Wildlife is flourishing in Swedenborg Square Orchard, as revealed by these stunning pictures by local photographer Tosca Yemoh. The orchard was created in 2013 by Trees for Cities for EastendHomes, and it hasn’t taken long for birds, mammals and insects to move in. The cornfield annuals and other wild flowers planted beneath the trees create a riot of colour. The blossoming fruit trees and the colourful cornfield annuals beneath are great sources of nectar, and are a-buzz with a wide range of bees and butterflies. …
Author: admin
On Saturday 23 April, Trees for Cities planted 17 trees around the St George’s Estate in Shadwell and created a community garden where residents can relax, play and socialise in. The local community, residents and volunteers got involved at the community-led event to help plant trees, shrubs and bulbs to enhance the green space. The plants chosen include several species which will provide nectar for bees and other pollinating insects, contributing to an objective in the Local Biodiversity Action Plan. Trees for Cities has been working in partnership with Housing Association EastendHomes and residents at St George’s Estate in Tower…
Tower Hamlets Homes has installed a new Insect Hotel beside O’Brien House on the Greenways Estate. Veronica Suwara, Contracts Administrator with Tower Hamlets Homes, who organised the construction of the insect hotel, explains: “The wild area by O’Brien House is quiet and unlikely to be disturbed, it is also sheltered with trees and not too wet or too dry. The hotel was built entirely from recycled materials. We used old pallets found on our estates as the main structure. The gaps in the structure were filled with an assortment of things in order to create habitats for a wide variety…
Nesting rafts for terns are once again floating in Millwall Inner Dock after an absence of several years. Two rafts were installed in early February by Ballymore, working with the Canal & River Trust, as part of the ecological enhancements required under the planning permission for the Design Cube. In addition to the rafts, gabion planters full of mixed native wetland vegetation have been fixed to the edges of the Design Cube’s floating pontoon. These will provide habitat for nesting water birds such as Coots and Moorhens, as well as for a range of invertebrates. The rafts are specially…
Mapping the distribution of butterfly species in London The London Natural History Society is this year running the London Butterfly Project, a survey of the distribution of butterflies in London. To achieve good coverage, the project is seeking records from London’s green spaces; and also from urban, suburban and residential estates; private gardens, the street scene and as seen during commuting. Results will provide a comparison with a survey undertaken in 1980-1986; and provide information to Londoners to help conserve butterflies and habitat for other species in London. The London Natural History Society is working with the environmental records centre…
An Environment Agency (EA) survey of Victoria Park’s East Lake has revealed an alarming lack of small fish, thought to be the result of predation by Cormorants. East Lake was extended as part of the Lottery-funded improvements to Victoria Park in 2011-12. Around 8000 native fish, including Bream, Tench, Perch, Chub, Roach and Gudgeon, were stocked in 2012 and 2013, as part of the lake’s biodiversity and to provide angling faclities for local people. This has been promoted through a series of Fishing Taster Days, which have attracted many beginner anglers, especially children. Low catches in recent sessions, and an…
A nesting bank for Kingfishers has been installed beside the Regent’s Canal in Limehouse. Kingfishers are regularly seen along the Regent’s Canal and other waterways in the borough in winter, but always leave before the breeding season starts. This is probably due to a lack of suitable soft, vertical banks in which they can dig their nest burrows. Providing suitable nesting sites for Kingfishers is an objective in the Tower Hamlets Local Biodiversity Action Plan. The Council’s Sustainable Development Team agreed to fund the construction of a kingfisher bank to contribute to this LBAP objective. The edge of the Brunton…
Thames21 have installed a “floating ecosystem” in the Limehouse Cut, opposite their offices at Bow Locks. This 45- metre-long raft is planted with with native wetland vegetation, including reeds, on top. Below the raft, hanging brush-like structures provide habitat for juvenile fish, and also for microbes which improve water quality. The floating ecosystem was installed with the help of volunteers in December 2015. The raft came in several pieces, and first had to be fixed together (see photo left). The project was funded by the Tower Hill Trust. Thames21 hope to install further, similar floating ecosystems in the Lee Navigation…
The Ecology and Conservation Studies Society at Birkbeck University of London is running another free lecture series in spring 2016. Lectures will be held on six Friday evenings between 5 February and 11 March. Species conservation is embedded in national and international regulations, but does this achieve good representation of biodiversity? For example, invertebrates are not well catered for, let alone many fungi. Can we conserve the Great Crested Newt by translocation without providing for maintenance of both the ponds and terrestrial habitat that it needs? Or does the protection of species such as the Violet Click-beetle act as a…
Green-fingered residents collected gardening gongs in early December at the Tower Hamlets in Bloom 2015 award ceremony in Mile End Park. The Arts Pavilion played host to dozens of gardeners from across the borough who took part in the Tower Hamlets in bloom competition during the summer. At 44 years old, the competition is the borough’s oldest. From balconies, community gardens and allotments to patios, businesses and schools, the competition is open to anyone who makes the most of open spaces. Categories included best allotment, best community growing site, best education and best wildlife friendly garden. The competition is not…