Earth Trust facts for kids

Earth Trust is a special charity that started in 1967. It was first called the Northmoor Trust for Countryside Conservation. A British engineer named Sir Martin Wood created it. His goal was to protect nature by looking after land, teaching people, and studying the environment. Earth Trust is a registered charity in England.

Earth Trust owns and manages the biggest natural green space in Oxfordshire that anyone can visit for free. This place is called Wittenham Clumps. It covers 500 hectares, which is like 1,200 football fields! It has woodlands, farms, wildflower meadows, and wetlands. Earth Trust also takes care of smaller nature spots in towns and cities. These places are important for both nature and people. Over 200,000 people visit these areas every year.

Besides managing these beautiful green spaces, Earth Trust also runs a working farm. They work with other local farmers to grow things like grains, wildflowers, and food for animals. They also produce beef, goat's cheese, and honey.

Earth Trust uses its 500 hectares of farmland to show how farming can help nature. They want to connect the environment, wildlife, and growing food. They encourage people to grow, share, and eat good, healthy food from local areas. This helps reduce transport and waste. Earth Trust is always looking for new ways to farm that are good for the environment and also make sense financially.

In 2009, Earth Trust started managing Thrupp Lake, which is near Radley. Then, in 2014, they began looking after Abbey Fishponds in Abingdon. This small nature reserve is about 7 hectares and is surrounded by houses. It's a great spot for wetland wildlife.

Earth Trust has a new building called Earth Lab. It's built in a way that is good for the environment. In 2021, they also created new ponds and water areas. These spots are important homes for wildlife. They also help to stop floods and soak up carbon from the air.

Every year, Earth Trust holds many events. These include courses on how to look after the countryside, fun workshops, and family festivals. They are very well known for their Lambing Weekends in spring. In 2016, over 8,000 people came to see the baby lambs!

Places Earth Trust Looks After

Little Wittenham

Round Hill at Wittenham Clumps.

• Earth Trust Centre – This is where Earth Trust's offices are. It's at the bottom of Wittenham Clumps. It also has the Earth Lab learning centre and Fison Barn. Fison Barn is a place where people can hold weddings, parties, and other events.
• Earth Lab – This building is used for learning and also for business events. It has a large open area, two indoor classrooms, and an outdoor meeting space that is covered.
• Wittenham Clumps – These are two hilltops called Castle Hill and Round Hill. They have some of the oldest planted beech trees in England, which are over 300 years old! Wittenham Clumps and Little Wittenham Nature Reserve are the most visited free places in Oxfordshire.
• Little Wittenham Wood – This wood is in the North Wessex Downs area. It's a special place for science because many Great Crested newts live in its ponds. It's also a Special Area of Conservation.
• Broad Arboretum – This area was planted in 1998. It has every type of tree and plant that naturally grows in Oxfordshire. It also has some newer trees like walnut, sycamore, and chestnut.
• Neptune Wood – Neptune Wood was planted to remember the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar. Thousands of oak trees were planted here. This was to replace some of the trees used to build old ships. For example, Lord Nelson's main ship used about 5,000 oak trees!
• Paradise Wood – Paradise Wood is a national research woodland. It has the largest collection of hardwood timber trees being tested in the country. There are about 60,000 hardwood trees growing here.
• River of Life
• River of Life 2

Wallingford

• Wallingford Castle Meadows – This castle is now in ruins, but it was once one of England's greatest medieval castles. In 1066, William the Conqueror and his army crossed the River Thames at Wallingford. He then ordered the castle to be built. Today, Castle Meadows is home to important wildlife. It's also a much-loved green space for the community. Earth Trust helps manage this site for the South Oxfordshire District Council.
• Riverside Meadows – This land is next to the Thames River in Wallingford. It's a rare and important habitat. Earth Trust is working to bring back the wildflower meadows here. You can enjoy Riverside Meadows in the summer when it's full of beautiful flowers like oxeye daisy, common knapweed, and bird’s-foot trefoil. Earth Trust manages this site for the South Oxfordshire District Council.

Other Special Places

• Mowbray Fields – Earth Trust helps manage this local nature reserve in Didcot. They do this for the South Oxfordshire District Council. It's a home for common spotted and southern marsh orchids.
• Thrupp Lake – Thrupp Lake is part of the Radley Lake complex. It's in the village of Radley, near Abingdon. This lake was made by people and is owned by RWE npower. Earth Trust manages it. From 2005 to 2008, people in the community worked hard to save Radley Lakes from being filled in. In 2015, Earth Trust was given the job of managing some of the areas around the former lakes.
• Abbey Fishponds – Earth Trust started managing this community nature reserve in Abingdon in July 2014. It's also known as Daisy Bank. Earth Trust manages this site for the Vale of White Horse District Council. The reserve is about 7 hectares and is completely surrounded by houses.

Earth Trust Events

Earth Trust holds many events throughout the year. Most of them happen at their main site in Little Wittenham. A few events also take place at the smaller community nature reserves that the charity manages.

One fun event they held in the past was the Children's Food Festival. This happened in 2007 and 2009 in Oxfordshire. Famous chefs like Raymond Blanc and Sophie Grigson led the festival. They gave hands-on cooking demonstrations and invited children to help them chop, stir, smell, and taste. Other guests included Annabel Karmel, Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall (who wrote The Good Granny Cookbook), Sam Stern (the Teenage Chef), Nora Sands (Jamie's School Dinner Lady), and children's cookery writer Amanda Grant.

See also

• The Poem Tree at Wittenham Clumps, which was carved by Joseph Tubb.