Earth Trust

Together with our supporters, Earth Trust is guardian of some extremely special and inspiring places full of nature and heritage. We care for 500 hectares of woodland, farmland, wildflower meadows and wetlands, which receive 200,000 visits a year and are open for all enjoy and explore, free of charge, 365 days a year. We use these amazing places to engage and inspire people and to demonstrate nature-based solutions to climate, biodiversity and public health crises, for others to use elsewhere. Our varied and growing programme of events and activities includes guided walking tours, family friendly workshops, formal and informal education sessions and a highly active volunteering scheme. Inhabited since the Bronze Age, the Wittenham Clumps are one of South Oxfordshire’s most iconic landmarks. Standing proudly beside the Thames they offer stunning views over the surrounding countryside. Little Wittenham Wood is one of Europe’s most important sites for wildlife, home to the Great Crested Newt and designated as both a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC). A majestic woodland in the making, Neptune Wood comprises 10,000 Oak trees planted by the local community to commemorate the Battle of Trafalgar. Broad Arboreteum is a living library and home to every tree and shrub species native to Oxfordshire. We are also the custodian of a number of community reserves in neighbouring including the wetland gems of Abbey Fishponds and Thrupp Lake in Abingdon; Wallingford Castle Meadows A Green Flag site that is both rich in wildlife and medieval heritage, the beautiful wildflower habitat of Riverside Meadows on the banks of the River Thames and Mowbray Fields, an oasis of nature and home to rare orchids on the outskirts of Didcot. We recently embarked on our most ambitious project to date – the Gateway Programme – bringing together longstanding ambitions to improve our facilities for visitors, extend our educational opportunities, and inspire debate and action about how we enjoy and protect our green spaces into the future. Starting with the construction of Earth Lab (our award winning environmental education centre) we are developing a new welcome and orientation area with longer term plans for a farm shop, a café, and ‘Earth Adventure’ – a playful outdoor area where everyone can discover more about the value of wildlife rich green spaces and the heritage of our landscape.

Our Vision

Connecting people to nature through the power of green spaces Our vision is a society where nature and people thrive in balance, where people have a deep understanding of their environment, their place in it and their role in caring for it. For 40 years we have been providing and championing accessible green space and running inspiring, award-winning programmes to help people connect with nature through them. We seek new and innovative ways to stimulate conversations about the health and wellbeing benefits of nature; food production and farming; ecosystem restoration; and natural resource management by engaging people in green spaces.