Connecting the Community with Nature Afternoon and AGM
Come to our Connecting the Community with Nature Afternoon on Saturday 21st March at the Saint Andrew’s Centre, Histon.
Learn about the flora of Long Meadow; hear about the new local nature recovery strategy and how HIGS hopes to be involved. Full details of the Afternoon programme will be available nearer the date.
The afternoon will include the Histon & Impington Green Spaces AGM where we will update you on what the charity has been doing and ideas for the future. Our committee members and trustees will be on hand to answer questions and hear your views and suggestions.
Tea and cakes with plenty of time for socialising.
Doors will be open at 1:30pm to allow us to start promptly.
We welcome all our supporters. There will be the opportunity to join up as a Member of the charity at the event.
February work parties at Croft Close Nature Reserve
Why not join one of our regular work parties (second Saturday and third Tuesday of the month over the autumn and winter). All work parties will have a mix of activities, from light trimming to heavier manual work so there should be something for most.
We start at the Croft Close entrance to the Nature Reserve.
Please register in advance by emailing sitemanagers@abbeyfields.online . This allows us to let you know if the work party has to be cancelled, and also to ask you, if you can, to bring specific tools to suit the planned tasks.
Please come dressed for the weather, with stout footwear and gloves. Secateurs will always be handy.
February work party at Long Meadow
Fancy some outdoor activity? Why not join one of our work parties. All work parties will have a mix of activities, from light trimming to heavier manual work so there should be something for most.
We start by the fence at the village end of Long Meadow.
Please register in advance by emailing sitemanagers@abbeyfields.online . This allows us to let you know if the work party has to be cancelled, and also to ask you, if you can, to bring specific tools to suit the planned tasks.
Please come dressed for the weather, with stout footwear and gloves. Secateurs will always be handy.
February work parties at Croft Close Nature Reserve
Why not join one of our regular work parties (second Saturday and third Tuesday of the month over the autumn and winter). All work parties will have a mix of activities, from light trimming to heavier manual work so there should be something for most.
We start at the Croft Close entrance to the Nature Reserve.
Please register in advance by emailing sitemanagers@abbeyfields.online . This allows us to let you know if the work party has to be cancelled, and also to ask you, if you can, to bring specific tools to suit the planned tasks.
Please come dressed for the weather, with stout footwear and gloves. Secateurs will always be handy.
February work parties at Croft Close Nature Reserve
Why not join one of our regular work parties (second Saturday and third Tuesday of the month over the autumn and winter). All work parties will have a mix of activities, from light trimming to heavier manual work so there should be something for most.
We start at the Croft Close entrance to the Nature Reserve.
Please register in advance by emailing sitemanagers@abbeyfields.online . This allows us to let you know if the work party has to be cancelled, and also to ask you, if you can, to bring specific tools to suit the planned tasks.
Please come dressed for the weather, with stout footwear and gloves. Secateurs will always be handy.
February work parties at Croft Close Nature Reserve
Why not join one of our regular work parties (second Saturday and third Tuesday of the month over the autumn and winter). All work parties will have a mix of activities, from light trimming to heavier manual work so there should be something for most.
We start at the Croft Close entrance to the Nature Reserve.
Please register in advance by emailing sitemanagers@abbeyfields.online . This allows us to let you know if the work party has to be cancelled, and also to ask you, if you can, to bring specific tools to suit the planned tasks.
Please come dressed for the weather, with stout footwear and gloves. Secateurs will always be handy.
Histon & Impington Imaginarium
How can we create a greener, fairer, more connected future if we can't imagine it?
Can you remember what Histon and Impington was like 10 years ago? If, back then, you had been asked for your predictions for 2026 what would you have imagined would change for the better?
The Imaginarium is not about the past it is about a vision for the future – your vision!
If you could wave a wand to make things happen rather than worry about limitations what would you like to see being different in 10 year’s time?
We are collecting ideas on these themes:
How can people and goods move around the village more sustainably
Ensuring enough clean safe water for us and for nature
How to help nature thrive
How will homes and buildings look and feel?
How we can live well with less stuff
Food that is good for us and for the planet
Dip into the enticing ‘Pool of Possibilities’ to pluck out a suggestion to get you started.
Come, join in shaping our future and let your imaginative side take over.
All ages are welcome to come along and share their ideas at this FREE event run by HI Sustainability with input from other village groups, including HIGS.
February work party at Long Meadow
Fancy some outdoor activity? Why not join one of our work parties. All work parties will have a mix of activities, from light trimming to heavier manual work so there should be something for most.
We start by the fence at the village end of Long Meadow.
