London Wildlife Trust
Protecting London’s wildlife for the future SUMMER 2010 BIODIVERSE CITY
2010 has been declared an International Year of Biodiversity by the United Nations, so this summer we’re focusing on biological diversity in our world city.
Find out how, with your support, London Wildlife Trust is working to protect and improve many different habitats across the capital for people and wildlife.
SUMMER 2010 Issue 93 Editor Helen Babbs Editorial team Mathew Frith Catherine Harris John Lamb Leah McNally Rosie Shute Design www.thomasmatthews.com Printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper, with vegetable based inks. Front cover photograph Sarah Marshall London Wildlife Trust is the only charity dedicated solely to protecting the capital’s wildlife and wild spaces, engaging London’s diverse communities through access to our nature reserves, campaigning, volunteering and education. Registered charity number 283895 President Chris Packham Patrons Lord Smith of Finsbury Simon Hughes MP Bill Oddie Contact us Skyline House, 200 Union Street, London, SE1 0LX 020 7261 0447 members@wildlondon.org.uk www.wildlondon.org.uk
Above: Common evening-primrose at Braeburn Park © Mathew Frith Opposite: Green shoots © Cerios Davies
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Celebrating diversity ‘Biodiversity’ describes the variety of life on earth and encompasses all living things, from the largest whale to the smallest fungus. While fascinating to study and beautiful to explore, biodiversity is also essential in providing our food, fuel, health and wealth. And it’s not just here to make us happy – biodiversity has a right to exist independent of our needs. This summer, a report by the United Nations says that the value of saving biodiversity’s goods and services, like pollination and fertile soils, will be even higher than the value of savings made from limiting climate change. On the other side of the world, preparations are underway for the Conference of the Parties 2010 (COP 10) this October, when experts will gather in Japan to try and find solutions to halt the rapid and global loss of species. Half the world’s population now lives in an urban environment, where the challenges facing biodiversity are even greater. London, while struggling to keep wildlife thriving and healthy, remains one of the greenest cities on the planet. This greenery is not necessarily guaranteed and mustn’t be taken for granted, as discussed in our main conservation feature on pages 8 and 9. London Wildlife Trust’s vision for the capital is ‘a city where all people treasure wildlife and natural spaces’. Our Strategic Plan for 2010–2015, which was launched in July and is now available to download from our website, sets out how we plan to achieve this over the next five years. It looks like we’re going to be extremely busy! We will be managing land, engaging and inspiring Londoners, and campaigning hard – all to ensure that London’s wildlife and natural spaces are protected. So, as ever, we depend upon your continued, generous support and hope that you will help us to work hard for people and wildlife over the next five years. In the meantime, be sure to enjoy plenty of sun, and revel in the birds, bees and blooms. Our many nature reserves are fantastic places for late summer days out. Carlo Laurenzi OBE Chief Executive of London Wildlife Trust
News in brief A wild room with a view Ever wondered what bird migration is like witnessed from the top of a skyscraper in the heart of the City? So did a group of London birders and, with the full support and enthusiasm of London Wildlife Trust, the Tower 42 Bird Study Group was born. Throughout spring, they spent one day a week up high, studying the skies from the roof of an imposing London landmark (formerly known as the NatWest tower).
Inclusive London
We have an exciting new three year project – Wild London, Inclusive London. We will work with 17 community groups and 34 individual ‘champions’ to improve local green spaces for people and wildlife across Camden, Hackney and Southwark. With thanks to the Big Lottery for the funds!
Rare sightings
A recent lichen survey of Sydenham Hill Woods found Physcia stellaris, which is a new record for London. Meanwhile, in north east London, an alpine swift has been spotted at East Reservoir Community Garden.
Above: Landscape where raptors roam © Helen Babbs
The main areas of interest for the season involved the movements of large birds of prey through the capital, as well as charting the progress of nearby peregrine falcon and logging smaller migrants (including swift and swallow) as they headed north. The hope was also to inspire residents of tower blocks and high rises across London to make the most of their own unrivalled observatories. The birders weren’t disappointed, despite weather conditions often being unfavourable. The highlights included large birds of prey soaring past impressive backdrops of Big Ben, Wembley Stadium, Canary Wharf and the Barbican. Of seven species of raptor recorded, common buzzard and peregrine were the most numerous, but the best spot by far was not one but two honey-buzzards within an hour of each other. One actually crashed into an office window near Waterloo Station but was thankfully unharmed!
