Author: Susie Nicodemi

Youth volunteering with Teg Down Nature Group

We are looking at how to grow our Nature Group in 2026 and to involve volunteers of any age.  In the coming months we will be focusing on hosting young people as Duke of Edinburgh volunteers. 

We are looking at different ways they can help – perhaps creating an image library for our media, organising an event for young people, or even in an ambassador role  reaching out to other young people. 

We are setting up the systems needed to be able to start this. If anyone is interested  in helping the team support the young volunteers, or if you have young people aged 14-20 who might be interested in volunteering, just let us know by replying to this email. We would love some help to make it happen.

We had a lively discussion at our last meeting in November for planning activities for this year. Following on from this meeting and building on the lessons from the Lanham Lane appeal we will be having bi-monthly informal meetings for anyone interested in nature on Teg Down. These will be held at The Roebuck Inn, Stockbridge Road. The next events will be on: Tuesday 10th March from 18.30hrs and 12th May.

Please do complete our 2026 survey and ask other members of your household and neighbours to do so too.  

The residents of Teg Down care deeply about their local environment. People value the character of our area, and how closely nature is woven into that sense of place. This short survey is designed to capture that enthusiasm, understand what matters most to you, and help shape the TDNG’s priorities for the coming years. Please take a few minutes to tell us why you value nature and what you think would help wildlife thrive in our community. 

Here is the link:  The Teg Down Nature Group (TDNG) – Fill in form.

Or if you prefer to fill it on your phone, just scan the QR code below:

Last autumn some members were lucky enough to join one of our three bat walks. Participants were keen to see how we could encourage bats into Teg Down, and one suggestion was to put up bat boxes.

The lack of roosting sites in an area can limit the bat population, and boxes erected in suitable locations give bats a safe place to roost. The Kings Worthy Community Shed have kindly offered to produce some boxes for us, at a cost of £10 per box. Each box will be delivered in the spring, and come with instructions on the best place to site it. If you are interested in having a box please e-mail us at info@tegdownnature.org

The Community Shed have also built some hedgehog boxes at a cost of £30 which provide shelter and, importantly, a safe hibernation site. Supplies are limited, so please only ask if you know you have a resident hedgehog, or space that would suit them and where they can roam freely between neighbouring gardens. Once again, e-mail us at info@tegdownnature.org if you’re interested in siting one in your garden.

Winchester City Council are conducting a review to find out if local residents would support the creation of a parish council for the Winchester town area, and if so, which area it should cover. The focus is on the unparished areas of the city, which are not currently represented by a parish council. 

To find out more about the consultation process and the public engagement sessions the City Council is running over the coming weeks visit  https://bit.ly/4qRWHM5

Weeke Pond is a significant local landmark, easily seen from the road as you walk, cycle or drive into Winchester. In recent months it has been looking a little sorry for itself, and our dry summer has not helped. However, the good news is there is an active group of local volunteers working to make things better.

The mud and silt that runs off the road has filled the Pond, reducing water levels for wildlife – indeed you may have seen the pond dried out over the summer. That mud is also tainted with oil and diesel, which is not good for animals and plants. However, Martin Tod, our local County Councillor, has succeeded in securing a grant from the County Council to help remove this sludge. That process is being planned now, it will need to be dug out by hand before the Pond can be refilled with fresh water.

In the meanwhile, much work has been done to cut back and tidy up the vegetation. We’re very grateful to students from Sparsholt College who did the bulk of that work in early November, under the supervision of their Tutors. The College have also agreed to help with advice on re-planting and managing the Pond’s vegetation in future, so our thanks to all at Sparsholt.

If you have any thoughts about the Pond or would like to volunteer to help if the opportunity arises then do contact TDNG and we’ll pass that on to the volunteers who are helping Weeke Pond recover.”

Our verges team made the most of the November autumn sunshine to give the grass verge on the corner of Teg Down Meads one final cut for the season.

By keeping the grass growth in check, we’re helping promote biodiversity, giving a wider variety of wild plants the chance to thrive. 

We also reseeded a few bare patches with a wildflower mix, and we’re looking forward to seeing what appears next spring, like this Toadflax which is still in bloom!

A big thank you to everyone who’s helping keep Teg Down green and buzzing with life! 

Teg Down Nature Group joined wildlife and nature groups from around Winchester at the Olivers Battery Countryside Group’s Nature Fayre in September. It was a inspiring and informative display of the wide-ranging nature and conservation work underway locally which our team will endeavour to build on in the year ahead.