Please register in advance by emailing sitemanagers@abbeyfields.online . This allows us to let you know if the work party has to be cancelled, and also to ask you, if you can, to bring specific tools to suit the planned tasks.
Please come dressed for the weather, with stout footwear and gloves. Secateurs will always be handy.
Help remove invasive trees from the WI Wood
The WI Wood – also known as Histon Wood – sits beside the Busway opposite Manor Field and the Histon & Impington Community Orchard.
In recent years this woodland has been invaded by evergreen oaks, an alien species: for more information see here.
The Parish Council have been granted permission by Cambridgeshire County Council (who own the wood) to remove these alien oaks.
There are several hundred saplings to remove! We are inviting volunteers to come and assist on:
Saturday 10th January 10:30am to 12:30pm
Saturday 31st January 10:30am to 12:30pm
Please meet beside the Busway access track by the entrance to the wood near the stables at the public footpath crossing from the St Audrey's Close.
Please wear suitable footwear and clothes and bring work gloves. We hope many of the saplings can be pulled out by hand, but some digging may be needed – so spades, trowels and forks might be useful.
Children are welcome where under the supervision and responsibility of a parent or carer but are not covered by the volunteers insurance for this activity.
The work is being done under the auspices of the Parish Council and is being supported by Histon & Impington Green Spaces.
All are welcome
It is not necessary to register in advance but it will help with our planning if you can drop a line to sitemanagers@abbeyfields.online to say you hope to join.
Winter Wassail
In the depths of January our friends at HICOP hold a Wassail at the Community Orchard. What is a Wassail? It’s a time to visit the orchard and sing to the trees to promote a good harvest for the coming year. And there is a tradition to make a noise, a hullaballoo, by banging pots and pans. And of course cider plays it's part – there’ll be a toast to the trees and cider is sprinkled over the roots.
This year, the HICOP Wassail is on Saturday 24th January at 4:30pm at the Community Orchard. So bring lanterns and torches to find your way, and bring pots, pans and spoons to bang to make a hullaballoo and wake the trees. Our toast master will make the traditional toast to the trees. And then join in singing some traditional Wassail songs around the HICOP flaming beacon.
There'll be hot and cold cider and apple juice available too, and cakes too. Bring your own mug if you can.
Wassailing is a tradition dating back a thousand years. Let's keep the tradition alive this year at the Community Orchard.
January work parties at Croft Close Nature Reserve
Why not join one of our regular work parties (second Saturday and third Tuesday of the month over the autumn and winter). All work parties will have a mix of activities, from light trimming to heavier manual work so there should be something for most.
We start at the Croft Close entrance to the Nature Reserve.
Please register in advance by emailing sitemanagers@abbeyfields.online . This allows us to let you know if the work party has to be cancelled, and also to ask you, if you can, to bring specific tools to suit the planned tasks.
Please come dressed for the weather, with stout footwear and gloves. Secateurs will always be handy.
January work parties at Croft Close Nature Reserve
Why not join one of our regular work parties (second Saturday and third Tuesday of the month over the autumn and winter). All work parties will have a mix of activities, from light trimming to heavier manual work so there should be something for most.
We start at the Croft Close entrance to the Nature Reserve.
Please register in advance by emailing sitemanagers@abbeyfields.online . This allows us to let you know if the work party has to be cancelled, and also to ask you, if you can, to bring specific tools to suit the planned tasks.
Please come dressed for the weather, with stout footwear and gloves. Secateurs will always be handy.
Cancelled - January work parties at Croft Close Nature Reserve
Cancelled
Why not join one of our regular work parties (second Saturday and third Tuesday of the month over the autumn and winter). All work parties will have a mix of activities, from light trimming to heavier manual work so there should be something for most.
We start at the Croft Close entrance to the Nature Reserve.
Please register in advance by emailing sitemanagers@abbeyfields.online . This allows us to let you know if the work party has to be cancelled, and also to ask you, if you can, to bring specific tools to suit the planned tasks.
Please come dressed for the weather, with stout footwear and gloves. Secateurs will always be handy.
January work party at Long Meadow
Fancy some outdoor activity? Why not join one of our work parties. All work parties will have a mix of activities, from light trimming to heavier manual work so there should be something for most.
We start by the fence at the village end of Long Meadow.
Please register in advance by emailing sitemanagers@abbeyfields.online . This allows us to let you know if the work party has to be cancelled, and also to ask you, if you can, to bring specific tools to suit the planned tasks.
Please come dressed for the weather, with stout footwear and gloves. Secateurs will always be handy.
