The successful Oxfordshire Goes Wild event held last week at Oxford University Museum attracted hundreds of families and aimed to attract children in particular to the joys of the countryside.
Thr organisers of the annual event is Oxfordshire Nature Conservation Forum, which was launched in 1993 and is based at Little Wittenham, near Abingdon.
ONCF's mission statement is "forging partnerships that will create a sustainable future for nature". It is an informal partnership of conservation bodies, farmers, councils and environmental campaigners.
At a typical meeting there could be the local Wildlife Trust, the RSPB, the Environment Agency and academic researchers sitting round the table as equals discussing nature conservation in Oxfordshire.
Cynth Napper, ONCF's Community Officer, said: "Our joint aim is to safeguard and restore Oxfordshire's biodiversity and environment by pooling and co-ordinating our efforts. We are losing species at a great rate worldwide - more than five times the background extinction rate."
As well as organising meetings, ONCF's three members of staff work to promote partnerships between members, to alert the public to conservation issues and support community conservation efforts.
ONCF and its members can provide training and advice to anyone wishing to run a conservation project.
One project is the Oxfordshire Biodiversity Action Plan, co-ordinated by Tom Butterworth.
Tom said: "Our Rebuilding Biodiversity project concentrates on extending and buffering remaining areas of the county with high biodiversity. It is well under way with farmers and we are now beginning to work at the parish and community level."
During the Queen's Jubilee year, ONCF supported the designation of ten Jubilee Wildlife Spaces, all of them close to local communities. These are places to walk the dog, meet up with friends, or just sit quietly and watch wildlife.
Cynth said: "With proven health benefits, access to our natural environment is important to us all. We also depend, ultimately, on our natural environment for our food, water, medicines and for shelter, though it is very easy to forget that in this technological age.
"Biodiversity as a genetic resource is becoming both more important to conserve and more vulnerable due to global warming. We can all help just by making more room for native species in our back gardens, but there's lots more we can do."
ONCF publishes a free, weekly e-mail bulletin which gives information about upcoming events, walks, talks, debates, jobs, and courses.
Cynth said: "Oxfordshire is a lovely county, full of special places. People who are interested in visiting Oxfordshire's most beautiful wildlife spots can subscribe to our bulletin."
To subscribe to the bulletin e-mail cynth@oncf.org.uk. For more information visit the website at www.oncf.org.uk or call ONCF on 01865 407034.
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