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Above: Physcia stellaris © Mike Sutcliffe
The keys to success
Thanks to Thames Water, we now have access to the water’s edge of the East Reservoir, which neighbours our community garden in Hackney. Look out for monthly guided walks led by our knowledgeable staff and volunteers.
Cows moove in
Fifteen Hereford cows are happily grazing Frays Farm Meadow in Hillingdon this summer – one of the few remaining tracts of unimproved meadow in London. The 30 hectare reserve, enclosed in the Colne River Valley, supports a wide range of birds, plants and mammals and is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The grazing project is a joint one with Natural England. The cattle are helping to improve conditions for wildlife by reducing the diversity of coarse grasses, and by lightly churning up the ground to open up the seed bank and encourage pooling of water.
Green awards all round
The Green Flag Awards for 2010 have been announced and the Trust has been successful once again. Camley Street Natural Park in Kings Cross has won a Green Flag, while two of our smaller but perfectly formed sites – the Centre for Wildlife Gardening and East Reservoir Community Garden – have both won Green Pennants. The awards recognise and reward the best parks and green spaces in England and Wales.
New discoveries on a day out
A Bolbitius fungus possibly new to science and the rare sap-sucking Amphotis marginata beetle, plus several stag beetles, were all discovered during the BBC Springwatch Wild Day Out in Alexandra Palace Park in June. London Wildlife Trust joined the Natural History Museum, Open Air Laboratories and 8,000 members of the public to explore the Park’s wildlife and identify as many species as possible in a ‘Bioblitz’. Over 700 species of plant, animal and fungi were found in just a few hours. Trust staff and volunteers entertained children, teaching them how to make seed bombs and build bird nests. They also helped build an impressive stag beetle log pile to encourage more of these rare insects to the Park.
Record breakers
In a bid to promote using public transport to access London’s wealth of wild places, the Oystercatcher Bird Race involves a mad dash across the capital as teams attempt to spot as many species as they can in one day. The London Wildlife Trust All-Stars were up against stiff competition, including Chris Packham’s Springwatch crew. A dawn start in Kensington Gardens for woodland target species was a success, and soon after the team were on the train to Rainham Marshes, where they found plenty of wetland and farmland birds. With the 5pm curfew at the Transport Museum looming, they spent their last hour at Walthamstow Reservoirs. Our team’s final score of 90 species in ten hours was the winning total, and a new record for the competition.
Green wheeling Nature Rangers Nature Rangers is a new project aimed at 16–25 year olds in Camden and Islington, funded by Network Rail and V Match. We’ve secured extra funds from the Community Cycling Fund for London so that our Nature Rangers can cycle between open spaces. We’ll be using bike trailers to transport tools and materials, as well as to deliver fresh produce to local residents. Apprentices within the scheme will train as cycle mechanics, so they can maintain the project equipment and run cycle-focused events at Camley Street Natural Park. Top: Hereford cows at Frays Farm Meadow © Ian Rappel Above: Meet the Bioblitz stag beetle © BBC Springwatch Left: Award-winning Camley Street Natural Park © Iain Green
SHARE YOUR STORIES What’s new in your borough? Send your local nature news to: members@wildlondon.org.uk 5
Fragile beauty Despite national declines, many London butterflies are booming
LONDON WINGS Two species of butterfly take London locations for their common names: Camberwell beauty (Nymphalis antiopa) • So named after being recorded in Camberwell in 1748. • Wings are dark chocolate-brown, with a creamy white border. • It’s a rare migrant to London, originating from mainland Europe or Scandinavia, arriving in June/July, peaking in August/September. • A great wanderer, it’s seen in gardens feeding on rotting fruit, often remaining in the same location for several days. Larval food plants include poplar, willow and elm. • Some adults successfully overwinter in Britain. Enfield eye (Pararge aegeria) • Now more commonly known as the ‘speckled wood’. • Wings are dark brown with creamy white patches. • It flies in partially shaded woodland, and is also found in gardens and along hedgerows. • Adults feed on honeydew in tree tops. Caterpillars favour grasses like false brome, cock’s-foot, Yorkshire-fog and common couch. • Its range in Britain contracted in the Victorian era but has spread back since the 1920s. It’s now widely distributed across London.
