Our wildlife needs your help!

Hectares retains any special value for wildlife in Buckinghamshire

Percent of total land area in Buckinghamshire

Legally protected species in Buckinghamshire

Priority species recognised for conservation in Buckinghamshire

million birds from UK skies lost in the last 60 years

Did you know the Claydons is home to a multitude of protected animals and plant life?

We are very fortunate to live in a beautiful area that supports a diversity of wildlife habitats and species. However, less than 8,000 ha of Buckinghamshire retains any special value for wildlife, around 4% of the total land area. Buckinghamshire has over 100 legally protected species records and around 200 species recognised as being a priority for conservation. Some of the important sites and species in Buckinghamshire are protected by legislation, others by planning policy.

Local woodland owned by the Claydon Estate which is adjoining the proposed 'Rosefield Solar Farm' development, are classified as 'ancient woodland', many of these areas are SSSI classified, (Sites of Special Scientific Interest) with a number of rare and unreplaceable species of flora and fauna.

The woodlands and farmed areas next to the site and beyond, including a nature reserve, have already been impacted by HS2 and EWR, and further encroachment on the Claydon site will indeed be very, very detrimental to existing wildlife. Should the development proceed, and when existing ancient hedgerows are ripped out, watercourses filled, and food-producing land covered with solar panels as is proposed by the developers, then this shall be catastrophic for the existing wildlife, and it would be very unlikely to ever recover.

Both animals and plant life found around these ancient woodlands have a symbiotic relationship with each other and rely on both woodland and the open arable land adjoining the woodland to sustain their own particular species requirements.

The Claydons Solar Action Group are asking for your assistance in helping us make a record of wildlife found in the area for the next year or two

If you walk, run, or cycle within the 2,100 acres site we are asking if you could be on the lookout for many of the protected species found there: record and email us with information mentioned below, so that we can add them to our own records. If you can not name the species send the image in any way and we will try to identify it. Please try and make the shots as clear as possible for identification.