Windsor and Maidenhead Conservation Volunteers

current programme

Sites

We have several sites we visit regularly, although we're always happy to try somewhere new, and there are many more we visit than are listed here.

	Burnham Beeches This lovely site was bought by a far-sighted Corporation of London in the 19th Century in order to preserve some open space for the inhabitants of London to enjoy. In the end, even London couldn't sprawl quite this far, but the Corporation still own and run the Beeches (as well as Hampstead Heath, Highgate woods and other green spaces rather closer to home). The Beeches consist not just of the beech woodland after which they are named, but what used to be open grazing (now being opened out again and managed with ponies, cattle and pigs), heath and bits of wetland. Tasks here tend to be very varied - clearing out the ponds, scraping turf to regenerate heather, restoring heath to provide an Adder habitat and even felling trees to restore a wetland area We meet in the Beeches at Victory Cross. This is handily placed beside the little outdoor cafe which does a very good bacon sandwich...
	Cliveden Estate This National Trust estate is now probably more famous for the Profumo affair and its plush hotel (part owned by Bill Gates) than its grounds. It was badly hit by the 1987 hurricane, and we have planted more than 2000 trees here. Much of the replanting is now complete, except on the river cliff which provides some of the most challenging tree-planting conditions we've ever encountered (abseiling equipment would have been useful, put it that way). One of the nice features of planting trees at Cliveden is that we usually have a task in the summer to go back and weed the planted trees - it's nice to know they're being looked after. (The downside of this is the head-high nettles and brambles we're removing - never be tempted to wear shorts). Other Cliveden tasks include laurel bashing and working in Cliveden's own tree nursery. We meet in Cliveden in the main car park, through the main gate and up the drive
	Englemere Pond This large pond is home to kingfishers and the occasional visiting Bittern. We generally clear encroaching willow and pine seedlings from the pond margins, and also do some rhodie bashing in the surrounding woodland. It's managed by Bracknell Forest
	Arthur Jacob Reserve, Horton A great site for plane-spotters as the Jumbos brake for their final touchdown on the Heathrow tarmac apparently only yards overhead. We mainly work in the various ponds pulling out reedmace or coppicing willows at the edge
	Shurlock Row Pond Shurlock Row pond is in a triangle formed by the junction of three roads in the centre of the village. We come here periodically to clear invasive reedmace and other debris from the pond. On 1st April 2001 our planned task was cancelled due the foot and mouth outbreak, so instead we went to Shurlock Row for a short task to clear the azolla that was covering most of the surface of the pond.

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