Kilmorey Mausoleum and Richmond Pocket Parks March 24th, 2012

While the current drought conditions in the Southeast of England are bad news for people and wildlife (so please save water), the gorgeous weather meant that the Environment Trust was able to offer a bumper volunteering day. Three groups were deployed to smarten up the borough, at Kilmorey Mausoleum and the ever popular Richmond riverside.

Tidal flooding has resulted in a build up of sediment on the riverside path, which has been colonised by vegetation.

Volunteers from the Columbia University Club of London get to work and reveal the buried path.

After a final sweep, several feet of path is again available to 'promenaders'.

The steps were also being overtaken by vegetation.

With the tide quickly rising, Columbia volunteers remove the last few plants ...

... producing a much cleaner appearance.

Meanwhile, the girls from Marymount School give Bridge House Gardens a spring clean.

A short distance away, the boys from Tower House School took on the task of re-laying a woodchip path at Kilmorey Mausoleum.

Visit the Kilmorey website for details of open days in 2012 http://www.kilmoreymausoleum.co.uk/Kilmorey/Kilmorey-Mausoleum-home.html

With a small mountain to move, the boys waste no time in filling barrows and buckets.

In no time at all the wood chip pile becomes a path, which is also beneficial to stag beetles.

 

The finished result looks ready for visitors.

There's even a pond.

The garden at Kilmorey is just coming back to life. Come and visit on one of the summer open days to see it in all its glory.

 

The Tower House boys get a rare glimpse inside the mausoleum.

And finally, the famous Kilmorey compost toilet is occupied.

Ham Common Litter Clearance - Saturday March 3rd

Members of the Ham and Petersham Association gather for litter picking on Ham Common.

(Notice something not quite right with this photo? Tell us via Twitter @EnvTrustVols or comment here)

This week the Environment Trust teamed up with the Ham and Petersham Association (HPA) to help clear litter on Ham Common. Despite the threat of rain, a group of willing volunteers clutching rubbish bags and litter pickers fanned out across the common and into the woods, emerging some time later with bulging bags of rubbish, which Richmond Council took away.

The invasive snowberry near the pond at Ham Gate was also tackled again, with all above-ground stems cut and more of the roots dug out. With the bluebells beginning to appear, it is easy to appreciate why it's important to remove the snowberry. Where the snowberry has become established, there are no bluebells. This site will need to be revisited to ensure complete removal of the snowberry in the coming years.