Wed 10 June – Collecting Tree Guards in Centenary Wood

7:30pm – meet by Centenary Wood (NOT in the Church Hall!)

Rendezvous 7:30pm by the northernmost entrance to Centenary Wood (just after the little bridge) to help collect up (and hopefully recycle) the plastic tree-guards which are no longer needed and are littering up the wood. This was suggested by a seven-year-old SOW member, and everyone is welcome to come along and help, including accompanied children. Bring gloves!

We’ll be going ahead even if the weather is a bit damp. Bring a water bottle if you need it.

Sat 20 June – Pollination Festival

At the Garden Centre, 9am-4pm

Jointly with the Environment Action Group, we’ll be running a stall about APollOW and pollinator conservation and counting. We need some people to stand on the stall. If you can help, even for an hour, please get in touch. It’s a nice event and a great opportunity to spread the word about protecting pollinators – and SOW and the EAG – but we need help!

Sat 27 June – Village Day

Oakington Recreation Ground, 12:30 – about 4pm (event goes on until 10pm)

SOW will be running a stall at this event too, about the APollOW project, building bee hotels and (possibly) about reducing the impact of our “stuff” (Reduce/Reuse/Repair etc.) If you’d like to be involved please get in touch.

Wed 8 July – Outdoor Nature Session including APollOW training

7:30pm – meet in the Community Orchard next to the Rec (NOT in the Church Hall!)

James Heywood will be demonstrating how to do a pollinator count – a brilliant opportunity to see it in practice and have a go yourself.

Climate Change Gardening

If you missed this very good and very popular talk, notes are now on our website.

Other Notices

Plant Swap (9 & 10 May)

Organised by SOW and by Oakington & Westwick Neighbours. Thank you to all who came and swapped plants, and donated to the village Hardship Fund – £68.86 was raised.

The Hedge & the Hog: Helping Wildlife One Verge at a Time (online, Weds 17^th June, 7 – 8pm)

What do wild verges have to do with hedgehogs? How do you make your garden more wildlife friendly? How can you use less pesticides and increase biodiversity on the land you manage? Find out the answer to these questions in this interactive webinar with On the Verge Cambridge, Pesticide-Free Cambridge, Shepreth Hedgehog Hospital and Histon and Impington (HI) Hedgehog Champions and HI Green Spaces.

Learn about the knock-on effects of pesticide and herbicide use, how it impacts local wildlife, and what alternative things you can do to help wildlife thrive. HI Hedgehog Champions and Green Spaces will share their experience and practical tips on how to implement changes in your neighbourhood – meet Eric, and other hedgehogs that have been released back into the wild.

This workshop is open to everyone who is interested, and free of charge. SIGN UP HERE: Hedgehogs and Verges Webinar – Fill in form