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Welcome to the activity pack. It will help you make the most of the nature trail and make learning more about the park’s nature fun. Local schoolchildren helped to create the nature trail and to design, plant and improve the children’s wildlife area. Now it’s time for you to explore and enjoy what we’ve done! You don’t need any special equipment to use the activity pack - just a pencil and your imagination! You can team up with other people to explore the trail and use the pack or go it alone. The trail and pack are designed to be used in any order you like so you can find your own way of exploring. And you can make up your own nature activities to do in the park – and beyond. See where else you can find the plants and creatures you learnt about in Kennington Park – at home, school, in the street or other parks. If you want to find out more at the library or on the internet try the useful links below. We hope you enjoy using the nature trail, activity pack and your time in Kennington Park. Come back and see us soon! Find out more about nature at: Royal Society for the Protection of Birds www.rspb.org.uk London Wildlife Trust www.wildlondon.org.uk Trees for Cities www.treesforcities.org Museum of Garden History www.museumgardenhistory.org Roots and Shoots www.rootsandshoots.org.uk Tell your friends about the nature trail and activity packs! They can download the activity pack at: www.lambeth.gov.uk/ kenningtonparknature The Friends of Kennington Park have published a series of booklets on different par ts of the park’s histor y including the air-raid shelter, spor t and leisure and the Char tist rally. The booklets are free but you are invited to make a donation towards the work of the Friends. Copies can be picked up from the Durning Librar y and Brandon Librar y or by emailing: friends@kenningtonpark.org Poster image: Lucy Millson Watkins All other images iStockphoto.com Printed on 100% recycled paper Design by Sara Nesteruk: www.saranesteruk.co.uk
People have played cricket in Kennington since as early as 1724.
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PLAC
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SKATEB OARD PARK
ROA PAR K TON NING
WAR MEMORIAL
EVERGREEN OAKS
TREES FITNESS TRAIL
There used to be boxing matches on Kennington Common in 1792.
PRIN CON CE S LOD ORT GE
BAS K COU ETBAL L RT
The Chartist rally in 1848 led to Kennington Common being enclosed by fences and the creation of Kennington Park. It has seen many political marches and rallies since including General Strike march (1926), Gay Pride (1986), Anti-Poll Tax (1990), Reclaim the Streets (1996) and anti-knife crime (2008).
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CIV IL AIR IAN -R MEM AID ORI AL
CHILDREN’S WILDLIFE AREA* OUN
NORTH
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MAP
CAF
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DRY PLANTING
LICHEN
ENGLISH GARDEN
FUNGI
MEADOW
BRI
ST AGNES PL ACE
People were executed at the gallows on Kennington Common, where St Mark’s church now stands. The last person hanged was a conman from Camberwell called Badger in 1799.
XTO OA NR
The singer Bob Marley used to play football in the park when he recorded his album Exodus in 1976.
PARK
KEN
In 1861 an open air gymnasium opened on the site now occupied by the children’s playground. The path running across the middle of the park is called the Midnight Path because it was the first path in a public park to be lit all night long.
There used to be an open air stage where the basketball court is now.
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Until 1988, there was a lido in Kennington Park where people used to swim outdoors.
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TENNIS COURTS
COMMUNITY CRICKET AREA
GAMES COURT
The River Effra once flowed along the edge of Kennington Common and divided the manors of Kennington and Vauxhall.
Over 50 people were killed in an air-raid shelter in the park in October 1940. There is a civilian air-raid memorial in the park to those who died.
WWW.LAMBETH.GOV.UK/KENNINGTONPARKNATURE
BASKETBALL COURT CAM
BER
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LL N EW
ROA
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ONE O’CLOCK CLUB
FOOTBALL PITCH
BOLTON CRESCENT
During World War II there were allotments in Kennington Park for local people to grow food.
ADVENTURE PLAYGROUND
CHARLIE CHAPLIN ADVENTURE PLAYGROUND
* Adults accompanied by children only in the Wildlife Area
Tick any examples you see as you walk around the park. picture credits: iStockphoto.com
ALDER
BIRCH
MAPLE
YEW
OAK
ROWAN
Tick any examples you see as you walk around the park. picture credits: iStockphoto.com
BAY
ELM
FIG
GUM
HOLLY
HORSE CHESTNUT
Tick any examples you see as you walk around the park. picture credits: iStockphoto.com
BLUE TIT
WOODLOUSE
BUMBLEBEE
RED ADMIRAL
COMMON BLUE
ROBIN
Draw something new you’ve seen today!
Walk around the park and collect as many leaves, feathers and twigs as you can to build a house for an elf or fairy. It can be as small or large as you like. Where in the park do you want your elf or fairy to live? Under a tree or in the middle of the grass? Where will the front door be? What will you use for the walls? What shape will the house be? Will it have a roof? What else can you use to build your elf or fairy house? Q: What falls in winter but never hits the ground? A: The temperature
COLOUR ME ROBIN (ERITHACUS RUBECULA)
Start by standing next to the tree you want to measure. Walk in a straight line away from the tree. Every five strides, stop, bend over and look back through your legs at the tree. Stop when you can see the top of the tree. Remember to keep counting your strides. The distance you are from the tree is roughly equal to its height. Each stride is equal to 50cm. So, if you have to walk 20 strides, how tall is the tree?
Q: What kind of tree can fit in your hand? A: A palm tree
45Ëš
1 stride = 50cm in tree height
deciduous Deciduous trees have leaves that fall in winter.
alga Alga are tiny, simple plants but they do not have leaves, roots or flowers like other plants.
fungus A fungus is neither plant nor animal. Moulds and mushrooms are types of fungus.
pollination The process where pollen is transferred in plants and is part of reproduction. Birds, bees and insects help in this process.
Q: Why was the cat afraid of the tree.
mini-beast Mini-beasts are creatures without a backbone, like spiders, nails, slugs and worms.
organic matter Organic matter is plant or animal material that was once living, but is now dead and rotting.
A: Because of its bark
compost Compost is a mixture of rotting organic matter that can be used to improve soil.
decompose To rot. When an apple dies, it turns brown, soft and wrinkly, this is part of the decomposition process.
forage
Q: What bow can’t be tied?
To look for food.
canopy Tree canopy is the upper area of the tree containing the leaves and branches.
biodiversity
A: A rainbow
Areas rich in biodiversity contain lots of different birds, insects and plants. We need biodiversity for the planet to work properly.
nectar The sweet liquid found in flowers and plants that bees gather to make honey.
wormery A wormery is a type of bin containing special worms that break down organic matter like waste food and help turn it into compost.
leaf litter The leaves have fallen from the trees onto the ground.
native If something is native, it means it belongs to a particular area. So, polar bears are native to the Arctic Circle, near the North Pole.
sedge A type of plant, similar to a grass.
Take a handful of leaf litter and place it onto the back of your envelope. Leave it sitting in the sun and see what creatures crawl out.
How many do you see in 30 seconds?
COLOUR ME 7-SPOTTED LADYBIRD (COCCINELLA SEPTEMPUNCTATA)
Use your envelope to collect natural specimens as you walk around the park. What have you found?
Why did you choose it?
Which is your favourite?
What does it make you think about Kennington Park?
Make up a story about what you’ve found.
Why will we need plants that don’t need much water in future?
What was on the site of the children’s playground in 1861? What was the name of the river that ran alongside Kennington Common? How many corks can one evergreen oak produce in its lifetime?
How much food can a tiger worm eat in a day?
Why do we need to attract birds, bees and insects into the park?
Why are plane trees important in the city?
What was the name of the last person to be hanged in Kennington Park?