As part of the feasibility study for Reconnecting the Bernwood, Otmoor and the Ray, we spoke to communities across the area about how they valued their local landscape. We met so many inspiring people, all taking action for nature in a variety of ways. For more information about the full community scoping project, please read our blog.

In Marsh Gibbon, members of the community are taking action for nature in all sorts of ways. What really stands out is that through the strong sense of community in the village, and the connection to their local landscape, so much is being done in the area.

I spoke with the chair of the Marsh Gibbon Horticultural Society, Peter Ferens, who has lived in the village for 50 years. We went round the village together and Peter showed me all the wildlife spots dotted throughout.

There is a real sense of nature running like a seam throughout Marsh Gibbon; it has three allotments and two ponds in the village and is surrounded mainly by pasture farmland.

This landscape is so valuable due to its rich and varied mosaic habitat, such as floodplain meadows and species-rich grassland. The variety of habitats means a wide range of species can be supported, which is why it’s vital that we support communities, farmers and all stakeholders in the area to conserve this precious landscape.

There is a farm in the village that has gone organic, and several farmers in the area help with the wildlife activities that take place. Peter told me that when the community pond group have waste from clearing the ponds, the farmers happily take the waste and add it to their compost piles.

It’s the strong sense of community in Marsh Gibbon that makes this happen so easily – it’s not merely that they have a good relationship with the farmers, it’s that they are all neighbours, and in a neighbourly fashion they help each other out.

A theme emerged throughout the meeting which was the many benefits that having a strong sense of community can have, when actions are directed towards caring for nature.

Of course, knowing your fellow residents and forging connections with them has benefits for people as well as nature. We need to feel connected to each other, as well as our environment. This can help combat loneliness and instill personal feelings of value, but also, as the community in Marsh Gibbon has demonstrated, how much good can be done when a community is committed to helping nature.

This holistic approach to caring for nature has extended to Marsh Gibbon primary school. Peter helped put in a fruit garden in a wild area just behind the school. The schoolchildren are encouraged to water the plants and take ownership over this area. These school activities are yet another example of collaboration in the community, and local people supporting each other.

Some members of the community have set up a beautiful Wildlife and Community Hub in a disused bus shelter. Here’s an account from Kath Pullen, a Marsh Gibbon resident, on why she got involved with converting it:

“I had been actively encouraging people to do what they could to tackle the climate crisis and help our local wildlife, so it was just a natural step to get involved with the Hub. I gave it a lick of paint, invited children to come and help brighten it up one Saturday afternoon, and finally put some shelves and notice boards up. The finishing touch was the sign on the outside engraved by another Marsh Gibbon resident.

"There are now three of us - Sophie Cruise, Louise Wells and me – directly involved in keeping the noticeboards full of useful information, checking the book swap and nature display shelves aren’t getting too overloaded, and organising events like pond dipping and bat detecting, as well as running a connected Facebook group where people can post their wildlife pictures and questions.”

What you can do

We at the Berks, Bucks, and Oxon Wildlife Trust want to see wilder towns and villages across our area. If this blog has inspired you, or you’re doing something like this already, here are some more resources for you, and ways you can do more.

• Add your piece of the puzzle to our map of actions for nature
• Join our free community group network and hear what other groups are doing for wildlife
• Learn more about Team Wilder - If just one in four people helps, we can tip the scales back in nature’s favour