Full details can be found at http://www.environmenttrust.co.uk/
Wildflower Meadow Creation, Marble Hill Park, Twickenham, Saturday October 26th 2013
In cooperation with English Heritage, the Environment Trust is helping to enlarge the areas of wildflower meadow around the edges of the sports pitches at Marble Hill Park.
Volunteers get busy removing turf in preparation for sowing wildflower seed, with some of this summer's flowers still in bloom.
Creating a wildflower meadow is harder than you might think, and requires a lot of muscle power.
Drainage is increased, and fertility reduced to assist seed germination, by adding a layer of sand.
As the seed is sown, volunteers and English Heritage rangers, tread the seeds in to the ground.
Mycena acicula (Orange bonnet) appearing through the Marble Hill grass.
2012 Wildflower Meadow in June 2013
Oxeye daisies
Cornflower.
Yellow-rattle.
Clitherow's Island, River Brent, Sunday October 19th, 2013
After several visits to Clitherow's Island, at last it feels like we're getting to the end of removing the 'rubbish island' from the River Brent. Today we were joined by members of the local canoe club at Brentford, who were able to manoeuvre around the fallen tree that had been trapping the rubbish. While woody debris is good for rivers, the lack of management of this stretch of river, had resulted in a build-up of rubbish washed downstream. Our volunteers also got their waders on, and worked hard to remove more metal work and other debris from the river, to enable the gravel to be exposed and provide spawning habitat for fish. Regular management of the site is needed to ensure that the situation doesn't deteriorate again, so we'll be back in early 2014 to continue the work. Sadly, the sewage pollution into the river at Boston Manor Park is still to be stemmed, so it'll be necessary to keep an eye on this. Despite this, again a brightly-coloured kingfisher was spotted streaking low above the water - a sight to really gladden the heart.
Volunteers from the local canoe club at Brentford came along to help clear rubbish out of the river.
'Tis the season for mushrooms.
Phil and Mel continue the task of removing deeply embedded rubbish, some perhaps originating from the M4?!
Non-native Pyracantha brings a splash of colour to Clitherow's Island.
The 'Rubbish Island' is no more, and all we're left with is healthy large woody debris.
Contrast the above with this photo taken just two months ago in August.
Less rubbish means we're making progress. Removing the metal railings embedded into the river, took two people almost two hours - that's dedication! Thanks, Phil.
Donkey Wood, River Crane, Thursday October 17th 2013
Rare alder carr woodland can be found at Donkey Wood, alongside the River Crane in Hounslow.
Hop rambling over an old alder tree.
Many weird and wonderful mosses and fungi can be found in this wet woodland.
The wonderful ...
... and the weird.
Younger alders were pollarded as a traditional form of woodland management.
The River Crane winds its way through this rare habitat.
Alder cones.
Hop twines.
An old goat willow (Salix caprea) could provide habitat for over 200 insect species, second only to oak in terms of ecological importance.
All this, and yet Donkey Wood is just a stone's throw from one of the busiest airports in the world - Heathrow. Don't forget your earplugs.
Tolworth Brook Wood, Sunday October 12th 2013
You've probably heard of the British army's Desert Rats, famous for their victories in North Africa in World War II, but today's group of volunteers can rightly be described as the 'Drowned Rats', for their heroism against the elements in suburban Kingston. Despite the incessant rain, the Kingston Greenspace Volunteers, joined by two new recruits, continued to coppice some of the hazel trees that make up the 'Tolworth Brook Wood', in Berrylands.
The coppice stools created by coppicing last year have flourished as a result of opening up the tree canopy to allow more light to reach the ground.
In addition to coppicing, and the inevitable litter picking, Gerrard started to create a hedge by laying some of the smaller hawthorn trees. Vegetation around the car park was also trimmed and the build-up of mud in the car park was removed with a shovel.
While there wasn't quite so much rubbish to remove this time, Quadron's trailer was again used to remove old fencing and concrete rubble.
Sadly, being a Sunday, fly-tippers were also spotted dumping rubbish at the 'recycling area'.
If you see people fly-tipping, please report it to the Police using 101. Dumping of garden waste over back fences is also still a problem, and one that we will continue to work to address with local residents.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: As this Google Blogger is experiencing problems, which means the Upcoming Events do not always display properly to the right, and changes made are not saved, I've created a Wordpress Blog, where the calendar can be viewed. Eventually I may move the whole blog over to Wordpress, so please let me know what your thoughts are on the presentation, and whether you prefer this layout or the Wordpress Blog. As I'm still finding my way around the Wordpress Blog, the site is not very well developed yet, so please bear with me.
