Category Archives: environment

A better world

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Encouragement and Hope
At 10am on Sunday morning some locals were standing in the Market Place socially distancing and displaying messages of hope. The world has changed dramatically in the last two months due to a global pandemic. The old ways of doing things, ways that were not sustainable for the planet, could be made to change for the better.
Encouragement and Hope
Encouragement and Hope
Encouragement and Hope
Thanks to Tim for these pictures.
Encouragement and Hope
There have been a lot of people out cycling during the lockdown, particularly young families for whom the roads are not always felt to be safe. A new cycle lane has been put in along Bath Street during the lockdown. The cycle way to Milton Park and Didcot is being improved. Car drivers are being more sympathetic to cyclists at the moment.
Encouragement and Hope
Today, I went to Pedal Power – the bike shop on the Vineyard. They are open to one customer at a time – at the times specified on their website. There could be a small queue outside. This was a chance to get things needed to keep our bikes on the road. I could have sent off for the same things from ebay or amazon but I saved money by going to Pedal Power and shopped local.

Bottles and Cars

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Bottles and Cars
Tony says ‘Following an article in Round and About . . .

Two pensioners went for an exercise walk today, litter picking as always, and in addition to the usual found a cache of rubbish chucked into the nettles alongside the Thames. Somebody had been having a big party.

They filled two bags but had to leave a box of bottles because it was more than they could carry to the nearest bin by the lock. They are constantly amazed at the amount of litter in the streets. Drinks cans and beer bottles often still half full, crisp packets, tissues, soda bombs and so many blue plastic gloves. What sort of people leave this stuff lying around?’
Bottles and Cars
The cars are coming back but not yet to normal levels. This picture is of Ock Street today.

Di says ‘For my walk this morning, just before 11, I went down the Radley Road from Kingfisher School to the St Edmunds roundabout and back and thought I would practise & being Alert! Last time it was very quiet but today I counted 69 vehicle movements, about a dozen of them commercial.  It felt pretty much like a pre coronavirus normal working day, probably due in no small measure to the mixed messages we are getting.  I wonder how it is in other parts of the town.’

The school run accounts for a large proportion of rush-hour traffic

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school run
At ten past eight this morning, some snow was falling. I overheard some school pupils saying there would need to be more snow to settle. A biffa lorry collecting trade waste outside the Helen and Douglas charity shop did not hold up the slow flow of traffic. A man was positioned to throw the dozen bags in the back while the traffic waited in West St Helen Street.

Traffic is back to its normal school day pattern. Last week during half term there were much smaller queues. I read on a site called Walking to School, ‘The average drive to school and back releases 800g of CO2 into the air – enough to inflate over 60 balloons.’

Barton Fields in February

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In January I suggested a monthly visit to The Barton Fields Nature Reserve and here we are in February.
Barton Fields in February
The Thames Path runs along one side of Barton Fields. It is wet and muddy.
Barton Fields in February
The marshy ponds have become more extensive after the recent rain.
Barton Fields in February
The Sustrans Route 5 cycle way runs along the other side. A lot of the trees and bushes arch over the cycle way with their show of blossom.
Barton Fields in February
Small leaves are also appearing from the wood.
Barton Fields in February
The hay, reported in this blog last autumn, has been left in piles which provide an area for some animals to over-winter.
Barton Fields in February
The only mammal I saw, apart from the people and dogs out on walks, was a squirrel, and it was well hidden.
Barton Fields in February
There were lots of birds. In one area of bushes, near a pond, there were lots of Tits and Goldfinches flying from perch to perch. On further investigation I discovered they were attracted by bird feeders hung from a tree.
Barton Fields in February
On the notice boards, at either end of Barton Fields, a talk is being advertised. It is about a Floodplain Meadow Project run by BBOWT. So that could have some ideas for Barton Fields where a wild flower area is being established.

Normally members of the Abingdon Naturalists’ Society also talk about sightings they have made seen since the last meeting. I wonder what they have seen in Barton Fields during February.