stand on the footpath leading from Spring Lane on the corner of the horse pond, across the wild...

Can readers help Richard Sibly with research into the sustainability claims made about methane emissions and soil as a carbon sink?...

Willows are beautiful and beneficial for wildlife and humans, helping with flood management, writes Janet Lambert A popular circular...

Repairing stuff rather than buying new is a great way to reduce your personal carbon footprint, reduce landfill and save money. But if...

Getting more wildlife into your garden doesn’t have to be complicated but the dividends for you and nature alike are numerous, writes...

Denny Rigby, Watlington Climate Action Group The ‘Big Plastic Count’ is an initiative between Everyday Plastic and Green Peace that aims...

Is your home NOT heated by gas? Is your gross household income less than £39k? Does your home have an EPC rating of D, E, F, or G? Then...

Residents in Oxfordshire are the best in England for recycling, reusing and composting. The total amount of household waste produced by...

Thank you to everyone who came to the Film Night, which was a joint event with Watlington Environment Group, Wild Oxfordshire, and...

Are you interested in meeting like-minded folk and get involved in the climate conversation? If so, please join us for Green Drinks at...