January work parties at Croft Close Nature Reserve
Why not join one of our regular work parties (second Saturday and third Tuesday of the month over the autumn and winter). All work parties will have a mix of activities, from light trimming to heavier manual work so there should be something for most.
We start at the Croft Close entrance to the Nature Reserve.
Please register in advance by emailing sitemanagers@abbeyfields.online . This allows us to let you know if the work party has to be cancelled, and also to ask you, if you can, to bring specific tools to suit the planned tasks.
Please come dressed for the weather, with stout footwear and gloves. Secateurs will always be handy.
Help remove invasive trees from the WI Wood
The WI Wood – also known as Histon Wood – sits beside the Busway opposite Manor Field and the Histon & Impington Community Orchard.
In recent years this woodland has been invaded by evergreen oaks, an alien species: for more information see here.
The Parish Council have been granted permission by Cambridgeshire County Council (who own the wood) to remove these alien oaks.
There are several hundred saplings to remove! We are inviting volunteers to come and assist on:
Saturday 10th January 10:30am to 12:30pm
Saturday 31st January 10:30am to 12:30pm
Please meet beside the Busway access track by the entrance to the wood near the stables at the public footpath crossing from the St Audrey's Close.
Please wear suitable footwear and clothes and bring work gloves. We hope many of the saplings can be pulled out by hand, but some digging may be needed – so spades, trowels and forks might be useful.
Children are welcome where under the supervision and responsibility of a parent or carer but are not covered by the volunteers insurance for this activity.
The work is being done under the auspices of the Parish Council and is being supported by Histon & Impington Green Spaces.
All are welcome
It is not necessary to register in advance but it will help with our planning if you can drop a line to sitemanagers@abbeyfields.online to say you hope to join.
January work party at Long Meadow
Fancy some outdoor activity? Why not join one of our work parties. All work parties will have a mix of activities, from light trimming to heavier manual work so there should be something for most.
We start by the fence at the village end of Long Meadow.
Please register in advance by emailing sitemanagers@abbeyfields.online . This allows us to let you know if the work party has to be cancelled, and also to ask you, if you can, to bring specific tools to suit the planned tasks.
Please come dressed for the weather, with stout footwear and gloves. Secateurs will always be handy.
December work parties at Croft Close Nature Reserve
Why not join one of our regular work parties (second Saturday and third Tuesday of the month over the autumn and winter). All work parties will have a mix of activities, from light trimming to heavier manual work so there should be something for most.
We start at the Croft Close entrance to the Nature Reserve.
Please register in advance by emailing sitemanagers@abbeyfields.online . This allows us to let you know if the work party has to be cancelled, and also to ask you, if you can, to bring specific tools to suit the planned tasks.
Please come dressed for the weather, with stout footwear and gloves. Secateurs will always be handy.
December work parties at Croft Close Nature Reserve
Why not join one of our regular work parties (second Saturday and third Tuesday of the month over the autumn and winter). All work parties will have a mix of activities, from light trimming to heavier manual work so there should be something for most.
We start at the Croft Close entrance to the Nature Reserve.
Please register in advance by emailing sitemanagers@abbeyfields.online . This allows us to let you know if the work party has to be cancelled, and also to ask you, if you can, to bring specific tools to suit the planned tasks.
Please come dressed for the weather, with stout footwear and gloves. Secateurs will always be handy.
December work parties at Croft Close Nature Reserve
Fancy some outdoor activity? Why not join one of our work parties. All work parties will have a mix of activities, from light trimming to heavier manual work so there should be something for most.
We start at the Croft Close entrance to the Nature Reserve.
Please register in advance by emailing sitemanagers@abbeyfields.online . This allows us to let you know if the work party has to be cancelled, and also to ask you, if you can, to bring specific tools to suit the planned tasks.
Please come dressed for the weather, with stout footwear and gloves. Secateurs will always be handy.
Hedge Planting Family Event at Long Meadow
We are finally ready for some more planting! Our small bare root plants (“whips”) are coming, and we are looking for families to come and help us plant up the next section of the hedge.
We will be planting a mix of species to restore the hedge and make it more wildlife-friendly.
We will also have some fun and creative activities, and hot drinks available.
Just pop along any time between 10:30 am and 12:30 pm to join in the fun.
Enter Long Meadow by our flag – the planting section is towards the west end of the field opposite Melvin Way.
Please come dressed for the weather and the rough grass and muddy ground. Note, there is no car parking here.
December work parties at Croft Close Nature Reserve
Fancy some outdoor activity? Why not join one of our work parties. All work parties will have a mix of activities, from light trimming to heavier manual work so there should be something for most.
We start at the Croft Close entrance to the Nature Reserve.
