A Day in the Life of the River:
mark sankey
We were spoilt for choice
on invertebrates and birds.
Sedge warblers, reed warblers,
goldfinches, kingfishers, egrets,
herons, snipe and swans
are all present.
The river used to have hundreds of water
voles but you would never see an otter. But over
the last 15 years otters have started to reappear
and are now very prevalent. During our walk,
we spotted no otters, sadly, but we were spoilt
for choice on invertebrates and birds. Sedge
warblers, reed warblers, goldfinches, kingfishers,
egrets, herons, snipe and swans are all present
in and around the meadow channels. We also
spotted a common breed — lost Wykehamists
in the CCF wandering through the meadows
trying to find a way back to their minibus on
Garnier Road.
One of the most exciting new initiatives is
the new Cameron Bespolka Outdoor Classroom.
Cameron (C, 2011-13), who very sadly died
in a tragic accident, was passionate about birds
and wildlife conservation. The Bespolka family,
alongside other donors, have generously funded
a fantastic new wildlife learning area overlooking
the river, a spot nestled into the trees right behind
Meads. Officially opened in October 2019,
the outdoor learning space is available to anyone
who wishes to understand and engage with
nature and the river.
I ask if he thinks that the College could
do more to open up the wonders of the natural
environment to the boys, and to the wider
community in Winchester. More formal
classes perhaps, or information boards dotted
around the critical places of interest? ‘There
is an opportunity to do more environmental
stewardship activity up and down the river,’
says Mark. ‘And we could get the boys involved
more, for sure.’ Sounds like a no-brainer to me.
28 The Wykeham Journal 2019
The Cameron Bespolka Outdoor Classroom opening