The Friends of The Trap Grounds

May Morning Birdsong Walk

Catherine Robinson — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 08:44:24 +0000

Join us on Wednesday 1st May to enjoy early-morning birdsong on the Trap Grounds. When the Morris Dancing outside The Anchor Inn ends at 7 am, meet us on the canal bridge in Aristotle Lane for a short walk led by Committee member Tom Evans. Bring binoculars if you have them, and be prepared for mud.

Two-Year Wildlife Survey

Catherine Robinson — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 08:42:47 +0000

In March 2013 we launched a two-year survey of the wildlife of the Trap Grounds. The survey will involve both professional and amateur reporters, helping to compile an up-to-date picture of all the flora and fauna present on the site. Each time you visit the Trap Grounds, please record everything that you see – the common species as well as the more unusual ones: wrens as well as waxwings, buttercups as well as bee orchids. Please click on ‘Wildlife’ (above) to download the standard sightings form.

Trap Grounds Greetings Cards

Catherine Robinson — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 08:37:50 +0000

By popular demand we have reprinted two of our original greetings cards, depicting a Swan admiring its own reflection on the Trap Grounds pond, and Primroses flowering in the woodland. Information about the history of the site is printed on the reverse. The cards, with envelopes, cost 75 pence each, or £2.50 for a set of four, with free local delivery. Click on ‘Galleries’ (above) and scroll down to ‘Greetings Carsd’ to see all the images and download an order form.

Next Work Party: Saturday 9th March

Catherine Robinson — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 12:31:45 +0000

Our next work party will be a Rubbish Blitzon Saturday 9th March.We will need an army of volunteers to clear broken glass, old sinks, and rusty metal from the southern woodland and meadows. Please come any time between 10 am and 4 pm and help us to make the Trap Grounds safer for wildlife, dogs, and humans. Children are welcome if accompanied by an adult. Please wear boots and protective gloves; bring a wheelbarrow if you’ve got one, and a packed lunch if you are likely to be on site at around 1 pm. There will also be some forking and digging to do, so please bring appropriate tools if you can.

Annual General Meeting: Tuesday 19th March 2013

Catherine Robinson — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 11:11:39 +0000

Our AGM will be held in St Margaret’s Institute, Polstead Road, north Oxford, on Tuesday 19th March at 7.45 pm. Short reports on recent progress and future plans will be followed by refreshments and an illustrated talk about freshwater ecology by Boyd Roberts, presenting some of the weird and wonderful creatures to be found in the ponds, ditches, and swamps of the Trap Grounds.

Work Party: Saturday 1st December

Catherine Robinson — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 08:09:39 +0000

We shall be working from 10 am to 4 pm – rain or shine. Volunteers welcome. Come any time you like, for as long as you like. Tasks for all ages and abilities, including trimming the paths, lopping branches, and pulling up Ash seedlings. Tools provided, but please wear thick gloves and tough shoes or boots. Hot drinks provided, but bring your own sandwiches for the lunch break at around 1 pm.

Trap Grounds on TV, 11th November

Catherine Robinson — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 12:28:14 +0000

On Sunday 11th November, the “Countryfile” progamme at 6.20 pm on BBC 1 will feature the Trap Grounds in a report about proposed new legislation that will make it virtually impossible for any more sites like ours to be claimed as Town Greens. The Trap Grounds was chosen as an example of a Town Green that is valued and managed by the local community. It features interviews and action shots (and a very handsome toad), filmed on site last month. The Town Green item will be shown in two halves – so you have to watch the whole programme to get the whole story.

Next work party

Catherine Robinson — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 23:17:55 +0000

Our next all-day work partywill be held on Saturday 20th October (10 am to 4 pm), when a team from Oxford Conservation Volunteers will be building a bench in the bird hide, erecting bird and bat boxes, and doing some trial reed cutting. Many thanks to supporters Nigel Cannard for building two tawny-owl boxes, Mick Winter for making six bat boxes and two kingfisher perches, and David Max for making two tree-creeper boxes and two tit boxes.

