The Greener Henley Wildlife Working Group (GHWG) works with Henley Town Council to improve some of the land they own for wildlife and people.
The main areas on to date are:
The wildlife areas on Mill and Marsh Meadows on the banks of the Thames
More recently we’ve started helping Holy Trinity Church manage their churchyard, and we also keep an eye on other wildlife areas such as Tilebarn Wood.
The aim of the Greener Henley Wildlife Working Group is to create and maintain a mosaic of habitats to avoid having stands of vegetation dominated by the more aggressive species, allowing biodiversity to thrive.
This means removing invasive aliens like Himalayan Balsam and knocking back things like nettles, bramble, reeds and pond sedges when they threaten to dominate.
While these species can be very good for wildlife, they can take over and crowd out other, more delicate plants like the Fritillaries, Ragged Robin and Meadow Buttercup.
We work very closely with Lex Vokes, the Town Council’s Conservation Park Warden. We’re very lucky to have him as not many councils are willing to dedicate resources like this to wildlife.
The Henley Wildlife Group was set up in 1993 and has been managing the nature conservation areas on Mill and Marsh Meadows since it first obtained its licence from the Town Council in September 1995.
The main area of interest on the Meadows is the pond area next door to the River & Rowing Museum where there is an attractive array of wetland wildflowers throughout Spring and Summer.
There are three ponds. The one in the middle was dug in September 1995, the one nearest the railway was dug in February 1996 and the one nearest the stream was dug in August 2004. There is a wildlife trail leaflet designed to encourage everyone to visit the wildlife areas on the Meadows – see HWG is now the nature conservation arm of Greener Henley so has been renamed the Greener Henley Wildlife Group.
Our sessions are open to everyone. They are a good opportunity to get some fresh air and exercise in pleasant open spaces, whilst doing something useful for the local community. We break for tea, coffee and cake mid-way through the session.
If you would like to help out our local wildlife – be it flora or fauna – get in touch at greenerhenley@gmail.com.
Work parties take place on Mill and Marsh Meadows on the first Wednesday of the month from 9:30 to 12:30, although occasionally we move them to the chalk bank or Gillotts Field. We meet in the Mill Meadows car park just beyond the entrance to the River & Rowing Museum. Anyone interested in helping to maintain local wildlife areas is welcome.
For more information, please contact Sally Rankin, s.rankin@btinternet.com, mobile 07941 207687.