The Environment Trust's Wordpress Blog can be found at: http://environmenttrustvolunteering.wordpress.com/
The coppice stools created by coppicing last year have flourished as a result of opening up the tree canopy to allow more light to reach the ground.
In addition to coppicing, and the inevitable litter picking, Gerrard started to create a hedge by laying some of the smaller hawthorn trees. Vegetation around the car park was also trimmed and the build-up of mud in the car park was removed with a shovel.
While there wasn't quite so much rubbish to remove this time, Quadron's trailer was again used to remove old fencing and concrete rubble.
Sadly, being a Sunday, fly-tippers were also spotted dumping rubbish at the 'recycling area'.
If you see people fly-tipping, please report it to the Police using 101. Dumping of garden waste over back fences is also still a problem, and one that we will continue to work to address with local residents.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: As this Google Blogger is experiencing problems, which means the Upcoming Events do not always display properly to the right, and changes made are not saved, I've created a Wordpress Blog, where the calendar can be viewed. Eventually I may move the whole blog over to Wordpress, so please let me know what your thoughts are on the presentation, and whether you prefer this layout or the Wordpress Blog. As I'm still finding my way around the Wordpress Blog, the site is not very well developed yet, so please bear with me.
The Environment Trust's Wordpress Blog can be found at: http://environmenttrustvolunteering.wordpress.com/
The 'Drowned Rats', aka the Kingston 'Greenace' Volunteers having a well-earned tea break from coppicing at Tolworth Brook Wood.
A neatly coppiced hazel stool.
Vegetation flourishing after last year's work.
The beginnings of Gerrard's hedge.
The clean car park.
And, the horrendous mess that is the recycling area at Meldone Close. If you see someone fly-tipping please report it to the Police by dialling 101.
Tolworth Brook, Berrylands, Tuesday October 1st, 2013
Today's task was supposed to be continuing coppicing hazel woodland close to the Tolworth Brook, however, the area surrounding the car park at Meldone Close is so blighted by litter and fly tipping, that it was decided to tackle this task first. One particularly grotty corner of the car park had never been cleared before, and today seemed like the day to take on this task. Cutting back the vegetation only revealed the full horror of the situation, but our volunteers battled on and eventually filled the trailer with rubbish, including rubbish bins, a toaster, a vacuum cleaner, lots of garden waste, bricks, window frames. Once this task was completed it was lunch time. After a quick lunch, we moved to the area of woodland that we first visited last autumn, to continue coppicing the hazel trees. Last year's coppicing has really opened up the woodland floor, with the increased light penetration stirring long dormant seeds into life. One interesting discovery was feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium). Introduced from Southeast Europe, feverfew is described as 'a relic of old gardens', and was formerly used to ease colic and to aid digestion.
The car park at Meldone Close is a real hot spot for fly tipping, particularly of garden waste.
After several hours work, a former grot spot is transformed.
And, another trailer-load of rubbish is ready for the trip to the tip - where the rubbish should have been taken in the first place.
The real reason for our visit to the Tolworth Brook today was to do a spot of coppicing. In the process, a feverfew plant was spotted. A so-called 'garden relic'.
After just one season, last year's coppiced hazel trees a sending shoots skyward.
River Thames Towpath, Kew/Mortlake Saturday September 28th
Joined by the boys from Tower House School and the girls from Marymount International School, the Environment Trust returned to the popular Kew/Mortlake riverside to spruce the area up. The boys worked on clearing a piece of industrial heritage that their predecessors started work on last year. This area used to be a dock for transferring good in and out of the Stag Brewery. Now all that remains are the tracks where wagons loaded with cargo once trundled in and out. As the Environment Trust aims to protect and preserve west London's heritage, be it built or natural, this project makes a change from our usual nature conservation-related tasks.
Meanwhile, the Marymount girls worked to clear rubbish dumped over the fence from the Townmead Allotments, as well as clearing rubbish from the slipway near to the brewery tracks. Another grotty spot (not tackled yet), is behind the Townmead recycling centre. This will be a project for another day, where coppicing would also benefit wildlife at this site.
The remains of a 'camp site' behind the Richmond municipal tip.
More rubbish thrown over the fence of the neighbouring Townmead Allotments.
The boys from Tower House get to work clearing the tracks of grass.
After a hard morning's work, the boys pose on the old tracks.
Not to be out done, the girls from Marymount give the nearby draw-dock a good clean.
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