Trap Grounds on TV

Catherine Robinson — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 23:15:09 +0000

On Thursday 18th October a BBC crew will be working on the Trap Grounds, filming a feature about town greens for the programme “Countryfile”. We shall need volunteers for an hour from 9.30 am to be filmed doing some conservation work. Please wear boots and thick gloves. Tools will be provided, but bring a pair of loppers or secateurs if you can. The programme is scheduled to be shown on BBC1 on the evening of Sunday 11th November.

NEXT WORK PARTY

Catherine Robinson — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 11:10:44 +0000

We will need help on SATURDAY 6TH OCTOBER, any time from 10 am to 4 pm, to rake hay from the meadows to encourage the re-growth of wild flowers next year; also to stack logs to make habitat piles for newts and lizards. We’ve got some rakes, but please bring your own if you have one. And please wear tough shoes and thick gloves. Children are welcome, but should be accompanied by an adult. Come when you like, for as long as like. Rain will not deter us!

NEW FOOTBRIDGE

Catherine Robinson — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 18:06:31 +0000

On 25th August a team from Oxford Conservation Volunteers helped us to construct a footbridge, with a handrail, across the ditch at the southern entrance to the Trap Grounds. On Saturday 20th October they will be helping us to install... Read the rest »

Glow-worm News

Catherine Robinson — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 15:27:37 +0000

Unfortunately it has been too wet and muddy for us to organise our usual Glow-worm Expeditions this year. But the poor weather does not seem to have deterred the Glow-worms themselves: the numbers observed on three nights during July have matched those seen in every previous year since the bumper year of 2007. The season is now drawing to a close. But if you happen to spot a late specimen, DON’T DISTURB IT, please.

After-School Environment Club: end-of-year report

Catherine Robinson — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 15:15:57 +0000

We have helped teachers at the local school of St Philip and St James to run a weekly after-school environment club for children aged 7–10. This has involved visits to the Trap Grounds to track and identify animal prints; mapping birds’ nests; planting saplings; building shelters for small mammals and reptiles; making a rain gauge, a worm observatory, and bird feeders out of recycled materials; investigating clouds; learning to use binoculars for bird watching; photographing and drawing plants and insects; and – most popular of all – collecting specimens of plants and invertebrate life to study under microscopes in the classroom. Volunteers are always welcome: please send us an email (via the Contacts page, above).

Renewed Threat to the Trap Grounds

Catherine Robinson — Sun, 06 May 2012 08:10:52 +0000

A small minority of local residents are campaigning for the City Council to create an entrance into the Trap Grounds woodland from the end of Navigation Way. The Friends of the Trap Grounds are opposed to the proposal for the following reasons.

The Trap Grounds is a very small and vulnerable site. The number of visitors has increased dramatically since we began our regular maintenance work, and in the opinion of our environmental advisers the site has now reached the limit of what it can sustain in terms of visitor numbers without serious damage to the wildlife populations, in particular rare resident species such as Water Vole, Glow Worm, and Water Rail (not to mention the visiting Otter). (Click on ‘Wildlife’ above for a full list of all the mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and plants of the Trap Grounds.) …… The woodland and scrubland area was accorded Town Green status in the House of Lords on the basis of its recreational use for the enjoyment of wildlife, not for use as a thoroughfare. If the proposed gate is installed, the woodland will inevitably be used as a short cut to the Summertown shops, the numbers of casual visitors will greatly increase, and the whole purpose of the Town Green designation will be invalidated. …… An additional entrance from the south will lead to fly-tipping and the dumping of green waste; encourage access by young people on bicycles and skateboards; increase the likelihood of anti-social activities such as drug dealing and all-night ‘raves’; and lead to pressure to open up a tarmac path across the site to link the Waterways estate with St Philip and St James Primary School. …… For anyone seriously interested in observing wildlife on the Trap Grounds, there is perfectly good access along Frog Lane, reached by a pleasant three- or four-minute walk northwards along the canal towpath from Aristotle Lane. …… For people who want to take their children to let off steam, or exercise their dogs, there are three alternative sites very close by: Aristotle Lane Recreation Ground, Port Meadow, and Burgess Field. If the city council has money to spend on local recreation facilities, the cash would be better spent on improving the Aristotle Lane recreation ground. …… There is no need for vehicular access from Navigation Way, because maintenance machinery can be brought on to the site via Frog Lane (as demonstrated by our deployment of a one-ton digger and a one-ton crusher without difficulty) …… We are accused by a small minority of local residents of wanting to manage the Trap Grounds as a private nature reserve. But we have worked hard in the past ten years to improve access by creating paths and glades, and installing a boardwalk for wheelchair users and young families. We regularly organise appropriate activities such as our annual May Morning Birdsong Walk, and Bats and Glow-Worms Expeditions – not to mention the weekly meetings of the After-School Environment Club; but the woodland is a very small and sensitive area (only four acres in all), and it cannot sustain the disturbance that would be created by large numbers of casual users.

