What we’re about
Who are we?
Local people taking care of wildlife and sharing our passion and knowledge in a practical and fun way in the parish of Cookham.
What are we doing?
· Planning a calendar of local events and activities such as guided walks and talks
· Running practical campaigns and initiatives to enrich habitats such as:
> o Wildlife and natural gardening – educating people about the importance of their gardens and creating wildlife corridors through gardens for hedgehogs and many other animals. Promoting the use of natural and non-chemical substances in the garden.
> o Leaving verges and meadows long, not cutting until after flowers have seeded, and planting wildflowers on verges as food sources for bees and other insects
> o Not cutting hedges and trees between Feb and Aug while birds are still nesting
> o Securing habitat and nest boxes for certain birds such as House Martins and encouraging the use of Swift bricks in new-build properties
> o Reducing light pollution
· Offering wildlife advice and building a community of interest through a dedicated wildlife forum on cookham.com
Who is supporting us?
National Trust
Woodland Trust
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Bluebell WalkNeeds location
Whilst it is always difficult to judge when our delightful Bluebells will be in full flower, we have asked them very nicely to be in bloom on April 29th when we are generously invited to join David and Margaret Harrold in their woodland at Little Harwood, Cookham Dean for our annual walk there.
We will, as usual, be wandering through the woodland to see what else is about, and then into the adjacent meadow to look at a wider range of wildflowers.
If it has been a successful catching night, Les Finch might be on hand to tell us what moths were discovered too.
Parking restricts the number of guests we can accommodate so please do travel with other attendees if possible.
Full details of the venue will be sent to those who have booked later on.
Please consider making a donation for this event, to help raise funds for other WildCookham events and activities that help protect our local environment. Suggested donation £3 cash on the day or www.justgiving.com/wildcookham or direct transfer to Wild Cookham Co-op Bank, 08-92-99, a/c 67226924 using 'bluebells' for the reference. Thanks! - International Dawn Chorus Day - BattlemeadBattlemead Common - West Field, Maidenhead
Join us at 4:30am on World Dawn Chorus day on May 4th at Battlemead to experience the 'revalle' of our summer birds.
We will be parking in Sheephouse Rd/Maidenhead Court Park Rd area c4:20am. (SL6 8HH, SU 89992 83604). This is a residential area so no door slamming or conversations please. Walk to the Lower Cookham Road, turning left towards Cookham and follow the footpath for c100 yards where the main entrance to Battlemead is on the opposite side of the road. Here, event leader Lars Ahlgren, will be waiting eagerly to introduce us to the songs of our local birds as they gradually awake to join the throng.
No prior skills required as we learn and share our combined knowledge. We might go through wet grass in parts so wellies recommended.
Please consider making a donation for this event, to help raise funds for other WildCookham events and activities that help protect our local environment. Suggested donation £3 cash on the day or www.justgiving.com/wildcookham or direct transfer to Wild Cookham Co-op Bank, 08-92-99, a/c 67226924 using 'dawn chorus' for the reference. Thanks!
- The Buzzing of the Bees in the MorningThe Odney Club, SL6 9SR
Join expert Trevor Smith on Global Bee Day to see what species we can find in the beautiful grounds of Odney Club, (SL6 9SR) who have kindly given us access for this event.
We will also be looking out for the many other species of insects present, and for the numerous birds which will be in full breeding mode at this time of year.
The entrance to the Club is the first gate on the right down Odney Lane, Cookham (SU 89810 85418). Allow a few minutes to find a space.
As usual we will appreciate a donation on the day (suggestion c£3) or by means of electronic payment (https://www.justgiving.com/wildcookham) or you can direct transfer to our 'Wild Cookham' account (Coop, 08-92-99, a/c 67226924) using reference "Bee Walk")See you there.
- The Big Cookham Wildlife FestivalNeeds location
Hello everyone - we do hope you had a great Easter and perhaps found some interesting wildlife whilst out and about.
This message is not so much to highlight a particular event, but in fact a series of events we have added this year to highlight the parlous state of many of our insect species. Along with the other 'Wilds' in our area, we want to emphasise the role our gardens can play in responding to the loss of habitats for so many of our pollinating insects and aquatic creatures.
As advocated in our ongoing 'Wild About Gardens' initiative, we would urge all garden-owners to ensure they firstly have a fish-free water feature for our frogs, toads, newts and numerous aquatic insects. (We have booklets available to help achieve that). Ideally, a patch of wildflowers would help dozens of other species. (We have packets of suitable seeds for a 1sq m patch, available from Daisy Love Cafe in Cookham Parade).
So, in addition to joining us on our various walks and talks, please do all you can to create a haven for nature in as many gardens as possible.
And do please let us know what you are planning by any of the following means.
Website www.wildcookham.org.uk | Facebook WildCookham | Instagram @wildcookham | Meetup WildCookham | Email wildcookham@gmail.com
