The Parish Council has set up a group to come up with ideas to help wildlife in the village.

If you are under 16 this is your chance to tell us what you would like us to do (or to do differently) to increase biodiversity and protect wildlife in Waterperry.

As a ‘thank you’ for your suggestions, you will have a choice of a bird pouch or bug house to help the wildlife in your own garden. All your ideas are welcome and if you are passionate about your project, we would love you to be involved with us in setting it up and seeing it through.

Please send your ideas to: [email protected] or [email protected], and make sure you include your name, age and contact details (closing date Sunday 27 April 2025).

Our projects so far……….

Our first project is to plant up an agricultural trough, kindly donated by Will & Lois Selmes of Rectory Farm, with a selection of mostly native plants to increase the biodiversity of the village verge. So, as the days start to get longer and warmer, keep a look out for the planter at the entrance to the village. It will have a variety of plants that will be good for pollinators but see if you can also spot the fox & cubs, purple toadflax and sneezewort!

The churchyard

Our village has a ‘secret’ space that most visitors and even some villagers don’t know exists – our wonderful little walled churchyard. This churchyard, still an active burial ground for parishioners, has been largely untouched for centuries and this makes it a haven for wildlife: not necessarily the big exciting four-legged variety, kept out by the surrounding high wall, but potentially for all sorts of small and interesting wild plants and creatures. There are brambles and ivy, dainty wildflowers, cushiony mosses and vibrant lichens, all supporting a myriad of insects and creepy-crawlies. In turn, these all support a population of birds and small busy mammals such as fieldmice, shrews and voles and quite possibly toads and maybe grass snakes or slow worms. All quietly going about their industrious lives mostly undisturbed. It would be exciting and important to identify the life within the churchyard, so we’ll be looking at projects to involve as many people as possible to help record the findings.

Did you know there is a lovely new noticeboard (perfect for fitting parish notices into) on its way soon to the village?

In the meantime we are exploring the idea of repurposing our custom handmade noticeboard into a feature heritage trail Interpretation board, celebrating the rich history, unique wildlife, and natural beauty of our village. This would include historic photos, key moments, and highlights of local flora and fauna, making it a focal point for both residents and visitors. With inspiration from similar successful projects in Waterstock and Wheatley, we hope to secure a national lottery heritage grant to bring this vision to life. We would love your help—if you have old photographs, stories, or images of special wildlife and plants, please get in touch and be part of this exciting community project.

Young Waterperry Wildlife Watchers – your ideas are wanted!

With warm wishes from Sue, Caroline and Dawn