Please register in advance by emailing sitemanagers@abbeyfields.online . This allows us to let you know if the work party has to be cancelled, and also to ask you, if you can, to bring specific tools to suit the planned tasks.
Please come dressed for the weather, with stout footwear and gloves. Secateurs will always be handy.
November work parties at Croft Close Nature Reserve
Fancy some outdoor activity? Why not join one of our work parties. All work parties will have a mix of activities, from light trimming to heavier manual work so there should be something for most.
We start at the Croft Close entrance to the Nature Reserve.
Please register in advance by emailing sitemanagers@abbeyfields.online . This allows us to let you know if the work party has to be cancelled, and also to ask you, if you can, to bring specific tools to suit the planned tasks.
Please come dressed for the weather, with stout footwear and gloves. Secateurs will always be handy.
November work parties at Croft Close Nature Reserve
Fancy some outdoor activity? Why not join one of our work parties. All work parties will have a mix of activities, from light trimming to heavier manual work so there should be something for most.
We start at the Croft Close entrance to the Nature Reserve.
Please register in advance by emailing sitemanagers@abbeyfields.online . This allows us to let you know if the work party has to be cancelled, and also to ask you, if you can, to bring specific tools to suit the planned tasks.
Please come dressed for the weather, with stout footwear and gloves. Secateurs will always be handy.
Hedge restoration work parties at Long Meadow
With hedge planting approaching – a planting event will be held in early December as soon as whips are available - we need to complete the preparation of the ground ready for planting. There will be three dedicated work parties at Long Meadow:
· Friday 24th October, at 10:30am
· Wednesday 29th October, at 2pm
· Friday 21st November, at 2pm.
These will all involve grubbing out of bramble and digging over the soil ready to plant into.
We may also be doing some bramble clearance near our new avenue trees to ensure that the area around each barrier is fully accessible.
We start by the fence at the village end of Long Meadow.
Please register in advance by emailing sitemanagers@abbeyfields.online. This allows us to let you know if the work party has to be cancelled, and also to ask you, if you can, to bring specific tools to suit the planned tasks.
Please come dressed for the weather, with stout footwear and gloves.
November work parties at Croft Close Nature Reserve
Why not join one of our regular work parties (second Saturday and third Tuesday of the month over the autumn and winter). All work parties will have a mix of activities, from light trimming to heavier manual work so there should be something for most.
We start at the Croft Close entrance to the Nature Reserve.
Please register in advance by emailing sitemanagers@abbeyfields.online . This allows us to let you know if the work party has to be cancelled, and also to ask you, if you can, to bring specific tools to suit the planned tasks.
Please come dressed for the weather, with stout footwear and gloves. Secateurs will always be handy.
November work parties at Croft Close Nature Reserve
Fancy some outdoor activity? Why not join one of our work parties. All work parties will have a mix of activities, from light trimming to heavier manual work so there should be something for most.
We start at the Croft Close entrance to the Nature Reserve.
Please register in advance by emailing sitemanagers@abbeyfields.online . This allows us to let you know if the work party has to be cancelled, and also to ask you, if you can, to bring specific tools to suit the planned tasks.
Please come dressed for the weather, with stout footwear and gloves. Secateurs will always be handy.
November work parties at Croft Close Nature Reserve
Why not join one of our regular work parties (second Saturday and third Tuesday of the month over the autumn and winter). All work parties will have a mix of activities, from light trimming to heavier manual work so there should be something for most.
We start at the Croft Close entrance to the Nature Reserve.
Please register in advance by emailing sitemanagers@abbeyfields.online . This allows us to let you know if the work party has to be cancelled, and also to ask you, if you can, to bring specific tools to suit the planned tasks.
Please come dressed for the weather, with stout footwear and gloves. Secateurs will always be handy.
Histon’s 5th Swish – HIGS stall
We are again supporting HI Sustainability’s popular Swish event (see the poster for details) with a stall. You will find our stall in Hall 1.
We will have the Histon & Impington Green Spaces 2026 Calendar for sale; plus information about work parties, talks, and other events.
If you are attending the Swish we hope that you will have a spare moment to drop by.
November work parties at Croft Close Nature Reserve
Fancy some outdoor activity? Why not join one of our work parties. All work parties will have a mix of activities, from light trimming to heavier manual work so there should be something for most.
We start at the Croft Close entrance to the Nature Reserve.
Please register in advance by emailing sitemanagers@abbeyfields.online . This allows us to let you know if the work party has to be cancelled, and also to ask you, if you can, to bring specific tools to suit the planned tasks.
Please come dressed for the weather, with stout footwear and gloves. Secateurs will always be handy.