St Leonard’s Priory, situated in Bromley-by-Bow, Tower Hamlets, is the remains of an ancient church and its grounds, now very overgrown and in need of careful management. The Priory was originally part of a Convent and the site today is a small fraction of the original site of this large Benedictine nunnery, founded by William, Bishop of London, in the time of William the Conqueror. The nunnery housed a Prioress and nine nuns and has been immortalised in English literature as it was the Prioress from this convent who formed the basis for another William, Chaucer to base one of…
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One stop shop to improve urban green space Did you know that City West Homes in Pimlico have received an award for attracting wildlife to their communal green space or that community tree planting packs are available for use in local shared spaces? Do you want to get ideas for starting your own food growing project, learn more about how to attract wildlife to your garden, want to set up your own gardening group, or apply for funding? These are just some of the ideas which can be found on a new interactive website, launched today by Neighbourhoods Green, as…
70,000 bulbs were planted last autumn in Tower Hamlets Parks! Children from Overland Day Nursery (pictured above planting bulbs at Selwyn Green Park) and Thomas Buxton School worked with the Council’s Community Rangers to help plant daffodils, bluebells and snowdrops. This is part of the Council’s commitment to deliver the Tower Hamlets Biodiversity Action Plan. All the planting events were a great success, and much enjoyed by the kids, with face painting, arts and crafts, as well as an opportunity to learn about the benefits of nature conservation and help to brighten up their local area. The bulbs should produce…
Look out for one of Britain’s most exotic-looking birds this winter. Huge numbers of Waxwings have been arriving in the country from Scandinavia during November and December. These pink, starling-sized birds have a striking crest on their head, a black mask, and delicate red, yellow and white markings on their wings – a truly spectacular sight. They feed on berries, and can be remarkably tame and approachable. Waxwings nest in the far north of Europe and Asia, and a few appear in Britain in most winters, but they’re generally rare here. Occasionally, perhaps due to a poor berry crop in…
On 2nd December 2010 the Friends of Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park attended the annual London Tree and Woodland Awards ceremony held in London’s Living Room at City Hall. The Friends were there as the winners of ‘the most innovative project demonstrating significant environmental benefits (biodiversity award)’. This was one of several categories in the London Tree and Woodland Awards 2010. The awards, run by the Forestry Commission with support from the Mator of London, aim to celebrate and recognise committed individuals and groups, who work to improve the value of trees and woodlands in London. The award was due to…
We are all nuts about nature By Lara Cerroni, 25 October 2010 Hundreds of residents enjoyed tree climbing, willow weaving, pond dipping, story telling and more to celebrate all things green. The new-look ceremony for the annual Tower Hamlets in Bloom competition took place in Mile End Park’s Ecology Pavilion. Colin Stuart, head of parks and open spaces at the council, said: “Bringing the Tower Hamlets in Bloom awards out into the community was fantastic. A wide range of activities took place to entertain young and old. From gardening tips and information to climbing nets and arts and craft, everybody…
September 2010 – New Biodiversity Officer employed by London Borough of Tower Hamlets Tower Hamlets Council now has a Biodiversity Officer. John Archer, formerly of London Ecology Unit and the Greater London Authority’s biodiversity team, started work towards the end of September. He will be responsible for overseeing delivery of the borough’s local biodiversity action plan, as well as providing advice to the Council and others on a wide range of issues affecting biodiversity. John will also keep the Tower Habitats website up to date, and organise events to help residents enjoy the borough’s wildlife and green spaces. If you…
Edward Mayer of London Swifts (now Swift Conservation) came to Tower Hamlets in 2008 to speak on conservation of Swifts in the built environment. You can download his presentation here. Photo by David Darrell-Lambert/Bird Brain UK
In recognition of the important role planning has to play in responding to climate change, the London Borough of Tower Hamlets commissioned Land Use Consultants (LUC) and the National Energy Foundation (NEF) in February 2007 to undertake a study investigating the potential for renewable energy and biodiversity enhancement opportunities within the borough. The Tower Hamlets “Sustainable Energy & Enhanced Biodiversity Study” was “highly commended” in the Climate Change category at the Royal Town Planning Institute Planning Awards 2008. Opportunities for Sustainable Energy and Biodiversity Enhancement The main biodiversity outputs of the study can be downloaded below: Biodiversity Enhancement Zones Black…
Fertilizer Threat! Scientists have identified why excessive fertilisation of soils is resulting in a loss of plant diversity. Extra nutrients allow fast growing plants to dominate a habitat, blocking smaller species’ access to vital sunlight, researchers have found. As a result, many species are disappearing from affected areas. It was reported in Science that a team from the University of Zurich has warned that tighter controls were needed in order to prevent further loss to plant biodiversity. It is estimated that the global level of nitrogen and phosphorus available to plants has doubled in the past 50 years. Looking at…