I’m not a local here – I’m a Bristolian: when I left school I moved to the north west and lived happily for many years in a little village outside Macclesfield, on the edge of the Peak District.

I could step out of my front door and walk up Tegg’s Nose – a gentle hill from which you can gaze over Jodrell Bank and the Cheshire Plain on one side, and the hills of Derbyshire on the other. Then I moved to Oxfordshire – and I still miss the hills.

I’d been living here for at least ten years before I discovered a hidden haven of nature beneath Didcot power station’s iconic cooling towers - Sutton Courtenay Environmental Education Centre (SCEEC). The site is run by the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) - look for the badger on the logo.

I am a teacher by trade and have worked in many different environments. I had just given up volunteering with Riding for the Disabled after I lost my confidence in dealing with unruly horses, and I was looking for paid employment or a volunteering role. That was how I found SCEEC.

My first visit to the site was a revelation: drive past the modern business buildings in Milton Park and turn into the SCEEC gates – on one side is a small wooded area with benches, dens and a natural music garden,  and on the other, a wooden building with light airy classrooms. A gentle stroll around the site will take you past the stream, the pond, the bird hide and the meadow.

School groups visit the site regularly for outdoor activities such as pond dipping and meadow sweeping. All sessions are run by our very knowledgeable staff, assisted by our fantastic learning volunteers – but they are almost all aimed at children.

About a year ago, I started reflecting on the many adult visitors who would say ‘I’ve lived here for years and I never knew this existed’: I thought it was sad that so many local people were unaware of this wonderful nature haven. So I began to think about offering a regular slot for adults to come and enjoy the reserve and have a gentle walk and a chat over a cup of tea. That was the start of Wild Connections.

On the last Friday of April, four of us volunteers welcomed eight visitors to the site. Most of them had never been to the reserve before. We had a guided walk round the reserve and then we chatted over light refreshments. We planted seeds in homemade paper pots and talked about possible future activities. People liked the relaxed, friendly atmosphere and the opportunity to enjoy nature.

On the last Friday in May we finished our morning with a mug of tea using water we had boiled ourselves in a camping kettle, under the supervision of a trained volunteer.

Wild Connections is open to anyone over 18 – we want to be as inclusive as possible. And, although it’s not a children’s event, babes in arms are also welcome! Last month we welcomed Jill, newly retired and just moved back to this area after a period of work in another part of the country. It was her first visit to SCEEC and she is just thinking about what activities she would like to do, now she has more time. She was even tempted by becoming a volunteer, helping to keep the site in good order.

We also welcomed Sheila: she had visited the site when her children were young but now wanted to have her own bit of time enjoying nature.

So please come and join us on the last Friday of each month. We are planning to continue through the winter months, though we may not be spending the whole of the morning outside! You need to book in advance on BBOWT website. Current cost is £2

Find our upcoming sessions and get more details on our events page – bbowt.org.uk/events