Butterfly Conservation, Dr Helena Chance, Earthwatch Europe, Floodplain Meadows Partnership, Freshwater Habitats Trust, MOD Bicester Garrison, NewtConservation Partnership, RSPB, Thames21 and Wild Oxfordshire
The Bernwood-Otmoor-Ray landscape is a historic natural landscape under increasing pressure from large-scale development. It has pockets of habitat in good condition, but these are often isolated. RBOR is looking to increase connectivity of key habitats across the landscape, increase ecological resilience, and support the recovery of important species such as the endangered black hairstreak butterfly, the curlew and great crested newts. The landscape sits within one of the blocks of the Oxford-to-Cambridge Growth Corridor - the source of much of that development pressure - and forms part of the Wildlife Trusts' 100 Miles Wilder vision, which holds that nature should be the backbone of development rather than a constraint on growth.
Working with farmers and landowners, the partnership will create new habitats and enhance existing ones, strengthening the connectivity of woodlands, freshwater and hedgerows. Planned works include 40haof floodplain meadow restoration, 10ha of wetland, 30 ponds created or restored with five further ponds especially for great crested newts, six scrapes, 7km of new hedgerow and 4km of margin, alongside the management of 11km of hedgerow, two fens, a wet woodland and woodland across 17 sites. The project has been mapped against LNRS priorities across both counties, and will deliver 74% of Oxfordshire's priority habitat actions and 53% of Buckinghamshire's.
Recognising the vital alliance between people and nature, RBOR will improve inclusive access to green space for urban and rural communities whilst reducing visitor pressure on the landscape's most sensitive sites, such as RSPB Otmoor. The programme responds directly to a lack of connection and access to nature within communities, especially excluded communities who have expressed through the partnership's work to date that they often do not feel safe going out into nature. RBOR will empower people to act for nature, sharing the understanding that no action is too small, and drawing inspiration from the centuries-long history of activism in this landscape from the Otmoor Riots through to the successful campaign to redivert the M40 motorway. It will also bring to light the hidden heritage and stories dotted across the landscape, from WWII sites reclaimed by nature to the living heritage held within people. In 2032, the partnership wants to see a resilient and thriving landscape, recognised for its unique nature and heritage, and to see people who live there and visit able to access, enjoy, care for, and protect this treasure on their doorsteps.
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