Sustainable Overton Environment Team; Helping our green spaces thrive
- sustainableoverton
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
One of the busiest teams in Sustainable Overton is our environment team. We manage, enhance and protect a number of sites around the village, as well as organise events to showcase these sites. These sites include Overton Hill Meadows and the Community Orchard, and we work closely with other groups in the village to enhance other green spaces such as Little Meadow, owned by Overton Parish Council, and St Mary’s churchyard with the Eco Church team.
Overton Hill Meadows has always been a quiet gem in our village - a green space where people walk, relax, and enjoy the changing seasons. In 2022 Diane Jackson, a resident of Overton Hill, established The Overton Hill Conservation Group (OHCG) to help ensure the local community had a say on how the site was protected and enhanced.
The land is owned by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council but now, in collaboration with OHCG, develops an annual plan that includes maintaining and enhancing the space to help nature thrive.
The shared goal? To improve the health and diversity of the local environment, not by radically changing it, but by supporting the land’s natural ability to regenerate and thrive.
The Community Orchard, a well-established part of Overton Hill and part of the SINC area is managed by Emma Young, a local resident who continues to ensure the orchard thrives.
With community events, including apple pressing and more recently introducing the annual Wassail event. Wassailing is an annual tradition of blessing orchards to ensure a good harvest for the year to come. This Anglo-Saxon celebration, involving music, song and dancing, traditionally took place on Twelfth Night. Nowadays, wassails are hosted between late December and February. Overton Community Orchards Wassail event will take place on 3rd Jan 2026, starting at 13.30 at the Old House at Home.
The groups sit under the umbrella of Sustainable Overton’s Environmental Team, lead by Holly Flanders.
How are we doing?
One of the most exciting changes has been the growth of natural wildflower meadows. Rather than planting everything by hand, the team focused on gentle, ongoing management such as reducing mowing in some areas, allowing native plants to self-seed, and removing invasive species. Slowly but surely, this allowed a rich variety of wildflowers, grasses, and pollinators to return.
As a result, Overton Hill Meadows now supports a wider range of butterflies, bees, birds, and other insects. These creatures play vital roles in the ecosystem helping plants reproduce, enriching the soil, and feeding other wildlife. The site is becoming a living, breathing habitat, and its role in local conservation is growing every year.
And now, it has gained something truly special: it has been officially designated as a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC). The status is designated by an advisory panel comprising Hampshire County Council, Natural England and the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust.
This designation recognises the meadow as a valuable area for wildlife, and it means the land is now formally recognised for its ecological importance.
The SINC status brings with it protection and recognition. It means any future work on or around the site must take its wildlife value into account. It also opens doors for new opportunities such as conservation funding, educational projects, and increased community involvement.
Perhaps most importantly, it shows what’s possible when people come together with a shared love of nature. This has been a community effort from the volunteers giving up their time, to residents sharing their observations and ideas, to the support from the local council.
Get Involved
Overton Hill Meadows is enjoyed by many local residents and visitors. Now, thanks to this designation, we can look forward to watching it grow and change, knowing it’s being protected for the future.
The OHCG runs regular works parties throughout the year, managing the Overton Hill Meadows, Overton Community Orchard, and various other sites. The next three works party dates are:
- 31st January 2026
- 28th February 2026
- 28th March 2026
The work parties run from 10.00am -12.00 midday, but you do not need to stay for the whole two hours. We appreciate any time you can give.
Are you interested in conservation? Would you like to join our works parties? If you would like to learn more and maybe join us, please contact us via the website. CONTACT
