Our Cause

A Call to Action

Scientific and other scholarly reports over the decades on the state of our natural world have become increasingly alarming and calling for action to protect our environment to make it more resilient to climate change before habitats and ecosystems become irreparably damaged and once common species become extinct.

In the Goring Gap, our local environment reflects many of these same pressures. Issues such as pollution, sewage discharge, nitrates, phosphates, and nutrient run-off from land use threaten water quality and the balance of aquatic ecosystems. Protecting the River Thames, woodlands, grasslands, and countryside from these threats is vital to safeguarding biodiversity and nature for future generations.

The latest landmark report State of Nature 2023 shows that:

• The UK is now one of the most nature-depleted countries on Earth.
• The abundance of all UK species studied has declined on average by 19% since 1970.
• 16% (one in six) of 10,000 species assessed are at risk of being lost from the UK
• This figure is much higher for some groups, such as birds (43%), amphibians and reptiles (31%), fungi and lichen (28%) and terrestrial mammals (26%). 
• The distribution of pollinators, including bees, hoverflies and moths, has decreased by 18% on average, while species providing pest control, such as the 2-spot ladybird, have declined by 34%.  

Halting and reversing biodiversity decline is vital, says the report, but it is only the first step towards a healthy environment with resilient species populations, thriving habitats and functioning ecosystems.

There is much work to do - in the world, in the UK, and in the Goring Gap. Beautiful as it is, our local environment is subject to the same climatic and other environmental pressures such as loss of habitats, pollution, and other man-made interventions.

To better understand these challenges, water quality monitoring and surveys are crucial. Such monitoring can, for instance, identify the levels of E. coli and other potentially harmful bacteria and nutrients (e.g. chemicals such as Nitrates & Phosphates) in the river, and in the aquifers and water courses which feed into the River Thames. This will help to inform conservation decisions, community awareness leading to practical actions to help ameliorate and improve our environment.

The Goring Gap Environmental Organisation

The Goring Gap Environmental Organisation (GGEO) became a registered charity on 13 January 2022 (Charitable Incorporated Organisation, Foundation Model, Number 1197496) and has taken on the responsibility to do what it can locally in the Goring Gap to make its contribution to protecting and enhancing, nature.

GGEO’s cause and mission statement are embodied in the Charitable Objects stated in the governing document:

For the public benefit in the area known as the Goring Gap (primarily in and around the adjacent villages of Goring-on-Thames in Oxfordshire and Streatley-on-Thames in Berkshire), to:

1) Promote the conservation of flora, fauna, and the environment generally, and

2) Advance education of the public in relation to such conservation.

In practice, this means:

• Striving to increase biodiversity in our local fauna and flora, with support from other local environmental groups conservation volunteers.
• Increasing the number, size, and quality of terrestrial and aquatic habitats such as grasslands, woodlands and the local stretch of the river.
• To monitor the quality of the River Thames and work to improve it through water quality monitoring and sustainability projects.
• In addition, as climate change is probably the biggest overall threat to wildlife, GGEO is committed to protecting natural ecosystems and helping communities build resilience to its effects.
• To help build resilience to climate change by practical and educational means such as the Goring Repair Cafe, Water Quality Monitoring and volunteer workshops and surveys.
• To provide information on how modifications to land use and lifestyle can help reduce carbon emissions and increase carbon sequestration.

Some of the conservation projects we aim to undertake, or are currently underway, can be seen in the Get Involved section. We would be interested in hearing your views as to which other projects you feel would be worth considering to meet our overall aims.

GGEO also collaborates with local sustainability organisations nearby and via the knowledge hub.

GGEO has a written constitution and aims to have five or more trustees, along with a number of local volunteers who have expressed an interest in working on the various projects undertaken by GGEO.

The trustees are listed on the Charity Commission website.

GGEO was supported by a start-up grant in 2021 from the Mend the Gap enhancement programme, which focuses on repairing, protecting, and enhancing nature across the Goring on Thames and Streatley region — ensuring the countryside, river Thames, and nearby woodlands remain vibrant for wildlife and future generations.

If you are interested in helping with our cause and would like more information or perhaps interested in joining our mailing list, becoming a volunteer or supporting us a trustee, please contact us for a chat. Thank you.