Wildlife Conservation at Little Wittenham
Little Wittenham Nature Reserve conserves a variety of habitats in which many wildlife species thrive, including some rare amphibians, insects and plants.
Today’s countryside is largely defined by human activity.
The naturalist J.S. Cornish, writing in 1902, described Little Wittenham Wood as teeming with plants and animals including otters, stoats, weasels. Polecats (a ferret-like predator) survived there until the late 19thC.
The intensity of modern farming and urban expansion have caused the irreversible loss of many habitats.
The Creation of Little Wittenham Nature Reserve
Little Wittenham Nature Reserve was established in 1982 by the Northmoor Trust. The aim was to maintain and protect a variety of decreasing habitats including mixed woodland, chalk grassland and wetland, including riverbanks and ponds.
The Trust has a responsibility to:
Nature Reserve visitors and Open Days
The Nature Reserve receives 150,000 visits a year, and the recreational access is managed to protect habitats with scarce and sensitive species.
Open Days and guided walks are held throughout the year to introduce the public to the biodiversity of the Reserve.
“The more we know about the environment, the more we can do to protect it and prevent further species loss”.
The Northmoor Trust has been studying and monitoring the wildlife of the Reserve with a view to improving the conditions for a diverse range of species.
Great Crested Newts
Of particular interest are globally rare species such as the Great Crested Newt. The Reserve’s woodland has one of the largest and best researched populations in Britain. Up to 3000 newts have bred in the woodland ponds each year. This is the main reason why the Reserve is listed as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC).
