Following the survey last year that failed to find any Hedgehogs at Mudchute, the Biodiversity Officer carried out a similar survey at Victoria Park in late July/early August. Sadly the survey, which followed guidelines approved by the Mammal Society, again failed to record any signs of Hedgehogs. Hedgehogs are known to have been present in Victoria Park 10-15 years ago. The greenkeeper of the Bowls Club recalls having to rescue them from the trench around the edge of the bowling green from time to time, though not for many years. The People’s Trust for Endangered Species have also received reports…
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Local botanist John Swindells writes: A group from the London Natural History Society recording plants in Mile End Park in April found Subterranean or Burrowing Clover (Trifolium subterraneum) close to the Arts Pavilion. More frequently occurring near to the coast in southern England from Devon and Cornwall to Norfolk, though also inland growing in shallow soils on sand or chalk, this plant is very rare in the London area. This is probably the first record ever for Tower Hamlets and the first for inner London since at least 1930. Unlike most clovers which have numerous individual flowers in a head,…
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 60,000 people took part in 2017, counting over 550,000 individual butterflies and day-flying moths across the UK (see the 2017 results). This year’s Big Butterfly Count is taking place from Friday 20 July to Sunday 12 August 2018. The survey is run by the charity Butterfly Conservation. To take part, simply count butterflies for 15 minutes during bright (preferably sunny) weather…
The Lower Regents Coalition in Tower Hamlets has been recognised by the Green Flag Award Scheme for the first time. The Regent’s Canal between Limehouse Basin and Mile End Road joins other green spaces awarded recognition as one of the UK’s very best. The Lower Regent’s Canal is among a record-breaking 1,883 UK parks and green spaces that received a prestigious Green Flag Community Award – the mark of a quality park or green space. This international award, now into its third decade, is a sign to the public that the space boasts the highest possible environmental standards, is beautifully…
Emma Pooley of the London Wildlife Trust writes: Help us find London’s hedgehogs! London Wildlife Trust’s “Urban Urchins” project is in full swing and we’re receiving excellent numbers of sightings of hedgehogs around London. London’s hedgehogs are in trouble, with the city’s population falling by nearly a third since 2000. We need to act fast to reverse this decline, but we can only do this with your help. There are lots of ways you can help. One of our biggest priorities is recording where hedgehogs live in London, so we can build an accurate picture of where our help is…
Local spider expert Edward Milner writes: Two new spiders have been added to the list for Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park. The first is Anyphaena sabina (see header photo). The first record of this spider in the UK was at Kirk’s Place, Mile End Park in June 2011. It has now spread quite widely in London. This species cannot be reliably separated from pale individuals of the common (but variable) Anyphaena accentuata except by microscopic examination. The second new species is Mangora acalypha (see photo left). This is an attractive little orb-web spider found in less-disturbed tall vegetation, such as tall…
The London Wildlife Trust writes: Between May and September London’s streams, rivers and ponds light up with the dazzling, darting flight of dragonflies and damselflies. These attractive and fascinating insects, collectively known as Odonata, thrive where the water is clean and are a great indicator species of healthy ecosystems. However, little is known about their distribution across London. As part of our Water for Wildlife project we are asking Londoners to become Dragonfly Detectives and help us create a map of where they live in the city. If you see a dragonfly or damselfly in your garden, local park, nature…
Stepney resident Liz Swinburne was very surprised to find Hedgehog in her garden on 26 May, and then in her house on the following two nights! Liz reports: “We have had a hedgehog appear in our garden/house on three successive evenings. I have never seen a hedgehog in our garden before and I have lived here for 20+ years. I can only think it has climbed plants to come in over the wall, as our garden is walled on all sides. When we came home at around midnight on Saturday it was trying quite determinedly to get in through our…
The charity Butterfly Conservation is asking people to fight butterfly and moth declines with flowers. Just one square metre of nectar plants could feed hundreds of insects. Habitat loss, intensive modern farming methods and climate change are threatening pollinator populations. The butterflies, moths, bees, wasps and beetles we rely on to pollinate crops and wildflowers are struggling. Gardens can act as important refuges for wildlife seeking out food and shelter. If we all dedicate an area of our outdoor space to pollinator-friendly plants, we could transform our landscape and stop butterflies and moths disappearing from our neighbourhoods. There’s plenty of…
Open Garden Squares Weekend is an opportunity to feed your curiosity and explore over 230 private, secret and little-known gardens across 27 London boroughs over one very special weekend. Gardens range from the historic and traditional to the new and experimental, and include private gardens, roof gardens, community allotments, gardens belonging to historic buildings, institutions, cafés, schools and shops. One ticket gives access to numerous gardens across the weekend. This year’s Open Garden Squares Weekend is on 9-10 June 2018. Adult tickets for the whole weekend are £15 in advance, children aged 12-18 £8, under-12s free. To buy advance tickets…