Wild Maidenhead
Wild Maidenhead is a local group set up to discover, celebrate, support and protect wild things and wild places in Maidenhead and the surrounding rural villages and countryside. Anyone who lives or works in Maidenhead can take part. We run events in the Maidenhead area, from walks to talks to experiences and wild activities. There will be a small charge each time. [These are now being run either online or in a limited in-person way during the Covid-19 pandemic.] As a group, we are interested in much loved, familiar species found in the area as well as rare, protected or threatened species. Hedgehogs, stag beetles, farmland birds, water voles, bees, owls, butterflies, house sparrows, wildflowers, swifts, dragonflies, slow worms, bats, house martins, frogs and toads and swallows are examples of local species that were once commonplace. In all cases, action can be taken to make a positive difference to the future for these and other species. We help support wild places of every sort, from gardens and parks to wildlife reserves and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). The group has been set up by people who live or work in Maidenhead and we are focusing on an area from Knowl Hill in the west, to Cookham in the north, Maidenhead town in the east and Fifield in the south, home to around 80,000 people. The group brings together all those who have an interest in nature and wildlife and acts as a hub for a wide range of local organisations with specific local or species interests in a support role, for exchanging information, gathering data and sharing knowledge and experience.Wild Maidenhead will work in partnership with residents, the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM) and its elected Councillors, schools, developers, Parish Councils, farmers, large landowners, other relevant non-wildlife groups, faith groups and businesses, to protect and enhance biodiversity in Maidenhead. The group will run events and projects to educate, inform, enthuse and engage. It will seek ways to ensure that biodiversity is taken account of in local decisions. The group produced a biodiversity assessment based on data sourced from group members and local residents, local experts, natural history groups, existing partner organisations and national organisations. Wild Maidenhead is apolitical and seeks positive and constructive dialogue with all those interested in, and with experience in, this topic.