We appeal to everyone who cares about the survival of this rare patch of wilderness and its wildlife population to vote against the proposal currently being promoted by the committee of the St Margaret’s Area Society. To join the Friends of the Trap Grounds and help to fund our work, please click on the link to ‘The Friends’ (above).

MAY MORNING BIRD-SONG WALK

Catherine Robinson — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 10:36:18 +0000

On May Morning (Tuesday 1st May), when the Morris Dancing outside the Anchor Inn ends at 7 am, Dr Andy Gosler, President of the Oxford Ornithological Society, will lead a walk along the canal towpath and round the Trap Grounds to listen to bird-song and help us to identify the birds that we hear.
We invite all Friends of the Trap Grounds, plus their friends and families, to join us. It will be a wonderful opportunity to learn about bird-song from an expert. The walk will last no more than an hour, but you could leave earlier if you need to. Meet us on the Aristotle Lane bridge at 7 am.

Trap Grounds Film Project

Catherine Robinson — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 22:45:22 +0000

On the last weekend in April, an Oxford film-maker will be making a short documentary about the Trap Grounds and its place in the life of the local community. From 3.15 pm to 4.45 pm on Friday 27thwe will be filming the activities of the Phil & Jim After-School Environment Club … from 2 pm to 5 pm on Saturday 28th: volunteers doing practical conservation work … and from 2 pm to 5 pm on Sunday 29th: brief interviews with visitors – young and old, with or without dogs, with or without wheelchairs and buggies - about their perceptions of the Trap Grounds, and what they value about the place. We hope that all our supporters will be involved in the film in one way or another. For the practical work on Saturday afternoon, tools will be provided, but please wear boots and thick gloves, and bring a wheelbarrow if you’ve got one.

Annual General Meeting, Tuesday 27th March 2012

Catherine Robinson — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 17:05:26 +0000

Our AGM will be held in St Margaret’s Institute, Polstead Road, north Oxford, on Tuesday 27th March at 7.30 pm. Short reports on recent progress and future plans will be followed by refreshments and an illustrated talk by Diane Wilson entitled Sex, Crime, and Violence on the Trap Grounds: The Life of the Dragonfly. New greetings cards will be on sale to raise funds for our conservation work. All welcome.

Work Parties in the New Year

Catherine Robinson — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 23:01:11 +0000

On Saturday 21st January a team from Oxford Conservation Volunteers will be working from 10 am to 4 pm, finishing the construction of the bird hide, creating refuges for reptiles and amphibians, trimming over-grown trees, and clearing brambles. We would welcome extra help, so please come along at any time during the day if you are free. There will tasks for all abilities. Tools and hot drinks will be provided, but please wear tough footwear and gardening gloves, and bring sandwiches if you are likely to be on site during the lunch break at around 1 pm. Rain will not deter us! Another all-day work party will be held on Saturday 3rd March.

Work Parties in October and November

Catherine Robinson — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 17:35:39 +0000

We have hired a tree surgeon to do some chain-saw work on the unsafe willows on the north bank of the big pond on Saturday 15th October.
We shall need help to drag logs out of the water (an opportunity to try out the waders that we’ve recently invested in) and to cut up smaller branches with bow saws. Tools will be provided, but please wear tough gloves and stout shoes or boots. Join us any time between 10 am and 1 pm. (We might also need some help in the afternoon, but before setting out please check by ringing me on 07879 488785.)

