March 2026 News
Our Otters – Making a Comeback
Another big turnout for our February talk about otters on our patch at our welcoming new location, Benson Millstream Centre. Facts, figures, local trail camera footage and lots of questions from the audience.
In the 1950’s otters were almost extinct in England due to water pollution and hunting, but since the 1980’s their populations have been slowly bouncing back following various legal protections and the reduction of chemicals in waterways. There are now otters in every county in England with a total population believed to exceed 11,000. Their presence is an indicator of better water quality and a more stable eco system.
These solitary creatures weigh between 7 – 11kg and eat at least 1kg of food per day. Although mainly nocturnal, they have good eyesight, using their whiskers to detect prey – mainly fish, frogs, crayfish but they will also take ducks, moorhens and even rabbits. They spend two thirds of their lives on land, where they can travel at up to 15mph!
After a gestation period of 9 weeks, they have one litter of 1 – 4 cubs per year, mainly in the spring. The cubs become independent at 1 year old, breed at 2 years and can live for 10. The male takes no part in rearing the cubs but may share his territory with one or more females. Any sightings of more than one otter are likely therefore to be mother and cubs.
Locally, the first signs of the presence of otters came when their spraint (poo) was detected along the brook. This lead Gavin McLaughlan and Spencer Parker to set up trail cameras along the brook, including in private gardens (with permission!). They also used Ring doorbell footage. This activity revealed sightings of otters moving from the Thames, along the brook as far as Ewelme and feeding at various locations. The plentiful local supply of Signal Crayfish is clearly an attraction and will hopefully, over time, help to control the numbers of this invasive species.
A big thankyou to Gavin McLaughlan for the presentation, to Spencer Parker for helping to field the many questions and to Simon Booker for the fabulous picture of this female otter and cub strolling along the Thames recently.
February Sedge Bashing
Pendulous sedge is a striking perennial that has taken over large areas of the boggy wetland habitat at Cuckoo Pen in Benson, crowding out native plants.
Winter is the ideal time to dig it out, giving other wetland species the chance to recover and thrive. Our planned sedge bashing session on 15th February, unfortunately coincided with a particularly wet and muddy time. The few stalwarts who turned up gave up the attempt after half an hour. Watch this space for a new date.
Citizen Science - Rainfall Monitoring
A big thankyou to Tom Stevenson for his ongoing rainfall monitoring - further evidence, if any was needed, for the abortive attempt at sedge bashing.
__________________________
Citizen Scientists Help Monitor Ewelme & Benson Chalk Stream
Local volunteers from Ewelme and Benson recently joined local volunteer leaders Mark Powell and Andrew Walker, as well as members from the Chilterns Chalk Stream Project for two mornings of learning and hands-on activity monitoring the health of the Ewelme and Benson chalk stream. This project is supporting the wider Chilterns Chalk Stream Project, which is working with local volunteer organisations to help monitor and protect these rare and valuable natural habitats.
Volunteers were trained in “mud spotting”, a survey method used to identify where fine sediment enters the stream from sources such as culverts, ditches and eroding banks after rainfall. They also helped collect water samples to test phosphate levels, an important indicator of river health. Chalk streams are naturally low in nutrients, so even small increases in phosphate can lead to algal growth that harms plants such as water crowfoot and the invertebrates that support the wider ecosystem.
Learn more at the annual Cressbed event
If you’re interested in learning more, why not attend the Cressbeds Annual Social and Fundraising Event on Saturday 21 March, 7pm at Ewelme Village Hall. The evening includes a hot supper, stream exhibition, quiz, live music, raffle and bar. Tickets cost £15 and help support the maintenance and restoration of the cress beds and nature reserve.
Details: www.ewelmewatercressfriends.com
Get Involved
If you’d like to get involved, volunteers are always welcome at the Cress Centre work days, held on the first Saturday of each month and the third Wednesday, starting at 9:30am. The next session takes place on Saturday 7th March. These sessions help manage the watercress beds, wildflower areas and surrounding habitat. Why not pop down and experience this beautiful local chalk stream for yourself?
"Six Inches of Soil" - Hear from our local farmers
We’re excited to be co-hosting a special film screening of Six Inches of Soil with the St Helen’s Church Eco Team.
The film follows three young farmers who are embracing regenerative farming. They’re bucking the trend - stepping away from chemicals and focusing instead on natural, biological processes, working with nature rather than against it to produce food, heal the soil, benefit our health, increase biodiversity and provide for local communities.
Following the screening, a panel of local farmers and food producers will share their experiences. This is a chance to hear directly from people growing food in our area, including Rupert Belcher, whose family has farmed in Benson since 1958. In 2023, Rupert began transforming his farm to embrace regenerative practices. By nurturing the soil and working with nature, he is helping life above the ground thrive - and maximising yields.
The evening will appeal to anyone interested in where our food comes from, how it’s produced, and what we as consumers can do to support more sustainable farming.
“Soil isn’t just dirt on the end of your shoe. Just Six Inches of Soil feeds 8 billion people. It is the most valuable resource on the planet and we are degrading it without even realising.”
Watch the trailer here:
https://youtu.be/OaJl0yQ7ufQ?si=fmYSf6lo8mzK1fgr
Benson Community Hall, China Piece, Benson OX10 6FY
Sunday 22nd March, 7:00pm
Admission is free but we encourage people to book through Eventbrite (see link) to give us some idea of numbers. We will be inviting donations on the night towards costs.
https://SixInchesOfSoilBenson.eventbrite.co.uk
__________________________
Dawn Chorus Event – Save the date
On Saturday 2nd May BANG invites you to rise and shine to join us at 5am to experience the wonderful natural spectacular that is the dawn chorus. We will start at Cow Common, Ewelme and work our way along public footpaths to absorb the sights and sounds of this fantastic time of year, returning to the Cressbeds centre for breakfast. More details in future editions, but for now please save the date.
1st March 2026