Enchanting emblems of the English summer and barometers of the environment’s health, Emily Brennan explores how London’s butterflies are coping with habitat loss and climate change. Butterflies can be found throughout London but sadly many British species have declined at alarming rates, mainly due to habitat loss and changes in the wider countryside. However some species are spreading into new areas – mainly as a result of climate change. Butterflies are good indicators of environmental change and of the quality of our urban landscape.
M any species of butterfly have increased in London London is home to 40 of Britain’s 56 butterfly species. Encouragingly, nearly two thirds of these species have become more widespread in the capital in recent years. This is in contrast to national butterfly trends – recent studies have shown that three quarters of resident British butterfly species have declined in distribution over the past few decades.
This can be partly explained by the fact that some of the most threatened and rapidly declining species (such as marsh fritillary) were already extinct in London prior to recent surveys. Many species of butterfly have increased in London, colonising new sites and spreading into more urban areas. In most cases, species doing well in London have also done well nationally, for example the speckled wood (or Enfield eye), purple hairstreak, gatekeeper and silver-spotted skipper. Climate change is thought to be the most important driver of butterfly population changes on the national scale, and is likely to be particularly significant in urban areas like London, which are warmer than the surrounding countryside. Butterflies that are currently expanding their range in London include some generalist species such as holly blue, speckled wood and ringlet, and also some habitat specialists such as brown argus, purple emperor, silver-washed fritillary and silver-spotted skipper. Increases in species’ distributions usually go hand in hand with growth in
their abundance. However this is not always the case – the brown argus has significantly expanded its distribution in London since the 1980s, but London transect data suggests a decline in abundance between 1990 and 2000. We don’t yet have a full understanding of the reasons for butterfly population and distribution changes in London. Habitat loss is likely to have had a significant negative impact on some butterfly populations here – especially the loss of rare and threatened habitats such as chalk grassland. Some of the more elusive species such as purple emperor and purple hairstreak may also be under-recorded in parts of London – they are difficult to see at the best of times. Share your butterfly sightings with Greenspace Information for Greater London (www.gigl.org.uk) and Butterfly Conservation (www.butterfly-conservation.org). All your records are extremely valuable as they give us a picture of how species are faring and help us to manage sites appropriately for butterflies. Top Trust sites for butterfly spotting include Saltbox Hill, West Kent Golf Course, Hutchinson’s Bank, Yeading Brook Meadows, Totteridge Fields and Oak Hill Woods. Finally, don’t forget to garden with butterflies in mind as they provide vital habitat for insects. Emily Brennan is London Wildlife Trust’s Director of Biodiversity Conservation. Top: Enfield eye (speckled wood) © Jim Asher Left: Silver-spotted skipper © Peter Eeles, Butterfly Conservation Opposite: Brown argus © Sarah Marshall
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Really wild Can London claim to be the greenest city in the world?
Often touted as one of the most verdant cities in the world, Mathew Frith explores whether London’s claim to the green crown is a legitimate one, and warns against complacency. Despite all we have thrown at and taken from nature over the centuries, London is a green city – about 48% of it is surfaced in vegetation, rivers and still waters. The city supports natural spaces and valuable habitats, as well as thousands of species, from algae and fungi, to molluscs and mammals – the biodiversity of London. Can this diversity survive? There’s no doubt that we’ve seen some success stories. The slow cleansing of our rivers and air since the 1950s has led to a resurgence in fish species, the return of the grey heron (absent in 1949), and a reverse in the decline of lichens. Reservoir creation has resulted in new habitats for waterfowl and, ironically, war damage and postindustrial dereliction have helped a range of species such as black redstart, solitary bees, wasps and wasteland flora. Less recognised has been the accumulative impact of the maturing of the urban forest – the planting and colonisation of trees in streets, gardens and parks over the past century that has helped a range of birds move into the city such as great spotted woodpecker, magpie and jay.
And some species have arrived of their own accord, like the collared dove and peregrine falcon, or with indirect assistance from people, which explains the grey squirrel, Canada goose, ring-necked parakeet, muntjac deer, and the more problematic zebra mussel, Spanish bluebell and Japanese knotweed.
