Environment & Energy
Browse the latest environment & energy news, comment and stories in Oxford and across Oxfordshire.
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As the festivities come to an end, here’s what to do with your Christmas tree
Gone are the days of dragging the tree into the garden to decompose naturally. Proper disposal is now essential, as recycling Christmas trees will significantly reduce their environmental impact.
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People in Oxfordshire urged to have their say on local nature recovery
Oxfordshire residents, landowners, businesses, farmers and other organisations are being offered the chance to help shape the priorities for recovering areas of nature and wildlife across the county.
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Oxford University researchers record wettest month in 250 years
Data from the station this week confirmed that September 2024 saw an extraordinary 193.3 mm of rainfall, making it Oxford’s wettest month since 1774 and the second wettest of any month since rainfall records began in 1767.
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Fen restoration project in Oxfordshire awarded £77k nature recovery funding from SSEN
The funding from SSEN will be put towards the restoration and rewetting of eleven hectares of fen bordering a Site of Special Scientific Interest under the care of Freshwater Habitats Trust.
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BBOWT’s 30 Days Wild challenge celebrates its tenth anniversary
This year is the tenth anniversary of BBOWT’s 30 Days Wild challenge, which calls on the public to do one wild thing to connect with nature every day for an entire month this summer.
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voco Oxford Thames Hotel team members embark on tree planting and litter picking initiatives
Team members at voco’s Oxford Thames Hotel have undertaken a dual effort of fruit tree planting and an environmental clean-up – collecting and removing over 42 kilogrammes of waste.
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Residents in South Oxfordshire are officially the best recyclers in the country
South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils were placed in the top three of the recycling tables for English local authorities by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).
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Dramatic aerial photo highlights the importance of floodplain to wildlife and people
A dramatic aerial photo of hundreds of acres of farmland and countryside in flood shows how the Thames floodplain can store water to help people and wildlife – and tackle the effects of climate change.
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BBOWT wildlife surveys reveals nature reserves providing haven from climate change crisis
The highest number of glow worms recorded at a nature reserve was one of this year’s highlights for Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT).
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Rare birds to get £230k home upgrade including their own security cameras
Rare birds and butterflies will get a £230,000 home upgrade with new pools, security cameras and anti-predator fencing on the Oxfordshire / Buckinghamshire border.
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Award-winning Graven Hill community celebrates bat success story
A long-term project to relocate bats on the Graven Hill development has been hailed as a success as several endangered bat species have taken over newly installed roosts in the form of bat boxes.
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University of Oxford is one of UK’s most wildlife-friendly, according to a study
The University of Oxford has been recognised as one of the UK’s leading universities for looking after wildlife – on campus and in the wider community.
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South Oxfordshire Council secures funding to install solar panels at Cornerstone
South Oxfordshire District Council has been successful in its bid for government funding of more than £370k towards the installation of solar panels and air source heat pumps at it’s Cornerstone Arts Centre in Didcot.
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Cherwell District Council’s waste and recycling crews to begin collecting Christmas trees
The trees will be taken to an in-vessel composting site at Ardley, where they’ll be composted at high temperatures before being redistributed to farmers as compost.
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Local councils to get climate change scorecards in new survey
The survey was initiated by Climate Emergency UK, a body set up in response to the climate emergency declarations that councils started making at the end of 2018.
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Funding is available for community climate projects in the Vale
Local groups can apply for a share of £50,000 from the latest round of the Vale of White Horse District Council’s Climate Action Fund, with up to £5,000 on offer for individual projects.