NMWG activities NOT based in Milham Ford Nature Park
The New Marston Wildlife Group arranged activities in locations other than Milham Ford Nature Park. The majority of these can be found on the New Marston Meadows activities page. Others are listed below in reverse chronological order.
In 2012 members of NMWG participated in the Oxford Bioblitz - slideshow
24 October 2010 Autumn Colours walk in Headington Hill Park, led by Dr Curt Lamberth - slideshow
Curt explained why autumn leaves have such a wide variety of colours. Very briefly, this is because as the days get shorter, trees begin to shut down the process that turns water and carbon dioxide into the glucose they need for growth (photosynthesis) and the green chlorophyll necessary for this process disappears from the leaves. As the green chlorophyll disappears, the yellow and orange colours become visible. Some trees hold glucose trapped in their leaves after photosynthesis stops and this produces red colours.
18 October 2009 Fungi Foray led by Dr Judy Webb - slideshow
About a dozen adults and six children joined the walk, starting from the top of William Street, through the woodland area, to Headington Hill Park. Although the dry weather of the previous weeks had not encouraged the growth of fungi, several interesting specimens were found. Before setting off, Dr Webb told the group that there were about 2,800 types of fungi, not including very small ones, such as rust fungi and slime moulds. The total for all species of fungi in the UK is estimated at around 12,000. Fungi provide food for insects, which, in turn, feed birds and bats. (A bat can eat 1,000 midges per day.)
11 October 2006 Fungi Foray in Headington Hill Park led by Dr Judy Webb - slideshow
24 & 25 September 2005 Remaking a pond in St Michael's Primary School, Marston Road - photo below
In 2012 members of NMWG participated in the Oxford Bioblitz - slideshow
24 October 2010 Autumn Colours walk in Headington Hill Park, led by Dr Curt Lamberth - slideshow
Curt explained why autumn leaves have such a wide variety of colours. Very briefly, this is because as the days get shorter, trees begin to shut down the process that turns water and carbon dioxide into the glucose they need for growth (photosynthesis) and the green chlorophyll necessary for this process disappears from the leaves. As the green chlorophyll disappears, the yellow and orange colours become visible. Some trees hold glucose trapped in their leaves after photosynthesis stops and this produces red colours.
18 October 2009 Fungi Foray led by Dr Judy Webb - slideshow
About a dozen adults and six children joined the walk, starting from the top of William Street, through the woodland area, to Headington Hill Park. Although the dry weather of the previous weeks had not encouraged the growth of fungi, several interesting specimens were found. Before setting off, Dr Webb told the group that there were about 2,800 types of fungi, not including very small ones, such as rust fungi and slime moulds. The total for all species of fungi in the UK is estimated at around 12,000. Fungi provide food for insects, which, in turn, feed birds and bats. (A bat can eat 1,000 midges per day.)
11 October 2006 Fungi Foray in Headington Hill Park led by Dr Judy Webb - slideshow
24 & 25 September 2005 Remaking a pond in St Michael's Primary School, Marston Road - photo below