BIRD-HIDE PROJECT: Last Saturday we began work on the construction of a bird hide at the far end of the boardwalk that we installed last autumn. It was hard work but good fun, and we managed to install the main support posts. On Saturday 19th November
a team from Oxford Conservation Volunteers will return to install more posts and attach the brushwood screens. We would appreciate some extra help, any time between 10 am and 4 pm. Tools provided, but please wear thick gloves and stout shoes. Hot drinks provided, but bring sandwiches for the lunch break at around 1 pm.

After-School Environment Club

Catherine Robinson — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 08:30:15 +0000

Children aged 8-11 from Phil & Jim School are enjoying a programme of activities on the Trap Grounds and Port Meadow on Friday afternoons, led by teacher Ms Rachel Woods. If you would like to help occasionally, between 3.15 pm and 4.45 pm, please contact the Secretary of the Friends of the Trap Grounds on 01865 511307. No expertise required: just a willingness to help the children use their eyes and ears, and record their findings in words and pictures. Zakkai and Conrad, two of the children, report: “On Friday 23 September we went to the Trap Grounds to learn how to recognise different trees from each other. We were led by a naturalist called Alan from ‘The Friends of the Trap Grounds’. He showed us different types of trees. Each type of tree bark looked, smelled, and felt different. We used paper and wax crayons to make bark and leaf rubbings. We enjoyed being surrounded by nature, and had lots of fun. We learned that all trees are very different in different ways. Look out for our next report.”

Work Parties on 8th and 15th October

Catherine Robinson — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 08:22:42 +0000

On Saturday 8th October Oxford Conservation Volunteers will be helping us to construct a bird hide in the woodland and clear more brambles from the meadow. Come and join us any time from 10 am to 4 pm. Tools and hot drinks will be provided. Please wear gardening gloves and stout shoes or boots; and bring sandwiches for the lunch break. Rain will not deter us! On Saturday 15th October a tree surgeon will be doing some work on the willows by the big pond. We will need help to drag logs out of the water. Waders provided, but please wear tough gloves and stout shoes or boots. Join us any time from 10 am to 1 pm.

Work Party, Saturday 30 July 2011

Catherine Robinson — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 14:26:07 +0000

If you can spare an hour between 2 pm and 4 pm on Saturday 30 July, please help us to pull up invasive plants of Goldenrod on the wild-flower meadow. No tools required - this is light and easy work – but please wear gardening gloves and stout footwear; also a sun hat and sun cream if appropriate.

After-School Environment Club

Catherine Robinson — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 20:04:26 +0000

Today (24 June 2011) saw the inaugural meeting of the After-School Environment Club at the primary school of St Philip & St James (on the southern boundary of the Trap Grounds). The club is led by teacher Ms Rachel Woods, who is keen to introduce children to the wildlife and habitats of the TG, encouraging them to use all their senses as they explore the site, and then to record and interpret what they experience. Today eleven children, two parents, and two Friends of the Trap Grounds focused on fruit, berries, and nuts: bramble, red currant, hawthorn, and cotoneaster; rose hips, crab apples, and hazel nuts. We enjoyed the scents of wild marjoram, meadowsweet, and honeysuckle, and the sounds of blackbirds and reed warblers. Best of all, the children found a Common Spotted Orchid (growing next to the boardwalk) and saw a deer in Frog Lane. It looked too big to be a muntjac, but I could not be sure. Asked to define a nature reserve, one of the children said: “It’s a place where wild creatures can feel safe.” We look forward to many more after-school excursions to the Trap Grounds as the seasons change.

May Morning Bird-Song Walk

Catherine Robinson — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 14:23:05 +0000

Join us on Sunday 1st May at 7 am on the canal bridge in Aristotle Lane for a one-hour guided walk around the Trap Grounds, led by a local bird-enthusiast. All welcome (but please no dogs on this occasion).

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2011

Catherine Robinson — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 00:14:32 +0000

Our Annual General Meeting will be held on Tuesday 29th March at 7.45 pm in St Margaret’s Institute, Polstead Road, north Oxford. A short business meeting will be followed by refreshments and an illustrated talk by Rumi Mohideen about the Return of Otters to the Oxford Canal. Members and non-members will all be welcome.

