The UK is home to incredible wildlife, but many species are struggling, making it more important than ever to protect our green spaces. Access to nature benefits both wildlife and people, improving well-being and keeping us connected to the world around us. As one of the most nature-depleted countries, we must ensure wildlife has the space to thrive.
Join our campaign to preserve our local environment by exploring our footpaths!
By walking these routes and recording the wildlife you see, you can help support our efforts to challenge Kingsway Solar’s plans. Whether spotting and recording birds (including threatened species such as lapwings, linnets, skylarks and yellowhammers) and small mammals, or identifying butterflies or wildflowers, every record makes a difference!
🌿 Walk. Record. Protect. 🌿
Spot the Hares, Save Their Home
This March, we’re calling on everyone to help record the brown hares that thrive in our open fields. Brown hares depend on unrestricted movement for survival, yet if the proposed solar farm is built, tall fences will confine and displace them, cutting off access to their natural habitats and essential wildlife corridors.
Despite their abundance here, Kingsway Solar chose not to include brown hares in their Environmental Impact Assessment. We believe they should. By documenting their numbers, we can prove their importance and push for their protection.
Get involved today!
📱 Use the iRecord app to log your sightings and make a difference!
What is iRecord?
iRecord is a website for sharing wildlife observations.
What does iRecord do?
Its goal is to make it easier for wildlife sightings to be collected, checked by experts and made available to support research and decision-making.
How do I add my wildlife sightings?
You can register for free and once you’re logged in, you can add your own records and images for others to see, as well as look at what other people have recorded.
Recent sightings of brown hares using iRecord
Why use iRecord
By sharing your sightings, we can gather evidence of the amazing wildlife here. This will help us oppose the proposed large-scale solar farm, which threatens to disrupt local ecosystems and displace wildlife.
Every sighting counts—let’s show how much nature we have to protect!
For instructions on how to use the app and other parts of iRecord, go to the full iRecord user guide. https://irecord.org.uk/help/how-do-i
Where to walk?
There are many footpaths close to Balsham and the surrounding villages.
Click here for a footpath map, or follow the links below
Balsham routes
The simplest route is to walk up Fox Road (Icknield Way) and follow the track uphill. The Fleam Dyke path branches off to the west toward Fulbourn, while continuing along Icknield Way leads toward Six Mile Bottom. The stretch from the Fleam Dyke path to Six Mile Bottom is at risk of development, with plans for 4-meter-high solar panels, a potential access road, and battery storage sites threatening the landscape and biodiversity.
For further information, click the links below
West Wratting routes
Follow the links below for some suggested walks in the locality
Weston Colville, Weston Green and Carlton routes
Follow the links below for some suggested walks in the locality:
Useful links
About brown hares
About the Fleam Dyke
About the Roman Road
About the Icknield Way
Bird ID guides
Merlin bird app
Plantlife What to Look for in March
Wildlife Trust’s How to Identify Wildlife
For other ways to get involved click here.