Help London’s house sparrows and take part in the RSPB Cockney Sparrow Count 18 June to 12 July! In the summer of 2002 the GLA and RSPB launched the ‘Where have all the sparrows gone’ survey, which asked residents of London to tell us if they had house sparrows in their gardens or local green spaces. Over 10,000 people responded, giving us valuable information about where they were still to be found, as well as highlighting the plight of this once prolific bird. The results painted a sad picture, with a stark absence of sparrows in the centre of London.…
Author: admin
The Government is asking people to keep a lookout for the Asian hornet (Vespa velutina), an invasive, non-native species which can be a serious predator of honey bees. Although not yet recorded in Britain, this hornet is now widespread in France and Spain, having been accidentally introduced from its native south-east Asia, possibly in a consignment of pottery from China. It’s arrival in Britain in the future, either by flying across the Channel or with pottery or garden products, is very likely. People, especially beekeepers, are asked to be alert and report any sightings. The Food and Environment Research Agency…
Local botanist John Swindells has found the rare Jersey Cudweed (Gnaphalium luteoalbum) in three sites by the docks in Tower Hamlets. John first found the plant in pavement cracks at St Katherine’s Dock in June 2009. Two monthls later he found it in a similar location beside Millwall Dock, where it has reappeared in 2010 and 2011. The latest find was this year on bare ground at Poplar Dock Marina, where the photograph above was taken. Jersey Cudweed is very rare in Britain, with just two surviving populations – in North Norfolk and at Dungeness in Kent – which are…
The Bird Barmy Army walk on Sauturday 19 May showed that it hasn’t taken long for water birds to return to the restored lakes in Victoria Park. Bird expert David Darrell-Lambert of Birdbrain UK led 16 visitors round the park, logging an impressive 37 species of feathered friends. Particularly welcome was the number and variety of water birds seen, just a few months after the restored lakes were refilled. There were three pairs of Little Grebes and a pair of Great Crested Grebes, along with a pair of Mute Swans, five Greylag Geese, 10 Canada Geese, at least 10 Moorhens,…
They are called The Nurture Group, so what better activity for students with special educational needs from Swanlea School Business & Enterprise College than to learn how to care for plants and seeds – with a bit of entrepreneurship included? Eighteen students from Years 8, 9 and 10 spent the morning of 17 May taking part in the Blooming Colour Challenge, delivered by local education charity Tower Hamlets Education Business Partnership, and supported by Spitalfields City Farm, teaching staff and school governors. Tower Hamlets Sustainable Development Team also supported the event by providing wildflower seeds for the students to plant.…
Tower Hamlets Council is offering a free packet of wildflower seeds to residents, as part of the implementation of the Biodiversity Action Plan. The seeds are Landlife’s “Butterfly & Bumblebee Border” mix, a selection of colourful annuals and perennials which provide plenty of nectar for insects. As well as helping wildlife, these wild flowers will brighten up a corner of your garden, housing estate or school, or even a planter or window box. The seeds can be collected from any Idea Store or library, the three city farms in the borough (Mudchute, Spitalfields and Stepney), or from the Soanes Centre…
Thanks to funding from SITA Enriching Nature Programme, Buglife in partnership with Livingroofs.org and the Green Roof Consultancy have produced the UK’s first report on creating biodiverse green roofs, specifically for invertebrates. The report gives advice and guidance on how to design a roof for wildlife, including details on substrate choice and depth, which wildflowers to plant and how to create a variety of habitats such as wildflower meadows, bare ground, dead wood piles and bug hotels. The guidance is supported by scientific studies – biodiverse green roofs have been well studied in Switzerland and the UK and the wildlife…
The two Tufted Ducks with Portuguese nasal saddles, which visited East India Dock Basin Nature Reserve last spring, have returned. The female, originally marked at Säo Jacinto Dunes Nature Reserve, Portugal on 14th January 2011, reappeared at the Basin on 28th March this year, and has been seen intermittently since then. The male, marked at the same Portuguese site on 16th December 2007, returned to the Basin on 10th April and immediately seemed to pair up with the female. Despite their apparent attachment, they spent the winter apart, as the male returned to Portugal, being seen back at Säo Jacinto…
On March 10th local residents of the Glamis Estate joined with environmental charity Trees for Cities for a community planting event. Trees for Cities have been working on Glamis Estate in partnership with EastEnd Homes & Glamis Residents Association, to improve some of the outdoor spaces on the estate for the benefit of the residents. The improvements aim to green the outdoor areas through tree planting and landscaping that adds colour and interest whilst improving the biodiversity of the estate. The free community planting event provided an opportunity for residents of the estate to help with the planting and beautifying…
When the boat dwellers of the E2 Collective got planning permission for permanent residential moorings opposite Victoria Park, one of the planning conditions was to build a community garden. The garden, which includes food growing areas and wild flowers, as well as the ancient wharf wall, was created behind the Canal Club community centre on Waterloo Gardens E2, on an area with a history of neglect and abuse. This was all built at the beginning of 2011 and it has been a great success. The first open day attracted over 80 visitors within 4 hours! Some very unusual wild visitors…