RUBBISH BLITZ and BRAMBLE BLITZ

Catherine Robinson — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 00:09:34 +0000

As part of the annual Oxford SpringClean weekend, we are planning a Big Rubbish Blitz on the Trap Grounds on Saturday 5th March. Volunteers will be welcome to join us any time between 10 and 4 pm. It has taken us nearly ten years to clean up this former rubbish tip. One last push on 5th March might finish the job. If you don’t want to drag old car tyres out of the swamp, please help us to clear brambles from the wildflower meadow. In eithe rcase, tools will be provided, but please wear boots and thick gloves, and bring sandwiches for the lunch-break if you will be on site at around 1 pm. Hot drinks will be provided. Rain will not deter us.

The Boardwalk: Good News!

Catherine Robinson — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 11:10:50 +0000

The boardwalk is complete! Leading south from Frog Lane, alongside the stream and across the swamp, it is 120 metres long and made of environment-friendly recycled plastic boards which are vandal-proof, non-slip, and rot-resistant. The plastic planks are not only more durable than wood: they are also more flexible, enabling the boardwalk to bend around corners, so that it winds its way through the trees in a very pleasing manner.

The boardwalk has improved access for everyone, but particularly wheelchair-users and families with pushchairs. School children and their teachers will benefit too.

The materials were supplied by Filcris Ltd (www.filcris.co.uk). Stuart Cox, of Bright Frog Designs (www.brightfrog.co.uk), was responsible for the installation. The cost was subsidised by generous grants from the National Lottery Awards For All scheme and The Trust For Oxfordshire’s Environment. Our own supporters made up the difference – thank you, everyone!

Our next project is to extend the boardwalk by constructing a path through the wood, leading to a viewing platform overlooking a small reedbed, where we hope to create a small pond. Watch this space!

Friday 9th July 2010: Bats and Glow Worms

Catherine Robinson — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 08:42:09 +0000

An illustrated, interactive talk at St Margaret’s Institute in Polstead Road at 8 pm, followed by an expedition to the Trap Grounds at 9.30 pm. Children (aged 7+) welcome. Admission free, but donations to the work of the Oxfordshire Bat Group would be welcomed. If going on the guided walk, please bring a torch, and take precautions against midges. Information from Catherine Robinson, tel. 01865 511307.

Summer 2010

Catherine Robinson — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 16:53:25 +0000

Sunday 27 June: Oxford Green Spaces Sponsored Circular Walk: 10.00 am – 4.00 pm. A nine-mile walk created by the Oxford City branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, with help from the Ramblers, to highlight the threats to some of the city’s much-loved green spaces. The walk will stretch from the Trap Grounds, which achieved Town Green status in 2006, along the canal and Mill Stream to the Oxpens Meadow, then through green spaces eastwards up to the Warneford Meadow and along unsuspected green stretches back to the Trap Grounds. At each of the three sites there will be children’s activities and information stalls. The funds raised will help to pay the legal costs of Town Green claims by the Friends of Warneford Meadow and the Friends of Oxpens Meadow, and will also support the work of CPRE City District. For more information, a sponsorship form and route map, please contact Becky Crockett on 01865 874780 or by email at campaign@cpreoxon.org.uk or go to the CPRE website: www.cpreoxon.org.uk

Friday 9 July: Bats and Glow-Worms: a talk at St Margaret’s Institute in Polstead Road at 8 pm, followed by an expedition to the Trap Grounds at 9.45 pm. Children welcome. Bring a torch, and take precautions against midges. Information from Catherine Robinson, tel. 01865 511307.

Sunday 25 July: Work Party: 10 am – 4 pm, clearing brambles and Golden Rod, creating paths, preparing the meadow for mowing, etc. (with the help of Oxford Conservation Volunteers). Come when you like, for as long as you like. Tools provided; please wear boots and gardening gloves.

Saturday 18 September: Work Party: 10 am – 4 pm, clearing brambles, creating paths, raking the meadow, etc. (with the help of Oxford Conservation Volunteers. Come when you like, for as long as you like. Tools provided; wear boots and gardening gloves.

