Verge Survey Group

The Verge Survey Group has a long history and has been instrumental in many sites being designated as Verge Nature Reserves.

Attending a verge survey group meeting is an excellent way of honing your plant identification skills. Recently the work has concentrated on sites where target species for the Oxfordshire Rare Plants Register have been seen in the past. Meetings take place throughout the summer. They begin at 6 p.m. Days of the week are usually varied to take account of people's other commitments. Torrential rain means that the survey will be cancelled.

Health and Safety

The main risk on any verge survey bordering a road is from the traffic. Incidental minor hazards are from uneven ground and encounters with plant defences such as stings and thorns. Neither the Society nor the leader can answer for the safety of members, who attend at their own risk. The leader will be wearing a high visibility tabard and those attending who have appropriate high-visibility items are enjoined to bring them along.

Meetings in 2009

Spring is late this year, but as the grasses are fairly advanced, and mowing regimes are not likely to be set back, we shall begin at the usual time in the second week of May. There may be later surveys (or re-surveys) if the verges are still unmown and not too desiccated. The surveys are simple ones based on a presence/absence record, though we may take more details of rare plants. All are welcome, including beginners who just want to start practising plant identification skills.

• Wednesday May 13th Hatford Verge, SU336947. Park at church in Hatford if parking not possible on verge
• Wednesday May 20th Three Corners Common, SU663848. Park on the road as near as possible to the map reference.
• Tuesday May 26th Near Crays Pond, SU640804. Park where either of the two footpaths joins the road?
• Wednesday June 3rd Chipping Norton B4450, NW verge, SP298259. Park on the road near Mead's Farm?
• Thursday June 11th Kingwood Common verge, SU 694821. Park on the road at the site?

How to attend

If you would like to attend one of theses meetings it is essential that you phone 01865 761110 so that if plans change, you can be informed.

Meetings which were held in 2008

• A verge near Woostock on the A44
• The A40 near Cassington
• Cow Common
• Pusey,
• Holy Trinity Churchyard, Headington Quarry