It’s National Tree Week, so it’s very fitting that there’ll be 400 new trees planted across the 3 villages following our ‘More trees, please’ campaign.

Thanks very much if you’ve found space for one tree (or a whole bunch). And if you were already at full capaci-tree, don’t worry, the Woodland Trust has agreed to supply Upton with 400 native trees to plant our own ‘tiny forest’.

The plan is to use a method pioneered in Japan in the 1970s, and successfully deployed in the last couple of years in the Netherlands and Witney! It involves putting in trees very densely – as many as 600 on a tennis court-sized space. Competition encourages the trees to grow much faster than usual in the first 3 to 4 years, achieving higher than usual levels of soil enrichment, and quickly becoming home to large numbers of birds and invertebrates. (Search for the ‘Tiny Forest Zaanstad’ report from Wageningen University if you want to see the species lists!)

The trees arrive in March, and will need lots of mulch to get them started. The young woody growth on hedges and trees makes one of the best mulches, so if you’re pruning or clipping over the winter please don’t brown bin it – let me know and I’ll take it away.

Citizen science: Owl project

We’ve launched a new project to study the owl population in the three villages. Lu Barton, our local owl expert, is working with us to help map and support our owl population. Together we’ll be listening for owls, putting up nest boxes, installing nest webcams and working to improve local habitat for owls.

Lu has already been looking into where our local owls are around the 3 villages. Do help her by emailing her (Lusowls@btinternet.com) to tell her if you’ve seen or heard owls near you.

Lu has already been hosting fascinating Facebook live sessions about each of our local owl species – tawny, little and barn owls. She’s joined in the sessions by her own gorgeous owls and she tells us more about each type of owl and what we can do in our gardens and on our land to support them better. If you missed any ‘owlcasts’ you can watch again on our Facebook page. Here’s a short link to find it: shorturl.at/cmHRU

Joining HUGS

It’s free to join – just drop an email to hugsustainability@gmail.com You’ll get advance notice of events and you’ll get a say in what activities HUGS focuses on in 2021.

Kieron

‘Tis the season to plant trees in!
According to The Woodland Trust, it’s best to plant trees between November and March when they’re dormant and there’s less risk of causing damage.
There are lots of reasons people plant trees – to replace an old one that had to be felled, to help wildlife, to grow fruit, to soak up carbon, to remember a loved one, just to watch it grow.
But there’s another compelling reason to plant a tree this year. Because it will help us reach our target of 1000 new trees in the 3 villages!
Native species have the dual benefit of capturing carbon and supporting indigenous wildlife so we’ve got a great list of natives for you to choose from – and they’re all under a fiver.
Depending on what space you have available, how about a beautiful flowering tree like a guelder rose or a bird cherry, or if you’ve got a bigger gap, why not a sweet chestnut so you can be roasting your own in a few Christmases from now. For the full range, see the tree-planting section of our website: https://www.hugsustainability.org/trees-1
We’ll also be able to put you in touch with expert local gardeners for advice on where and how to plant.
Owls over Upton
We’re launching an exciting project with Lu Barton of Lu’s Owls in Didcot to monitor owls in our area. Owls are an indicator species, helping us understand what state our local nature is in. We know tawny and little owls are still around, but we think we’ve lost barn owls in recent years.
Using the data we collect together we want to put up more nest boxes (several with web cams) and we’d like to work with landowners to improve habitat for our owls. More info next month!
Village Questionnaire
You’ll be getting a questionnaire from the Parish Council asking what you’d like to see happening in the village in your mail/email soon.
It’s a good opportunity to register your support for activities and expenditure which promote nature, the rural landscape and sustainable lifestyles.
Members of the Parish Council committee aren’t opposed to these things – in fact they’ve been very positive about protecting the environment and biodiversity. But they need to know what your views are, and what you expect them to take into consideration when making decisions.
If you’re concerned about the environment, biodiversity or climate change, please speak up.
Kieron

HUGS were at the Hagbourne Produce Show last month (socially distanced in the car park) to ask villagers what sustainable activities they’d be interested in. Popular suggestions included tree planting, a repair cafe, a pop-up refill station and wilding of verges and other areas. We’ll be working on making these happen.
We also attended September’s Upton Parish Council meeting to propose ways to keep the village green and low-carbon.

Village Wildlife Walk
We’re pleased to launch a wildlife walk in celebration of the beautiful landscape we live in. It’s a 2 mile circular route connecting the 3 villages along footpaths and the cycle track. It’s mainly metalled path so will be great for autumnal and wintery walks as well as spring and summer.
A printable map and directions are at www.hugsustainability.org/walk
As locals, you’ve probably enjoyed the scenery and wildlife on parts or all of the route already. There are several hidden gems including the Hagbourne cemetery wildflower meadow (in summer) and Mowbray Fields Nature Reserve. There’s a top 10 wildlife spotting list for kids too.
We’ve walked the route with Steve Gozdz of Goring Gap Wildlife Walks, who’s offering guided tours of the route and has described it as a ‘haven of wildlife to be discovered.’
We’d be delighted to see any pictures you take and to hear about wildlife you find along the way.
The HUGS Team hugsustainability@gmail.com