May Morning Bird-Song Walk 2010

Catherine Robinson — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 19:54:08 +0000

Saturday 1st May 2010: join us at 7 am on the canal bridge at Aristotle Lane for a guided walk round the Trap Grounds, led by a local bird-enthusiast. All welcome (but please no dogs on this occasion).

Spring 2010

Catherine Robinson — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 09:55:02 +0000

Snowdrops are flowering on the bank of the stream, hazel catkins are waving in the wind in the woodland, and we have planned a busy programme of activities for the Spring:

Boardwalk for wheelchairs alongside the stream: the contractor has started work and hopes to complete the installation by Easter.

Rubbish Blitz: Saturday 6 March, 10 am to 12 noon. We need all the help we can get! Meet us on the Frenchay Road canal bridge just before 10 am, or come along and find us in the woodland later. Wear boots and thick gloves, and please bring a wheelbarrow if you can. Children under 12 welcome if accompanied by an adult.

Bramble Blitz and Path Clearance: Sunday 21 March, 10 am to 4 pm. Volunteers needed! Come for an hour or come for the whole day – whatever you like. Wear boots and thick gloves, and bring a wheelbarrow if you can. We shall stop for lunch at about 1 pm. Hot drinks provided; bring your own sandwiches.

Annual General Meeting: Tuesday 23 March, 7.30 pm, St Margaret’s Institute, Polstead Road, north Oxford. Short reports and a presentation of future plans will be followed by refreshments and an illustrated talk by Diane Wilson: ‘Wildlife In My Garden’, featuring foxes and badgers (sometimes on the same slide!).

May Morning Bird-Song: a guided walk led by an ornithologist on Saturday 1 May, starting at 7 am. Meet us on the canal bridge at Aristotle Lane.

Funding for the boardwalk

Catherine Robinson — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:32:02 +0000

We have been awarded £15,000 by the Trust for Oxfordshire’s Environment and £5,000 by the national Lottery Awards For All scheme towards the total cost (£22,500) of a walkway (made of recycled materials) alongside the stream. The main objective is to improve access for wheelchairs, but families with buggies will also benefit, as will everyone when conditions are muddy. It is hoped that a specialist contractor will begin installing the boardwalk in mid-January 2010.

Bramble Blitz, Saturday 14 November 2009

Catherine Robinson — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:31:09 +0000

The never-ending war on brambles will continue on Saturday 14 November, with the help of a team from Oxford Conservation Volunteers. They will be working on site from 10 am to 4 pm. We’d be very pleased to welcome local supporters for an hour or two during that time. As well as up-rooting brambles, we will be clearing rubbish, lopping branches, and widening paths. Tools will be provided, but please bring gardening gloves if you have them, and a wheelbarrow if you can. We shall stop for a quick sandwich lunch (please bring your own) at about 1 pm. Hot drinks will be provided. Please meet us on the Frenchay Road canal bridge at 10 am, or come and find us in the woodland later. Contact 01865 511307 for further details.

National Moth Night, Saturday 19 September 2009

Catherine Robinson — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 08:41:47 +0000

Martin Townsend, BSc, FRES, Consultant Ecologist and County Moth Recorder, will be trapping and identifying moths on the Trap Grounds on Saturday 19 September, starting at 7.30 pm. Many beautiful and interesting specimens have been recorded on the TG, including the Emperor Moth … Drinker Moth … Cream Wave … Dwarf Cream Wave … Silver-ground Carpet … Red-green Carpet … Magpie … Clouded Border … White Satin …Round-winged Muslin … Scarlet Tiger … Cinnabar … Smoky Wainscot … Beautiful Hook-tip … and the rare Buttoned Snout. We hope to find all these and some new ones besides.

All welcome. Please ring 01865 511307 if you would like to join us.

