Brightwell-cum-Sotwell Environment Group

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The Brightwell-cum-Sotwell Environment Group was launched late in 1995, with the support of the Brightwell-cum-Sotwell Parish Council, in response to the call in AGENDA 21 to act locally.

A village meeting, the formation of a committee and the adoption of a constitution led to the group embarking on a programme designed to involve the parish in a wide range of activities concerned with the environment. The first main project was the preparation of a Parish Conservation Plan, which was published in 1998.

Activities of the group aim to involve all age groups and have included awareness raising, training, development of practical skills, recording and monitoring. Residents of the parish, including children at the village school and retired people, have taken part in activities such as hedge laying, surveying hedgerows, filming for the BBC Breakfast Programme and, from their armchairs, observing and recording the birds in their gardens.

Recent activities include traffic surveys, a study of watercourses in the parish and a survey of birds in two specific farmland locations. A wildlife project in St James’s churchyard started in 2002 aims to enhance the habit by careful management in order to increase the bio-diversity.

In March 2000, the Environment Group led the creation of a Millennium Wood to the west of the village. Since then the wood has flourished, the trees have grown and provide a haven for wild life. Working parties have cleared litter and undergrowth, an open day was held in spring 2004 and a visit arranged for children of Brightwell Primary School

The group organises two public meetings a year in the Village Hall where invited speakers make presentations on topics of interest. Badgers, the Return of the Red Kite, Climate Change, Birds of Prey, Bats and most recently a very topical talk on Bugs by the scientific advisor to the latest David Attenborough television programme ‘Life in the Undergrowth’ have been among the subjects addressed. Visits to local sites of interest are arranged in the summer such as to Cholsey Marsh and Bix Nature Reserve.

For more information and detail of current programmes please follow the links below to the separate pages.