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NORTH WEST KENT COUNTRYSIDE PARTNERSHIP - DECEMBER CONSERVATION EVENTS AT RUXLEY GRAVEL PITS NATURE RESERVE.The resreve is a SSSI on the Bexley-Bromley border, and normally off-limits to the general public, so besides helping out, this is an opporunity to visit somewhere you may not have seen before.
Wednesday 4th, Thursday 4th and Saturday 14th– Ruxley Gravel Pits, Edgington Way, Orpington, BR5 3HY
We will be clearing scrub and burning the arisings on a bonfire.
Led by: Lucy Sawyer-Boyd (07809 334071)
Meeting Time and Place: 10am at the site (lifts from Hall Place not currently available due to the group's vehicle being under repair).
The gate must be kept locked, if there is no-one there to open it, please call Lucy’s mobile. Follow the track and park underneath the A20. Plenty of parking. Toilets are available at the local Tesco (but it is far from site).
On Saturday 14th we will be working with Kent Wildlife Trust volunteers. Please bring your own refreshments if joining on this day. On this occasion there will be a portaloo on site.
LOCATION:
goo.gl/maps/S2NBZUfT2mTkbgX17
What3words:
Entrance: ///noises.sheet.reject
Parking: ///hopes.gender.gums
Just a quick reminder that any volunteers who plan to meet us on site should let the member of staff leading the task know as soon as possible so that they can pack the correct number of tools and inform them of any task changes/delays that may occur.
If there are any updates or changes with the programme, we will update it regularly on the volunteer page on our website (www.nwkcp.org ). We will also contact the regular volunteers by phone if any last-minute changes to the location of the task happen.
Please remember to bring with you; suitable clothes for the weather conditions, a packed lunch and suitable footwear (we insist working boots with steel toecap and mid sole are worn at all times to comply with health and safety and insurance considerations). We will supply all other equipment, gloves and safety equipment and also hot drinks and biscuits throughout the day.
Each project will be led by a NWKCP member of staff who will be more than happy to answer any questions that you have throughout the day. A health and safety talk will also be given at the beginning of each project. If you are planning to come out on a project for the first time this month then please let us know beforehand which day that will be.
We write a risk assessment for each task day, and a copy of this will be brought to the site and available for you to read if you wish.
51°24'41.7"N 0°07'10.5"E · 51.411583, 0.119583
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If the council said it was going to concrete/tarmac/pave over Danson Park, there would be uproar. But vastly more greenspace/wildlife habitat in the Borough has been lost to cars in recent years.Why the loss of front gardens matters - to cut flood risk, reduce health-harming heat, restore our depleted nature, and raise resilience.
Lunchtime online discussion on Thurs 14 Nov. FREE.
Front gardens on the frontline - CPRE London - Tickets
cpre-london.eventcube.io
Front gardens on the frontline at Tickets and Information
Bexley RSPB autumn/Christmas fair this Saturday.This content isn't available at the moment
When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it, or it's been deleted.
CROSSNESS NATURE RESERVE WORKS AND FUNDRAISER (tickets still available)From Site Manager, Karen Sutton.
Contractor activity over the next couple of weeks:
I wanted to make you aware that there is work going on this week on both Crossness sites, but access remains open as usual.
28/10 saw the start of remedial work on the Crossness Southern Marsh to assist (non-public) safe access across the fields, so you will see work going on in the distance, but nothing impeding access. And 29/10 sees the start of a phased fencing project beginning with replacement of fencing in the grazing paddocks at the east of
the reserve. There are a further two fencing projects to come later, involving fence replacement down Public Footpath 2 as it runs from the Protected Area south to Eastern Way, and then a more extensive replacement project in the paddocks on Crossness Southern Marsh.
Fundraiser this Saturday (2/11):
I look forward to seeing those of you that are attending the Save Crossness Nature Reserve (SCNR) fundraiser this Saturday at Lesnes Abbey Lodge.
**** Three tickets left as of 31/10 if you'd like to come along to hear the Wild Bexley presentation by Ralph and Brenda Todd (founder of Bexley RSPB); a presentation from me about what Crossness Nature Reserve special, and from Laurence Pinturault from the SCNR campaign about the threat from Cory and the public inquiry process (hearings begin next week) and ultimately the reason the group is raising funds and running this event. There will be an opportunity to purchase raffle tickets, JD Swann's signed Best Beaks, and to purchase some wildlife-themed items (including artwork from the artist that created the RSPB logo) and non-wildlife items that are collectable and/or would make great Christmas presents. All monies raised help SCNR fight the development threat.
Buy your tickets here and I look forward to seeing you on Saturday: Wild Bexley at Lesnes Abbey Lodge event tickets from
TicketSource
<https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/scnr/wild-bexley/e-bvjgkq>
BBC launch 'Your Voice, Your BBC News'
The BBC has launched 'Your Voice, Your BBC News' asking for people to suggest issues that they'd like to see the BBC reporting on. This was brought to my attention by a member who has taken the opportunity to submit something on the Cory threat to Crossness Nature Reserve, and suggested that others might like to do the same in an effort to get a bit of news coverage about the issue. If this sounds of interest, please see details here: Your Voice, Your BBC News: Tell us what issues matter to
you - BBC news:
<https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd0z0y2z3mjo>
THAMES21 VOLUNTEERS DONATE WELL OVER 400 HOURS OF TIME FOR BEXLEY COUNClL-OWNED THAMES ROAD WETLAND IN THE LAST SIX MONTHSThe numbers have now been added up for our accounting period of 1st April to 30th September 2024.
