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LESNES ABBEY WOODS - WILDLIFE CONSERVATION SESSIONSEvery WEDNESDAY 10am to 1pm. Meet at the north side of the Lodge by the yard entrance.
Next Wednesday session will be 26th March.
AND ......
The first SUNDAY of each month 10am to 1pm. Meet outside CHESTNUT'S COFFEE KIOSK at 10:00 am. The group then collects tools and equipment from the yard that is opposite the toilets.
Next Sunday session will be 6th April.
Note: these events tend to involve fairly active work and may require walking with tools to remote parts of the woods, so a reasonable level of fitness is required.
All tools and materials provided.
Ffi see: www.friendsoflesnesabbeyandwoods.com/get-involved/conservation
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Hear about, and get involved with the National Hedgehog Monitoring Programme (NHMP).FREE event. In-person at London Zoo or online attendance.
FFI / to sign up go to:
www.zsl.org
Learn how a national-scale camera trap survey contributes to effective conservation action for hedgehogs and other UK species.
LONDON NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY EVENTS IN MARCH INCLUDE TWO FIELD MEETINGS IN BEXLEYThe LNHS welcomes non-members at events on a 'taster' basis.
Thursday 13/3. 19.00-20.00. Finding London's Ferns. The history, identification and conservation of native ferns of London. FREE. Book at Eventbrite:
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/finding-londons-ferns-by-henry-miller-tickets-1071940746629?aff=ebdsoporgp...
Saturday 15/3. 11.00-15.00. FREE. Join Dr. Mark Spencer, one of the capital's foremost botanists, to look at wild Daffodils in Lesnes Abbey Woods and seek out other ancient woodland indicator plant species. Contact Mark at hotfungus.hotmail.com to reserve a space. Note that although no explicit limit has been set on the number of attendees, there may be one in practice if large numbers of people ask to come along.
Sunday 30/3 - FREE. Crossness Nature Reserve with George Kalli. For early migrants and waders. Meet Belvedere railway station at 10.00. Aiming to finish 14.00. Bring lunch.
For more info. about the LNHS, including membership details, please see: lnhs.org.uk/
Finding London’s Ferns by Henry Miller
www.eventbrite.co.uk
Henry Miller will introduce the native ferns of London and guide us through their history, identification, and conservation.
HELP THAMES21 REMOVE NON-NATIVE INVASIVE PENNYWORT FROM THAMESMEAD CANALSMarch 5 @ 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Join us for an important conservation effort in Thamesmead as we team up with Peabody and the Environment Agency to combat the invasive floating pennywort threatening our local canals. This fast-growing aquatic plant can quickly overtake water surfaces, harming water quality and local biodiversity. These events are a key part of our broader strategy to protect our waterways.
This hands-on event offers a fantastic opportunity to make a tangible difference in our local environment. No prior experience is necessary—just bring your enthusiasm and a commitment to protecting our natural spaces. We’ll provide all the necessary equipment, including gloves, waders, and refreshments.
If you plan to enter the canals, please enter your shoe size on the registration form so we can provide appropriately sized waders. Volunteers are encouraged to wear suitable outdoor clothing, and preferably water proof clothing or bring a spare pair of clothes as you might get wet.
The day will start with a brief introduction to floating pennywort and its ecological impact, followed by a safety talk and removal techniques. We’ll then head to the water to remove as much pennywort as possible, with a lunch break at 12 PM. The matts of pennywort can be pulled apart and then thrown on to the banks to break down, similar to what the canals teams do but by hand instead of mechanically.
Children are welcome to come, but adult supervision is required.
By joining us, you’ll play a vital role in preserving Thamesmead’s waterways for wildlife and future generations. It’s also a great opportunity to meet like-minded people and learn more about local conservation efforts.
Please sign up to the event on our Plinth page by clicking this link:
book.plinth.org.uk/e/bbtujFsEahRiUrVmsr4k
For further information, please contact Tyler Randall at Tyler.Randall@thames21.org.uk.
book.plinth.org.uk
<p>Join us for an important conservation effort in Thamesmead as we team up with Peabody and the Environment Agency to combat the invasive floating pennywort threatening our local canals. This fast-gr...
** THAMES ROAD WETLAND - SIGN UP NOW FOR THE NEXT STAFF-SUPPORTED HABITAT MANAGEMENT SESSION - FRIDAY 14th MARCH .... plus SITE WORK AND WILDLIFE UPDATE.Thames Road Wetland in Barnes Cray, on the Inner Crayford Marshes, may only be 2 hectares (5 acres), but it takes a lot of work to maintain its high value for species such as Marsh Sow-thistle, Brookweed, Hairy Dragonfly, Reed Warbler, Harvest Mouse, Water Rail and Water Vole.
Birds will be breeding soon, so our mid-March session is the last time we'll be able to have a lot of people out in the water from where we need to remove the remaining piles of previously cut Reed, raked up detritus and silt. We are a bit behind because 3 volunteer-led Jan/Feb sessions had to be cancelled due to adverse weather forecasts.
