Welcome to the Astons Nature Recovery Group

We are Astons residents with a long-standing love for The Picks Field - it’s our favourite place to run, walk dogs, have picnics with family and friends, record wildlife, inspire our art and writing. We have seen the field change over time, and have watched in wonder as the biodiversity exploded over the last few years, since heaving grazing ceased. 

In the last couple of years, we’ve grown concerned about the amount of scrub that has grown up in parts of the field, and the increasing dominance of long rye grass that outcompetes other plants. We were keen to do something to help the field reach its full potential as a rare example of a chalk grassland meadow.

In early 2024, we tracked down the owners of the field and we were delighted to learn that they shared our appreciation of nature and the potential of The Picks Field as an oasis for biodiversity. With their blessing, and advice from the local Wildlife Trusts and South Oxfordshire District Council’s nature recovery officer, we are now working on a management plan to help the field realise its potential for nature.

We need volunteers to help manage the site.  Work may include: mending fences, strimming the grass (until we have a grazing solution in place), dealing with invasive and unwanted plant species, putting up posters, engaging the local communities, applying for grants, doing wildlife surveys etc....

Please register to support us by clicking the "Register to Volunteer" link at the very top of this page (it might be in the menu box, top left) or here: https://pfr.tidyhq.com/public/membership_levels