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Latest News » Oxford Academy attracts £10,000 for countryside and environmental work

October 2009

The Countryside and Environment students are responsible for the management and maintenance of the Nature Trail at the Hinksey Heights Golf course. Part of their work involves improving the nature trail by building boardwalk and bridges along the trail with the aim of eventually making the trail wheelchair accessible.

This year they have embarked on a major project to extend the boardwalk and build two bird hides at strategic points on the trail. To make the project possible we have been successful in attracting £9,000 of funding from the Trust for Oxfordshire’s Environment (TOE) and £1,000 from Willmott Dixon Construction.

Objectives of the project

To preserve and promote wildlife
To provide opportunities for education
To maintain and improve existing access
To open access to new parts of the reserve
To make a wheelchair accessible path through the woodland

Project description

We are planning to build two bird hides at the Hinksey Heights Nature Trail. The first will be situated by the large reedbed. This is a priority habitat with interesting species for birdwatchers, such as reed, sedge and grasshopper warblers and reed buntings. This will be next to the new circular route within the woodland and we will need to erect screening on the way to the hide to prevent walkers disturbing the birds. The second hide will be next to the largest lake on the reserve so birdwatchers will be able to see the water fowl. We will need to create a new path to this hide with some boardwalk as there is no trail here at present. As we are trying to make the whole nature trail more accessible, we are also applying for money to put down “Turfguard” through the fields.

The course

Students (aged 14-18) on the BTEC level 1 and 2 Countryside and Environment course will do all the practical work, such as building the boardwalk and hides. The project has been running for the last seven years, in which time we have built over 800 metres of boardwalk, made two Forest School sites for younger pupils including a shelter, fire site, benches and tables on each site, replaced two stiles with pedestrian gates, built a dual level pond dipping platform and created a circular trail within the woodland.

The environmental benefits of the project

The project improves access to the countryside for existing users and also for those who have previously been unable to visit. By building boardwalk over the wet areas we prevent further erosion of the edges of the path. It also encourages users to remain on the path and not disturb the wildlife in other areas of the woodland.