Impact on the environment

University and college properties are the background for intensive work and study, which naturally creates restrictions on access. But visits from the general public and the local community are welcomed, and the University balances their interests with the needs of its own members. Nearly half of all tourists visit one or more of the colleges, the most popular being Christ Church, where the cathedral is visited by thousands of people each year who worship or simply enjoy the stillness and the sense of history it inspires; Magdalen, with its deer park and meadow; and New College with its chapel cloisters and garden.

Most of the colleges are open to the public at set times.  Some colleges and University-owned properties offer free admission every second weekend in September as part of Oxford Open Doors, and event organised by the Oxford Preservation Trust in partnership with the University. 

The University is working to reduce its impact on the environment.  An environmental panel advises on how to improve its environmental performance. Download a PDF of The University’s Environmental Sustainability Policy.

Oxford has an international reputation for its environmental research, with more than 500 research and teaching staff working in the field. A host of University and community environmental projects are in full swing, including ClimateXChange, led by the University’s Environmental Change Institute. The project encourages individuals, local communities and business to spread the word about climate change issues taking action, communicating, and exploring the facts.

Christ Church Meadow This is a large area of tranquil pasture in the heart of the busy city of Oxford, owned and maintained by Christ Church borders the rivers Cherwell and Isis. The meadow is open to the public until dusk each day and is a much-loved spot for picnics and river walks, as well as remaining one of Oxford’s main tourist attractions.

Magdalen College Deer Park  A large, beautiful meadow is the home to a herd of deer during the winter and spring. This triangular nature-spot lies to the east of Magdalen College, bounded on all sides by the River Cherwell. In spring it is famously filled with Snakeshead Fritillary. Around the edge of the meadow is a tree-lined path, Addison's Walk, creating a walk favoured by students, academics, and visitors.

The University Parks Consisting of about 30 hectares of parkland on the west bank of the River Cherwell, together with a 1.5-hectare spur of land running towards the south, the University Parks include sports areas and a large collection of plants and trees in landscaped surroundings. The University Parks are open to members of the public during the day. The Parks recently received an environmental award from the Oxford Preservation Trust for the new Keble gates for ‘the contribution made to the preservation and enhancement of Oxford's heritage.’ 

Wytham Woods covering 400 hectares, the woods were given to the University in 1943 for research, education, and recreational purposes. It is one of the most researched areas of woodland in the whole of Britain and is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest. While most of the researchers have been Oxford University staff and students, the Woods attract 20,000 visitors each year. Research projects regularly involve volunteers from local groups and Wytham has become an outdoor classroom for the popular Forest School project. This brings children from Oxford schools out to learn in a woodland setting, encouraging them to think about the environment and the part they can play in taking care of it.

FAI (Food Animal Initiative) is a livestock farm designed to develop and demonstrate farming systems that are beneficial to animal welfare, the environment, human health, as well as practical and commercially viable for farmers. FAI took over the tenancy of the Oxford University Farm, part of the Wytham estate, in 2001. The farm is 1250 acres, bordered by Wytham Woods and the River Thames, and includes Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). It is home to free-range chickens, sheep, beef cattle, and pigs. The farm draws thousands of visitors annually, and hosts tours, talks and projects for school children and adults alike to learn about issues surrounding food production, farming and the environment, and the welfare of animals. 
Find out more at http://www.faifarms.co.uk/

Harcourt Arboretum In 1963, the University Botanic Garden acquired the Harcourt Arboretum, which is six miles south of Oxford, an integral part of the plant collection of the Botanic Garden. In spring, there is a quintessentially English 10-acre woodland and in summer a 37-acre meadow full of wild flowers. In December 2006 a further 50-acres on the south-west boundary of the Harcourt Arboretum, Palmer’s Leys, was purchased. Initial survey work by Oxford undergraduates provided data upon which the planned restoration of this historic landscape is based. With help from local school children and a group of enthusiastic volunteers, 13,000 British native trees have been planted to create the 20 acres of woodland