The Chiltern Gateway Project

Our vision

Aston Rowant National Nature Reserve

The defined boundary for the Chiltern Gateway Project is the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) that makes up the Chiltern Hills and its surrounding towns and villages. Whilst there will be certain focus areas for the project such as Chinnor, Lewknor, Kingston Blount and Aston Rowant – any village within the AONB or on the periphery can take part in the project.  This then could include villages and towns such as Thame, Tetsworth and Wallingford—which although some lie just outside the AONB have significant populations who would use the hills for recreational activities and events.

Upcoming events

We meet on the third Friday of the month to enjoy fellowship, talk conservation, and plan future activities. Meet at the Chinnor Village Centre at 1pm. If you'd like to know more, contact us at ian.swaffield@arocha.org

Recent events

BBC Springwatch

Ian at the BBC Springwatch event

Environment Sunday Weekend

We enjoy Environment Sunday so much, we decided to extend it to the Saturday as well. We started off by joining in with the Friends of the Earth Chinnor/Thame's Greeny Fayre. The booth attracted some good attention to the work of A Rocha and we enjoyed working with the FOE group on the day. Saturday evening we were joined by A Rocha UK's Helen Demopolous who led an intrepid group of explorers to find bats and set up moth traps. An early morning trap check collected many species of moths which were then used during the environmental service at St. Andrew's CofE Chinnor. The theme verses for the day were Matthew 6:19-20. Everyone was given a puzzle piece when they entered the church and when it was time to read the scripture, we put together the puzzle to reveal it. Helen shared some about moths, then Bob Sluka gave a short message on how these creatures can help us to think about where our treasure is hidden. We listened to bat sounds and had a fancy dress parade, with kids and one brave adult dressing up as a moth or bat. After the service Helen showed off the moths, Caroline Steel from SAGE led the search of the churchyard for the harlequin ladybird, and had a number of crafts. A great time was had by all and we learned more about God our creator. Look out for next year's event in June, we hope it will be bigger and might morph into a Chinnor environment weekend.

Ian and Heather at the FOE Green Fayre 2010

The Rector searching for ladybirds at St. Andrew's Chinnor

Helen setting up the moth trap

Searching for ladybirds in the churchyard

Caroline Steel of SAGE helping Sarah identify a ladybird

Lewnor CofE Primary School Nature Club

The nature club continues in Lewknor and the CGP has been helping out in the last half term of the school year. Shane Swaffield helped out with a club focused on bees, including some great crafts. Bob Sluka, Bobby Sluka and Lord Williams' Secondary School work experience student Emma Hornett led a club focused on reptiles. We brought in a leopard gecko, terrapins, and a corn snake. Most of the kids stayed to watch the snake eat.

Past Events

Dawn Chorus

2010

On May 8th the Chiltern Gateway Project organised a Dawn Chorus and walk through the BBOWT National Nature Reserve, up on Chinnor Hill. Led by A Rocha's conservation director Andy Lester, we were about 35 in number, including 12 children and the reserve's warden, who told us about the work on the reserve and its flora and fauna.  With Andy's help, we were able to tune in to listen to a wide number of native, and some early visiting birds. It was great to welcome folk who had travelled from Oxford and Maidenhead, and to enjoy a cooked breakfast afterwards at the Village Centre!

2009

Not deterred by the drizzle and early alarm call, a group of 20 adults and children, from the local Community, and as far away as Oxford and Marlow, joined in a Dawn Chorus Bird Walk organised by the Chiltern Gateway Project. We met at 6am at Cowleze Wood, Aston Rowant National Nature Reserve, Lewknor, and were guided through the reserve by Andy Lester, conservation director for A Rocha. He shared his expert knowledge about our native birds and migrant visitors as well as pointing out evidence of climate change and changing trends in a relaxed and engaging manner. We finished with a superb breakfast at the Jubilee village hall in Lewknor, generously provided and supported by members of St Margaret’s Church, Lewknor.

Juniper planting at Aston Rowant National Nature Reserve

The sun shone and we were ready with spades and juniper saplings ready to be planted. A Rocha’s juniper expert or ‘nut’ as he prefers to be called instructed 54 enthusiastic volunteers on the history and value of the native juniper tree. As one of only 3 native conifers it is important to conserve this endangered tree in one of its remaining strongholds at Aston Rowant. Numbers are down from over 3000 when last surveyed in the 1960’s to less than 1000 today. We were able to add another 168 to that total.

Local volunteers from A Rocha Chiltern Gateway together with a team from A Rocha and Natural England dug into a new plot to establish a colony of juniper grown from cuttings taken from existing trees on the reserve. The cuttings have been carefully nurtured over the past few years at the local Waterperry garden centre and at Springfield open prisonin Aylesbury. Their progress will be carefully monitored over the next few years to make sure they thrive in their new home and we hope make a good addition to the population on the reserve. While we rested after our hard work and contemplated the beauty of this unique landscape around us, Rev. Simon Brignall led a simple service of dedication – giving thanks for the gifts of Creation and reminding us of our responsibility to be good stewards of all that the land provides for us.

In November, 2009 over 60 volunteers, including our local MP, braved the cold to plant another 100 juniper trees. It was a fantastic afternoon of enjoying God's creation and each other.

Glow Wild in the Dark

It was a dark and, thankfully, not so stormy night that drew us to the Aston Rowant National Nature Reserve. Natural England, with A Rocha UK assisting, put on a fantastic event designed to let people of all ages experience the reserve at night. A lantern-lit path led visitors to stations within the reserve. There were small mammal and bat stations, complete with live animals. Glow-stick lit signs along the way gave important facts about the reserve. Our own Helen Demopoulos ran a station about owls, including the opportunity to sift through owl pellets for bones. The kids (and quite a few adults) loved it. And who can forget the story of Fergus the fungus and the inimitable Green Man? The circuit was completed with a stop for tea and biscuits hosted by the local A Rocha Friends group. Before the night, 160 had booked a place! Definitely a successful evening and another chance to strengthen our partnership with Natural England. The local A Rocha Friends group met several times ahead of the event for planning and fellowship. On the night, we helped set up and then met together to fortify with warming, homemade soups and local bread.

History

The Chiltern Gateway Project (CGP) was initiated through a partnership between the Parish of Lewknor, headed by its then vicar Simon Brignall, A Rocha UK, a national Christian conservation charity and Natural England a key partner and local land owner.

From late 2006 until mid 2009 Simon steered the project on the ground-with the support of the partners. In addition to A Rocha and Natural England, the project was actively encouraged through the vision of Lewknor PCC. A number of its members helped to develop an active Steering Group which met on a bi-monthly basis to take forward ideas on funding, events and school based education activities.

The project received tremendous encouragement from Lewknor C of E School – and A Rocha together with the school headmaster worked at a funding strategy to recruit a part-time education officer responsible for delivering a number of after school activities themed around the Creation-care message. This was well received by staff and children alike and remains a cornerstone of the Chiltern gateway project.

From 2008 onwards the project increasingly engaged with Natural England on their Aston Rowant National Nature Reserve. A number of successful events were organised-culminating in a juniper planting programme that commenced in the spring of 2009. This mini-project seeks to monitor the growth of newly planted juniper-by using local volunteers to support Natural England’s work on the site.

For the past three years the project has remained largely Lewknor focused – but in recent months it is clear that it is entering a new phase, with growing interest from other villages within the Chiltern area-and a greater emphasis on developing the project around the needs and hopes of the wider community. This meets the hopes and aspirations of all the key partners to see the project grow and expand at a local level.

Getting involved in the project

• If you would like to get involved, contact Ian Swaffield, ian.swaffield@arocha.org
• If you want to volunteer for practical conservation working parties at Aston Rowant National Nature Reserve, which overlooks Lewknor, contact Natural England on 01844 351833 or jenny.crook@naturalengland.org.uk. Please mention that you're a Friend of A Rocha! And if you're not a Friend, why not become one? To find out more click here.