This is a free event. Could you help us catch up by coming down for up to 4 hours? Booking here helps our advance planning:
book.plinth.org.uk/e/jyHfDWO68FBjh72gDdBv
We will have staff support on the 14th and be able to kit everyone out in waders, though we'll only be paddling in a few inches of water. Wear warm work clothes. All other equipment is provided, plus modest refreshments. Health and safety and first aid back-up assured.
Bookings are also open for April 11th.
RECENT WORK AND WILDLIFE
There were 6 of us on 14/2, plus staffer Michael. A couple of people were unable to come at the last minute, but we welcomed back Jonathan after a long absence. Much cut material was removed from (now) open water in the north-west corner, and near the junction of the main and south ditches. 27 and a quarter hours of volunteer time was given.
The volunteer-only session on 21/2 concentrated on thinning out vegetation in the main ditch for Odonata and Water Voles, using a pole saw and rakes. Three of us (Clare, Elio, Chris) delivered nearly 13 person-hours of work.
28/2 saw five of us (Pamela, Ray, Elio, Ian, Chris) put in 26 hours 15 mins, mainly opening up the drawdown zone at the railway end of the site, to favour regionally rare Brookweed, cutting back Buddleia and chopping up and stacking the large amount of brash, and clearing a substantial amount of litter blown/tossed over the fence from Thames Road.
Local contact Richard kindly let me know he'd seen 2 Common Buzzards and a Red Kite over the site on 30/1. I hadn't seen a Buzzard here for some months, and only one Red Kite ever, but there was a Buzzard flying over on 14/2, and then another on 28/2, to which I was alerted by a 'mewing' call. It was flying very low and being harassed by a lone Crow.
Teal were heard on 14/2, and 1 or 2 Water Rail, of which there have been 4 present through the winter months.
On 21/2 there were a few Lesser Celandine in flower. A couple of Cetti's Warblers were heard. As were 2 Song Thrushes. A Crow was chasing a large Sparrowhawk. A Harvest Mouse nest and a Water Vole latrine were found. On a sunny day, the first two Common Lizards of the year were seen.
28/2 started off almost cloudless, the sun and warmth bringing 6 Lizards out from as early as 09.50. A small Wild Privet (Ligustrum vulgare) seedling (which is a new site record), noticed only recently, was showing signs of damage, possibly horse trampling. It was moved to an area they can't access, though it was rooted in an awkward spot and we'll have to see if it survives.
Chris Rose. Volunteer Site Manager.
Category Archives: Gardens
Short-eared Owl lands in Bexleyheath garden – pictures
RSPB Bexley members Richard and Jill Keene couldn’t believe their eyes when a large owl flew into their Bexleyheath garden at 9.50 Saturday (26th) morning and eventually settled against the trunk of a small pine tree. They quickly identified it as a short-eared … Continue reading
Posted in Bexleyheath, Bird watching, Gardens
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FotS features in ‘Bexley Magazine’
A photo of FotS volunteers hard at work in Danson Park’s Old English Garden features on page 16 of the Council’s own magazine for local residents. The associated article extols the opportunities of getting involved with such initiatives, but could … Continue reading
FotS announces additional events for Shuttle and Danson
Friends of the Shuttle, the environmental/wildlife action group for the River Shuttle, Wyncham Stream and Danson Park (the water from the lake flows into the Shuttle in Bexley Park Woods) has announced a number of additional events for the next … Continue reading
Bexley in Bloom 2015
No Best Wildlife Garden award this year, but Bexley in Bloom makes a welcome return.
Posted in Allotments, Gardening for wildlife, Gardens
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FoTS launches expanded programme of events: group to fill environment/wildlife action void at Danson and take on maintenance of the Old English Garden
Committee member Mandy Stevens writes: Following our successful litter picks in and around Danson Park lake (which drains into the River Shuttle) earlier this year and last summer, we have been discussing with Bexley Council whether we could run other conservation … Continue reading
The value of urban gardens. Royal Horticultural Society advice.
Advice from the RHS on how urban gardens can contribute to wildlife diversity.
Posted in Gardening for wildlife, Gardens
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Advice on how to avoid increasing flood risk while parking in your front garden.
Information from the Royal Horticultural Society on how to maintain some wildlife and environmental value from your front garden if you have to park your car there.
Posted in Car parking, Gardens
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Provisional checklist and account of Bexley mammals published at ‘Bexley Wildlife’ website
Mammals as a group are poorly recorded in London and their distribution is not well understood, partly because many species are small and largely nocturnal. Information about the status of mammal species in Bexley is limited and widely scattered. In … Continue reading
Posted in Bexley, Biodiversity Action Plan, Bursted Woods, Crayford Marshes, Crossness, Danson Park, East Wickham Open Space, Erith Marshes, Erith Quarry, Extinction, Foots Cray Meadows, Friends of the Shuttle, Gardens, Hall Place, Harvest Mouse, London Wildlife Trust, Mammals, Martens Grove, Recording, River Cray, River Shuttle, River Thames, Ruxley Gravel Pits, Thamesmead, Woodlands Farm, Wyncham Stream
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Tigers in Bexley
I have been lucky enough to have the Jersey Tiger Moth in my garden. This is a day flying spectacular moth. Although I have only ever seen one at a time, I have seen them over the last three years. … Continue reading
Posted in Butterflies, Gardens
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