As reported in this post in June, Poplar HARCA planted 6000 sunflower seeds at various locations around its estates, as part of a programme to help bees and other pollinating insects. Tim Wilcox, Landscape Manager at Poplar HARCA, reports on the results: “We’ve had some good successes with the sunflowers in planters and tree pits, and the bees are loving them. They’ve not worked so well in open ground. I think it was too dry early on, and then there was too much competition with the grass.” Now, at the end of August, there’s a blaze of yellow in planters…
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Edward Mayer of Swift Conservation writes: Swift Conservation launched our new “Swift & Bat Column” at the Bird Fair last weekend. This new design was conceived to replicate two things, the tree nest places that Swifts are known to use in Scotland, Poland and Scandinavia, and the latest type of tubular mobile phone mast. As such it is designed to merge imperceptibly into the modern urban and industrial landscape. With thousands of such phone masts sprouting up all over the UK and Europe, a few more for Swifts will not raise much objection. Well, that is our hope! We also…
The Big Butterfly Count is a nationwide survey aimed at helping assess the health of our environment. It was launched in 2010 and an impressive 10,000 people took part, counting 210,000 butterflies and day-flying moths across the nation. Over 36,000 people took part in 2015, counting over 460,000 individual butterflies and day-flying moths across the UK (see the 2016 results). This year’s Big Butterfly Count is taking place from Friday 14 July to Sunday 6 August 2017. The survey is run by the charity Butterfly Conservation. To take part, simply count butterflies for 15 minutes during bright (preferably sunny) weather…
A survey at Mudchute, following guidelines approved by the Mammal Society, has failed to record any signs of Hedgehogs, raising concerns that Britain’s favourite wild mammal might be extinct in its former stronghold on the Isle of Dogs. Ten or more years ago, Hedgehogs were fairly common in the southern part of the Isle of Dogs, with regular sightings at Mudchute and in nearby streets and gardens. However, despite repeated appeals for records, there have been very few reports in recent years, and none since July 2013. To try to find out whether there are still Hedgehogs in the area,…
Sarah Tibbatts writes: Between now and the end of September 2017, the Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park are offering free training to anyone who is involved in developing or managing community open spaces. This includes housing association staff, tenants and residents groups, Council parks staff, parks contractors, members of Friends groups, and allotment associations. Training at Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, Mile End, E3 Open to anyone who is involved in developing community open spaces anywhere in London. Minimum 3 and maximum 12 participants. Three half-day courses, mainly outdoors using the resources of the Cemetery Park: Establishing and Managing Wildflower…
Local naturalist and butterfly expert Terry Lyle has found another Small Blue butterfly in Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park, in almost exactly the same spot as he found one six years ago. These are the only inner London records of this nationally rare butterfly, which is usually found on chalk downlands. Cemetery Park Manager Ken Greenway takes up the story: “Terry has caught a second Small Blue in Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park today, within three metres of where a male was caught in May 2011. The area contains the combination of Kidney Vetch and long grass the butterfly needs. Since 2011…
Rachel Blew of Stepney Greencoat Primary School writes: In April 2016, Stepney Greencoat Primary School received a £725 Tower Habitats grant from The Tower Hill Trust to improve the habitat in the school gardens, around the existing pond; and the installation of bat and bird boxes, bird feeders and wildflower plugs. Year 3 and Nectar Rich Plants As part of their Science Topic ‘Plants’, Year 3 helped to fill our newly built planting bed and our empty planters with nectar rich plants (left) to encourage bees. This area forms part of the main playground. Reception…
Sarah Tibbatts of the Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park writes: The launch of our Plants and People Trail on 29 April attracted 40 people to open the new interpretation trail about the links between plants and people – cultural, economic and gastronomic. They enjoyed a wild food buffet (left) and guided foraging and wildflower tours of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park. The trail comprises a spoken word commentary accessible on smartphones, a leaflet, and information panels which are changed with the seasons. Why not come down to Cemetery Park to have a look? Thanks to Santander who funded the project.…
Ken Greenway of the Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park writes: This spring has seen the return of street artists to Ackroyd Drive Greenlink to help us with our continuing work to enhance the value, importance and appreciation of this green link that that runs between Bow Common Lane and Burdett Road. This sits alongside last year’s “Endangered 13” public art project that saw 13 of the railway arches painted last year. This new, separate art project became a reality with the support of local resident and public art curator, Bablu Miah of Sugar for My Soul, along with Global…
The London Wildlife Trust invites Londoners to join its ‘stag do’ to celebrate this year’s stag beetle season: Spring heralds the start of the stag beetle season – when Britain’s biggest land beetles wake and emerge from tree stumps and logs across the capital. Despite stag beetles being globally endangered and extinct across much of Britain, the capital remains a hotspot, and London Wildlife Trust is asking people to report their sightings and help researchers map their whereabouts. Male stag beetles sport ferocious looking but harmless mandibles – the ‘antlers’ – which look as if they could give a serious…