Waterways Community Event, 12 September 2009

Catherine Robinson — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:50:09 +0000

Come and visit our information stall at the Waterways Community Event (alongside the canal at the far end of Frenchay Road), any time from 11 am to 2 pm. Join us at 2 pm at the information stall for a... Read the rest »

Bat Boxes

Catherine Robinson — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 22:23:49 +0000

A team from Oxford Conservation Volunteers have helped us to fix 11 bat boxes in the willow trees alongside the Trap Grounds stream, overlooking the reedbed and the pond. We are grateful to the Walton Manor branch of the Women’s Institute for kindly contributing the cost of the boxes, which were made by Mr Stan Smith (aged 87), whose shed was equipped with a lathe and other tools by St Dunstan’s, an organisation for blind ex-service people. We hope that the Pipistrelle and Noctule bats that hunt for insects over the Trap Grounds pond will soon discover the boxes and start roosting in them.

Conservation Work Party, Sunday 19 July 2009

Catherine Robinson — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 15:45:12 +0000

Canadian Golden Rod has invaded the meadow and is suppressing the growth of wildflowers. The good news is that Golden Rod is easy to up-root at this time of the year. Can you spare an hour (or two) to help us on Sunday 19 July, any time between 10 am and 4 pm? We shall stop for half an hour at about 1 pm for a sandwich lunch (please bring your own). Wear gardening gloves and stout shoes. Children welcome, if accompanied by an adult. For anyone seeking a tougher challenge, the never-ending war on brambles will be resumed on the same day. Tools will be provided. Ring 01865 511307 for further information.

Woodland Art Display, 8-17 May 2009

Catherine Robinson — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 08:27:35 +0000

Come to the Trap Grounds woodland to see artwork made of wood and willow by environmental artist David Gosling and the children of St Philip and St James Primary School. A giant moth, a unicorn, an owl, and a mysterious egg are among the creatures that await you in the glade. Join us at the launch of the display on Friday 8 May at 3.30 pm, or come and see for yourself at any time after that between 12 and 5 pm during Oxford Arts Week until Sunday 17 May. If you come on the afternoons of Saturday 9th or Saturday 16th, you can try your hand at making your own objects out of natural materials found in the wood, helped by the artist. Follow the signs along Frog Lane from the canal towpath, just south of the Frenchay Road bridge. This project is funded by an award from the Lottery Grants for Local Groups scheme.

Community Activity Day, Saturday 25 April 2009

Catherine Robinson — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 10:30:21 +0000

Come along at any time between 11 am and 5 pm to watch the environmental artist David Gosling at work in the Trap Grounds wood. David and other artists will be on hand to help visitors to make their own objects out of willow and other natural materials, inspired by the sights and sounds of Spring in the Trap Grounds. Take your work home – or leave it in the glade for others to enjoy. Children welcome. This event is sponsored by the Lottery Grants for Local Groups scheme. Admission is free of charge. There will be refreshments and an information stall.

Bramble Blitz, Saturday 28 February 2009

Catherine Robinson — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 17:10:36 +0000

The war on invasive brambles continues today, 10 am to 12.30 pm. Our efforts last year were rewarded by the re-appearance of Bee Orchids, Pyramidal Orchids, and wild Marjoram – not to mention 20 glow worms. Please help us to extend the wildflower meadow. Meet us on the Frenchay Road canal bridge just before 10 am, or come and find us later on. Wear boots and thick gloves. Some tools provided, but please bring your own garden fork, rake, Dutch hoe, loppers, wheelbarrow, etc. if you can. Children aged 8+ are welcome to help, if supervised by a responsible adult. (Updated Weds 25-Feb-2009)

Rubbish Blitz, Saturday 7 March 2009

Catherine Robinson — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 17:05:10 +0000

We need all the help we can get! Please meet us on the Frenchay Road canal bridge just before 10 am, or come and find us later on. Wear boots and protective gloves, and bring a wheelbarrow if you can. (We can provide gloves if necessary.) Children aged 8+ are welcome to take part, if they are supervised by a responsible adult. This task is organised as part of the city-wide OxClean project.

AGM, Tuesday 17 March 2009

Catherine Robinson — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 16:47:49 +0000

Annual General Meeting of The Friends Of The Trap Grounds, 7.30 pm at St Margaret’s Institute, Polstead Road. A short business meeting will be followed by refreshments and an illustrated talk by Alan Allport about the wildlife of the Trap Grounds. All welcome. Come and hear about our achievements during the past year and our plans for the next 12 months. Be amazed by Alan’s close-up photographs!