Bugbrooke Environmental Working Group

29/04/2026

An interesting court case going through currently.

BBC News - UK's biggest environmental pollution claim reaches High Court - BBC News

One of the UK's largest chicken producers and a water company accused of polluting three rivers including the River Wye

27/04/2026

I recently took part in the half-yearly Great UK WaterBlitz organised by FreshWater Watch.
This tests the levels of Nitrates and Phosphates in the waterbody (in this case the Hoarestone Brook just upstream of West End.
This is the report I received back:

"Your results

Nitrates: 2-5 (mg/L)
Phosphates:

08/04/2026

Great opportunity for young people to learn new skills and widen their network, supported by the University of Warwick.

India Palmer at Warwick University is currently recruiting applicants for a green skills training programme, aimed at 18-30 year olds. The programme is designed for anyone passionate about climate action and wanting to build future-ready green skills while connecting with peers across the UK and Ind...

06/03/2026

Two great citizen science opportunities around water quality are happening at the end of April. The Big River Watch is April 24th-30th and just requires you to go down to your local river for 15 minutes and log what you see; it's very easy to download the app and get started.
The Great UK WaterBlitz is 24th-27th April, and for this you will get a kit enabling you to test a small sample of water collected from a body of water and report your results. Register here - https://earthwatch.org.uk/greatukwaterblitz/earlyaccess/

Help improve our rivers. From 19-25th September, t ake part in The Big RiverWatch survey!

01/03/2026

West Northamptonshire Council currently has two important documents out for consultation: the Local Plan and the Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS). You can read and comment on both until late March.
Neither is a quick read, but the Local Plan sets out the development strategy for West Northants for the next couple of decades, including where houses and commercial developments will be built. The LNRS aims to halt the decline of wildlife and loss of biodiversity (one in six species are at risk of being lost from Great Britain, according to the recent State of Nature report).
Groups like Bugbrooke Environmental Working Group will be looking to the LNRS for the framework for our local initiatives.

Consultations from West Northamptonshire Council

01/03/2026

Thank you to all our lovely volunteers for litterpicking this afternoon. We collected 8 bags full, which will be collected by West Northants Council in the next couple of days. Sadly a lot of full bags of dog mess were picked up, along with the usual selection of bottles, cans and plastic packaging.
If you want to find out more about what we do, our next meeting is this Wednesday at the Community Centre, 7.30-8.30pm.

03/02/2026

Thank you to everyone who has returned their Bugbrooke Birdwatch forms. There’s still time to get them in and be included in the results for this year (deadline 14 February). It doesn’t matter if you saw a dozen species or no birds at all, all reports are equally valuable.

01/02/2026

Free trees!!
Or give trees to a good home if you’re nurturing some self sown saplings.

Need a tree? Have unwanted saplings in your garden? CA-WN has organised a 'Give and Get' tree event in Northampton on Valentine’s Day, Saturday 14 February . The exact location will be shared with sapling donors and those hoping to make a home for a new tree. DONATIONS WELCOME Carefully

30/01/2026

This sounds great - we should try and attend. Bugbrooke PC is a member of Northamptonshire ACRE.

Join us for a practical, face-to-face training session designed for anyone responsible for managing green spaces and wanting to support both nature and people.

This interactive workshop will explore how everyday green spaces — from parks and community land to churchyards and shared spaces — can be managed to enhance biodiversity while remaining welcoming, accessible and valued by local communities.

The session will include a practical element and cover:
-How to identify, map and assess the condition of your existing habitats
-Understanding and looking after protected species and priority habitats
-Practical opportunities to improve existing habitats and create new ones
-Guidance on developing a simple, workable biodiversity plan
-Sources of funding, support and further advice to help you take next steps
…and more!

Whether you are just starting out or looking to build on existing good practice, this session will leave you with practical tools, ideas and confidence to take action for biodiversity in your own green spaces.

Book here: https://lnkd.in/ejTq8QG2

28/01/2026

We're talking to the local Wildlife Trust about how we can make better use of Captain's Close, the land at the centre of the village. They have some great ideas and useful resources. Have a look at their website for some of it:

Joining up our landscapes and bringing back wildlife to every neighbourhood. Our campaign for a Wilder Future is vital to stop nature's decline.