What we’re about
Who are we?
Local people taking care of wildlife and sharing our passion and knowledge in a practical and fun way in the parish of Cookham.
What are we doing?
· Planning a calendar of local events and activities such as guided walks and talks
· Running practical campaigns and initiatives to enrich habitats such as:
> o Wildlife and natural gardening – educating people about the importance of their gardens and creating wildlife corridors through gardens for hedgehogs and many other animals. Promoting the use of natural and non-chemical substances in the garden.
> o Leaving verges and meadows long, not cutting until after flowers have seeded, and planting wildflowers on verges as food sources for bees and other insects
> o Not cutting hedges and trees between Feb and Aug while birds are still nesting
> o Securing habitat and nest boxes for certain birds such as House Martins and encouraging the use of Swift bricks in new-build properties
> o Reducing light pollution
· Offering wildlife advice and building a community of interest through a dedicated wildlife forum on cookham.com
Who is supporting us?
National Trust
Woodland Trust
Upcoming events
2
Winter Wildlife Walk in Maidenhead Thicket
The Shire Horse,, Bath Road, Maidenhead, SL6 3QA, Littlewick Green, GBHello everybody. Wishing you all a happy new year! Our first event of 2026 will be a winter's walk in Maidenhead Thicket on January 24th.
We'll be seeking out winter visitors such as Fieldfares and Redwings. Whilst the tree-scape will be bare, life will still be going on in the leaves they have dropped and in the nooks and crannies on the woodland floor.
Our resident birds will be busy using the shorter daylight hours to search for snacks so bring your bird Apps so we can try them out.
As usual we will be meeting at the Shire Horse Pub car park, using the spaces furthest from the pub itself. The pub is on the A4 west of Maidenhead Thicket at SU850803, just beyond Cherry Garden Lane. So join John Harris and Brian Clews to see 'What's About' in the depth of winter. Upon return we will of course have access to refreshments in the pub as a way of saying 'thank you' for their cooperation. As usual, as we do not charge any membership, we do rely on donations for these events so the Donations Box will be on hand for those who do not have access to our on-line 'box' at https://www.justgiving.com/wildcookham8 attendees
Bird Ringing at Woolly Firs
Location not specified yetBerks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust have kindly offered to host us during one of their winter ringing activities. We will be able to observe the methods used to attract the birds, process them and ring them for future monitoring purposes. Typical woodland species are the ones usually caught, And the most recent exercise included a delightful Firecrest, which have been breeding in just recent years in the Firs and in Maidenhead Thicket opposite.
The number of observers that can be accommodated is 17 so please go to https://www.meetup.com/cookham-wildlife-supporters/events/ to book your place. The activity costs us £6 per head so please also pay us beforehand or bring cash on the day. Tea & coffee will be available on arrival.
By chance, our good friend Martin Woolner, and BBOWT’s Tricia Marcouse, will be delivering a session, just after our two-hour visit, on conifer tree identification (10:30) so if you would like to attend that too whilst on site, please book this one at bbowt.org.uk/events
Post code for this event is SL6 3LJ. (Hasker House).7 attendees
Past events
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