Save the date!

Eco activities for your calendar over the next couple o’ months…

JUNE – ‘30 Days Wild!’
13	Switch Up Your Lunch | Tues 13th June – Join Cherwell Collective in eating veg on June 13th 2023 to help reduce carbon emissions in Oxfordshire. They’ll also be serving veggie and vegan options at their cafe Thursday-Saturday during the week
17	Park Hill Monthly Work Party | Sat 17 Jun, 10am – 12pm| Park Hill Recreation Ground Garden Open Day (OX5 2DA) – Come and muck in with other volunteers as we maintain and enrich this community green space and Harvest@Home project!
23	Andy’s Bat Walks | Details TBC – Back by popular demand Andy P, St Mary’s Field Nature Reserve Group and Wild Kidlington are hosting a number of bat walks around the village on Friday evenings from 8.30pm. A short talk and Q&A is followed by an expedition to go track some down with bat detectors! Details TBC – keep an eye out for more info and sign up via KEG’s facebook page here.
JULY
1	St Mary’s Fields Work Party | Sat 1st Jul, 10am-12pm | St Mary’s carpark (OX52AZ) – Join the team of volunteers working on some Summer tasks to encourage nature. Also enjoy a well-earned slice of Julia or Rosie’s homemade cake at half time!
2	Swift Awareness Week | 2nd – 9th Jul – Back by popular demand Kidlington Swift Watch and Wild Kidlington are planning several swift-spotting walks. Watch this space for more info!
4	Swift Walk | Tues 4th July, 7.30pm | Starting from Park Hill Recreation Ground (OX5 2DA) – Join us for a wildlife walk in the village to see swifts. Starting with an introduction to these special birds, and then a gentle walk stopping at key nesting sites. In partnership with Cherwell swift project. To book your place sign up here.
5	Kidlington Gardening Society Talk | Weds 5th July, 7.30pm | Exeter Hall, small hall (OA5 1AB)
6	KEG Meeting | Thurs 6th July | Exeter Hall, small hall (OA5 1AB) – Join representatives of different local eco groups and enthusiasts to connect, communicate and collaborate.
7	Swift Walk | Tues 7th July, 7.30pm |Starting from St Mary’s Car Park (OX5 2BB) – Join us for a wildlife walk in the village to see swifts. Starting with an introduction to these special birds, and then a gentle walk stopping at key nesting sites. In partnership with Cherwell swift project. To book your place sign up here.
10	Hedgehog Talk | Mon 10th July, 7.30pm | Exeter Hall (OA5 1AB) – Wildlife photographer, conservationist and former vet Stephen Powles, will show us how we can make our gardens hedgehog friendly. We’ll also get to see a sneak peak of Kirtlington’s ‘Hedgehog Superhighway!’ More info and sign up here.
11	Possibly another Swift Walk – TBC!
15	Park Hill Monthly Work Party | Sat 15 Jul, 10am – 12pm| Park Hill Recreation Ground Garden Open Day (OX5 2DA) – Come and muck in with other volunteers as we maintain and enrich this community green space and Harvest@Home project!
22	Wild Kidlington’s Green Lane @ Kidlington Gala Day | Sat 22nd July, 11am-3pm | Exeter Hall & Close (OA5 1AB) – Come along to this free community fun day with all sorts of fun activities for all ages. While there check out Wild Kidlington’s ‘Green Lane’ with interactive stalls showcasing the work of community groups geared to ecological issues and encouraging biodiversity.

Local Eco News

Some headlines since the last update…

• Coronation Celebrations – Big Lunch & Help Out, & The Living Sculpture – Over the Coronation weekend (7-8 May) the Cherwell Collective organised a number of fantastic events. Over 300 were fed as part of it’s ‘Coronation Big Lunch’ provided by the Climatarian Kitchen and saving 3600 car miles worth of food from landfill. As part of their ‘Big Help Out’ litter pickers de-rubbished the landscape and over 200 people attended the celebrations at Park Hill rec where amongst other things the new ‘Living Sculpture’ – a tribute to our new King’s climate action legacy – was unveiled. It was made from repurposed materials, and now sports a beautiful mane of plants. Do go and pay a visit when you get the chance!

• Evening Chorus Walk – On the 13th May an intrepid band set out over St Mary’s Fields to listen to the evening chorus. Over 32 species of bird were identified by sight or call and excited walkers were given a treat when they spotted this year’s brood of tawny owlets!
• KEG Strategic meeting – On Thursday 7th June KEG met to discuss how the Thame Green Living framework could be adapted to our context and used to help us move towards a greener Kidlington and world.

If you have any local eco news or events to feed in to our next monthly digest please email: kidlingtonecogroup@gmail.com

Our next KEG meeting is on Thurs 6th July, 1pm @ Exeter Hall (in the small hall). All welcome!