The Site Manager and two other regular volunteers put in 293 hours at the site, with 23 other people contributing a total of a further 102 hours. In addition, the Site Manager put in almost 48 hours of admin time on planning, writing reports, managing the site photograph collection, research and social media work/event promotion.
Whilst this is down on the 563h 49m for 1/10/23-31/3/24, it is significantly higher than for previous corresponding period of 1/4/2023-30/9/2023 when it was 213h 3m. We usually do less work in the summer period, but this year have been battling to push back stands of Reed, which left to their own devices will reduce the diversity of species at the site, as well as speed up its drying out. This has meant continued cutting, taking care to avoid disturbing nesting birds.
I thank everyone who has helped during the last 6 months, whether once, a few times or (semi-)regularly. It all helps, both with the practical work and with Thames21 funding bids.
We're already given just over 100 hours for October, but more assistance is always welcome given the amount of work that needs to be done over the winter. To book for our next staff-supported event on November 8th, when we will have a van full of equipment and are therefore able to cater for more attendees, please go to:
book.plinth.org.uk/e/jyHfDWO68FBjh72gDdBv
A few of us are also at the wetland most other Fridays. Check with "Ray Hudson" <rayhudson28@gmail.com> as providing sufficient tools can be an issue given that we have no nearby/on-site storage.
Chris Rose.
Volunteer Site Manager.
Author Archives: Chris Rose
Male and female Willow Emerald at Foots Cray Meadows
Despite the overcast and breezy conditions, both a male and a female Willow Emerald Damselfly (Chalcolestes viridis) were seen at Foots Cray Meadows on 27th September by Chris Rose and Wren Rose. These are the second and third sightings in … Continue reading
Lower Plants in Nature – free lecture series
Birkbeck Free Lecture Series. Friday evenings 14th October to 18th November 2016. Lecture Theatre B34, Birkbeck, University of London, Torrington Square. 18.30 – 20.00. Just turn up – no charge. “Lower plants” is a term routinely used by botanists to include … Continue reading
Support declining wildlife on Crayford Marshes – please take 10 minutes to write a letter (before October 6th)….
Please make your voice heard for Bexley’s disappearing wildlife, using the suggestions in this post…… As many readers will know, there is a proposal from a company called Roxhill to destroy Green Belt and most of a Site of Importance … Continue reading
Erith Quarry – a response to ‘developer’ spin in the online News Shopper article
Reference the news Shopper’s latest Erith Quarry article: http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/14762148.Hundreds_of_snakes_and_lizards_ca/ It’s very disappointing to see that an old, rather selective, photo giving the impression that the quarry site is an unkempt rubbish dump has been wheeled out again to contrast with the ‘developer’s’ artist’s … Continue reading
Two years on and Bexley Council planning pages still mislead on objections
Twenty four months after Bexley Natural Environment Forum first raised the matter, Bexley Council’s ‘view planning applications online’ webpages continue to wrongly state that the group has made no comments on proposals to damage Sites of Importance to Nature Conservation and … Continue reading
Willow Emerald Damselfly has now been found in Bexley
The first known Willow Emerald Damselfly (Chalcolestes viridis) for Bexley, a male, has been found and photographed at Footscray Meadows today (September 24th) by Ian Stewart, a week after he recorded the species at nearby Ruxley Gravel Pits, which was … Continue reading
Stripey spider psychedelia at Thames Road Wetland
We recently reported on the unusually large number of Wasp Spiders (Argiope bruennichi) at Thames Road Wetland during August 2016. Jason Steel, who first drew attention to this, has kindly provided the following photographs taken at the site. We have … Continue reading
Posted in Recording, Thames Road Wetland
Tagged Argiope bruennichi, Jason Steel, Thames Road Wetland, Wasp Spider
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Bexley RSPB visit to Thames Road Wetland
Just 6 of us turned out early on a dull morning with rain forecast, for a walk down the river Cray from Crayford town centre and around Thames Road Wetland, but it’s probably about the best number for keeping people … Continue reading
Posted in Bexley, Bird watching, Crayford, Plants in Bexley, Reedbeds, River Cray, River Wansunt, Rivers, RSPB, Thames Road Wetland
Tagged Bexley RSPB, River Cray, Thames Road Wetland
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Willow Emerald damselfly found at Ruxley, on Bexley’s doorstep ….
The Willow Emerald Damselfly (Chalcolestes viridis), one of Britain’s newest natural colonist species, has been found and photographed by bicycling birder Ian Stewart at Ruxley Gravel pits on 6th September. The identification, and status as the first record of the species … Continue reading
Clouded Yellow, and once-extinct-in-UK moth, found on doomed Crayford Town centre site
A Clouded Yellow butterfly (Colias croceus), primarily an immigrant species, originating from northern Africa and southern Europe, was seen on the former Electrobase site in Crayford this afternoon (11th September). More usually a very occasional sight in our ‘coastal’ areas of … Continue reading