Restoring Audreys Meadow in Greenham to its former glory with pond clearance event

Mud has been flying in Greenham as volunteers got stuck in to a spot of pond clearing, writes Grace Clift.

The community came together in the event arranged by Greener Greenham Group (GGG) to clear the pond in Audrey’s Meadow, in the hope of encouraging more animals into the area.

Alison Blackborow, from Greenham Parish Council, told Newburytoday: “The turnout was great. It was about 20 people in the end, and I think everyone had a lot of fun.

“We’re hoping to get more waterfowl to use the pond, and see more dragonflies in the area.”

The pond was previously grassed over and mostly mud.

The Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) cut down overshadowing trees that would have died due to their placement, while GGG members, volunteers and scouts cleared out the pond during the event on Saturday.

Audrey’s Meadow is two hectares of conserved land in Greenham, which the group said was perfect for dog walking.

The meadow is named after Audrey Appleby, who set up the Friends of Audrey’s Meadow Group and actively encouraged schools and local community groups to enjoy the valuable open space.

Decades ago, the meadow would’ve been filled with wildflowers – now, though, it’s mostly empty.

BBOWT, who started managing the site in 2014, and the Greener Greenham Group have been conserving the area and restoring it to its former glory.

The Greener Greenham Group has run one other event in Audrey’s Meadow before, where they planted a new hedge provided by the Woodland Trust. In the autumn they plant bulbs and have many events throughout the summer.

You can get involved too. Just email contact@greenergreenhamgroup.org.uk.