Volunteer environmental group Friends of Railway Walk, which has been running for around two years, takes care of one of the town's key sites in a bid to encourage more wildlife and plant life.

The Railway Walk group was formed out of the Buckingham Community Wildlife Project and carries out clearing and conservation work at the site, which runs along Station Road, near the University of Buckingham.

The walk follows part of the town's disused railway, which ceased operation in 1966 following former British Rail chairman Richard Beeching's reorganisation of the country's railway system.

Jenny Manning, from the Friends of Railway Walk, said work carried out included collecting fallen logs and making wood piles as habitat, haymaking, installing bird boxes and looking after a nearby local orchard.

She said: "Since we took over the Railway Walk 18 months ago, the number of wildflowers has increased because we have cleared areas where the flowers couldn't grow before. There are more birds down Railway Walk because we put up nest boxes; we have particularly seen an increase in blue tits and great tits."

She added new volunteers were always welcome and to keep people informed of activities, the group regularly had a column in the club's section of the Advertiser and Review.

The group meets on the first Saturday in the month in the University of Buckingham car park, at the top of Station Road, in Buckingham. For more information, contact Mrs Manning on 01280 815223 or email railwaywalk@tiscali.co.uk.

Other local conservation groups include Friends of Maids Moreton Avenue and Holloway Spinney, Maids Moreton Conservation Group and the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers.