Kingston-Upon-Thames Project

Love your local Kingston greenspace, but think it could be improved?

Nominate a greenspace near you

The nominations could include:

Fishponds Park - A lovely park, popular with local residents, but in need of some TLC.

Potentially excellent habitat for wetland and aquatic plants, but where are they? 

Could you help keep Fishponds Park clear of unsightly rubbish?

High nutrient levels in the pond have resulted in complete coverage with duckweed. 

The meadow area at Fishponds Park

Oak woodland alongside Tolworth Brook

This old oak tree appears doomed

 By creating better access to this rich oak woodland, anti-social behaviour could be reduced.

Currently, the paths are forbidding for the lone walker.

Kingston Cemetery riverside -Hogsmill River

Although the Hogsmill has been straightened, the banks and bed remain natural, making restoration easier. 

The area contatins invasive plants, such as this wonderfully flowering Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica), as well as Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera). 

Tolworth Brook

Thousands of dead sticklebacks were spotted in the Brook, clearly due to pollution from household effluent.

If you spot river pollution, report the location with a postcode (or even better a grid reference) to the Environment Agency on 0800 80 70 60

The pollution of Tolworth Brook in Alexandra Park could originate from someone's washing machine.

This incident has been reported to the Environment Agency, but please keep an eye on it and contact the EA at the above number if no improvement is seen.

This is where Tolworth Brook flows into the Hogsmill River at Elmbridge Meadows. A project for spring will be to remove invasive non-native Himalayan balsam plants that are overwhelming other vegetation.

Can you add to the above list?

Each month, the Environment Trust hopes to organise two work days in Kingston.

Why not get in touch and volunteer to improve your local greenspace?

Looking for a carreer in the environmetal sector, but lack experience? 

Sign up as a Volunteer Officer and receive free certified training 

Supported by the City Bridge Trust

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Environment Trust Secures Funding for Conservation Volunteering in Kingston

The Environment Trust has been successful in securing funding from the City Bridge Trust to promote nature conservation volunteering in the neighbouring Royal Borough of Kingston-Upon-Thames. Over the coming 12 months, we hope to be able to partner with a range of existing organisations across the borough to support their volunteering efforts to improve the local environment. We would also like to hear from schools who have an interest in incorporating some element of nature conservation volunteering into the curriculum as has successfully been achieved recently with Twickenham Academy (see the relevant page on this site). Alternatively, you may like to start up a new group dedicated to improving your local green space in Kingston. The Environment Trust has over 25 years of experience in green space and heritage conservation, and with the support of the Southwest London Environment Network (SWLEN) and the Conservation Volunteers (formerly BTCV) is able to provide the staff time and tools needed to support community green space initiatives. Whatever your interest, please get in touch with chris.cockel@environmenttrust.co.uk or call our admin team at 020-8891-5455.

The Hogsmill River corridor is the jewel in Kingston's green space crown, linking the River Thames to the Surrey countryside and beyond. Yet in common with other urban rivers, it suffers from the negative effects of hard engineering. 

Surrounded by a wide green buffer, the redundant hard engineering along Tolworth Brook is unsightly and harms the ecological potential of the river. 

With the brook bordered by residential properties, it doesn't take long for garden plants to 'escape'.