Links
Community
The community hall located on Old Down.
Charity operating the pre-school at Old Down Hall.
Incredible Edible North Hampshire
This is a food growing campaign begun in Hatchwarren and modelled on Todmorden where people
grow food in public places for anyone to pick.
The aim is to grow more fresh food locally and to encourage others to become involved by also growing food for the public to pick.
Basingstoke Transition Network
Grassroots community groups are growing in Basingstoke & Deane in pursuit of a more sustainable lifestyle.
The Basingstoke Transition Network now acts as the focal point for these community groups to work together.
If you are a community group focused on sustainable living and trying to build support for your project do not hesitate to contact this or any other group in the network.
Conservation Organisations
High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
In particular select; Explore/Property Management/Wildflower Meadow Management
Hants & Isle of Wight Wildlfe Trust
Hampshire's own wildlife organisation. Find reserves, checkout activities.
Hampshire & IoW Branch of Butterfly Conservation
See which butterflies and moths are flying this month. You can also register your "Sightings" online.
This site is managed by real enthusiasts. Lots of detailed information and photographs that illustrate
and describe the lifecycle of our native butterflies.
Plantlife is dedicated to conserving and restoring our native flora and campaigning for
better protection.
Dedicated to the conservation of all invertebrates i.e. insects.
A conservation charity making the case for wildflower diverse grasslands. Over 98% of our wilflower rich grasslands
have been destroyed and mostly in the last 70 years. Wildflowers are one of the keys to invertebrate populations on
which much of our wildlife food chain depends.
You can search for ancient trees in the landscape or even register to be able to record ancient trees you find!
Look under "More Stuff" and select "Downloadable Information". The Ancient Tree Guides, No 6 in particular provides a lot of information on the interdependencies between our old trees and our wildlife.
The national website for bat conservation.
Advice on the conservation of bees, wasps and ants.
A national site concerned with the conservation of bumblebee species and populations.
Dedicated to the study and conservation of mammals.
British Hedgehog Preservation Society
Read about how to help this iconic British mammal which is declining through habitat loss.
Learn how to encourage them into your garden.
Hampshire Fungus Recording Group
Enthusiastic team of fungi recorders.
International site providing information about forests, forest destruction and protection
Regional Environment Organisations
South East Green Infrastructure Partnership
The partnership wants to engender a common understanding of the role and importance of green infrastructure, and encourage local authorities to plan for and deliverand high quality green infrastructure, and to deliver it through partnership working.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Local Nature Partnership
The partnership intends to provide a vision as well as leadership for delivering a healthier, richer and connected natural environment.
Environmental Datasets
Hampshire Biodiversity Information Centre (HBIC)
HBIC is the repository of mostly all flora records collected across the county.
National History Museum Postcodes Database
By entering the first part of your postcode you can get a wealth of information about
flora that has been recorded in your area.
This DEFRA website brings together government environmental mapping and other data where you can discover, for example; areas
covered by environmnetal stewardship schemes, AONB's; SPA's; SSSI's; Areas covered by Woodland Grant Schemes.
At this page you will find a Summary of Downloadable Datasets.
Botanical Society of the British Isles (BSBI) Maps Scheme
Select a plant, perhaps near to where you live and find out how common or uncommon it is!
National Soil Resouces Institute at Cranfield University
Enables anyone to find out at a high level the likely nature of the soils in a particular area by using the Soilscapes Viewer.
The link to Old Down takes you directly to the high level view. More detailed soil analysis is available
through the Soils Site Reporter which is for most people a chargeable service.
Sustainability
Basingstoke Transition Network
Old Down & Beggarwood Wildlife Group are affiliated to Basingstoke Transition Network, a grassroots organisation arguing for local people to use natural resources more efficiently or almost not at all when like fossil fuels they are polluting the land, water and air we need. At current rates of use the UK needs 3 planets to support it's addiction for raw materials.
Training & Education
Field Studies Council - Publications
Useful site from which to order species identification charts that you can take with you on a walk.
There are also teaching resources too.Forest Education Initiative - provides access to forest learning resources.
Forest Stewardship Council - resources including projects on woods and trees.
Earth Restoration Trust - Schools service encouraging the creation of tree and wildflower nurseries within schools