Some species are tolerant of London, and a few thrive
The strengthening of legislation and planning policy to protect wildlife over the past 30 years, and the growing recognition of the value of urban green spaces, has done much to stem loss. Management of urban parks has become more sympathetic and the growth in wildlife gardening has also helped. All this has provided an essential background to more targeted conservation work the Trust and many others have carried out since the 1980s to reverse downward trends on particular sites or for specific species and habitats. Nevertheless, the successes need to be tempered with some growing concerns. While it can be argued that Londoners’ activities now rarely intentionally damage biodiversity, the consequences of a range of actions can still have adverse effects on natural systems. Future large development proposals might not be as problematic as they used to be; the threats may instead be in the cumulative impact of small-scale developments, pollution, water use and competing ‘soft’ land-uses (for example
food production and leisure). The most damage caused to London’s biodiversity over the past decade is probably the loss of front gardens occurring below the radar of the planning process. London is losing its biological richness to a complex package of chemicals, air pollutants, habitat fragmentation, eutrophication, soil depletion, climate change, and the impacts of light, pets, noise, traffic and some non-native species. Whilst some species are tolerant of London, and a few thrive, are these actually the exceptions to the rule? We cannot be complacent, changes in the planning system and desires to stimulate renewed economic activity will place further pressure on wildlife. The Government’s newly-launched White Paper on the natural environment, and the implementation of London’s Green Grid, should be grasped as opportunities to embed biodiversity into London’s future. While targeted action can bring about real breakthroughs, we need to up our game and campaign to ensure that London’s diverse natural environment as a whole isn’t quietly or unintentionally eroded away. Mathew Frith is London Wildlife Trust’s Deputy Chief Executive.
Top: The maturing urban forest has helped the jay © Helen Babbs Left: Rosebay willowherb is successful on wastelands and railway linesides © Mathew Frith Opposite: The stately grey heron is a London success story © John Hawkins
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BIODIVERSITY BOOSTERS Ten things you can do to protect London’s biodiversity: • Don’t mow your lawn, let things run a bit wild. • Take part in a wildlife survey and collect some important species data. • Put up bird and bat boxes. • Speak out if a green space is under threat. • Volunteer at one of our reserves. • Create a green roof, be that on a shed, a bin shelter or a rabbit hutch. • Find out about wildflowers and trees, and plant the right ones in the right places. • Make sure your local MP takes biodiversity seriously. • Encourage friends and family to become London Wildlife Trust members. • Continue to support us! Find more ideas on: www.biodiversityislife.net
The role of the land
London’s richest biodiversity is found on over 1,440 Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINCs) across the capital – covering almost 20% of its area – of which many (but not all) are managed with wildlife in mind. These range from 36 nationally important Sites of Special Scientific Interest to hundreds of locally valuable sites that all help people connect with the natural world in their neighbourhood. The Trust manages over 40 nature reserves, some of which are of London-wide importance for the wildlife they support, for example Denham Lock Wood, Hutchinson’s Bank and Totteridge Fields. It’s essential for us to manage these sites in an exemplary way to ensure that their role within the wider network of green spaces is maximised. Whilst much wildlife can flourish outside nature reserves (for example in the mosaic of the capital’s millions of gardens), the richness of species and habitats – from German hairy-snail and greater yellow-rattle to salt-marsh and ancient woodland – crucially depends on SINCs being protected and managed appropriately. It is on these, where wildlife that’s less tolerant of human activity survives, that we often need to apply specific conservation measures to ensure that such species and habitats are conserved, flourish or are restored.
Adding to the portfolio
Alongside protection we also take on the conservation management of new land and, after many years of development work, two new reserves are set to join the Trust’s portfolio. On the River Crane, east of Heathrow, is Crane Meadows. Until last year part of it was a car park servicing the airport but now it’s been transformed into new habitat – a mixture of hedgerows and fields – that will take a few years to mature. To the south is horse grazed pasture, now vacated by the previous tenant, where we will seek to enhance the oxbow lakes and restore the meanders along the Crane. South of Crayford in Bexley is Braeburn Park, where the Trust was identified as a potential owner following proposals to build new housing in the late 1990s. During the summer of 2008 a survey highlighted contamination derived from the site’s previous use as uncapped land-fill. Following this we partnered with the Land Trust who acquired the freehold. We’ve been working with Bexley Council and Taylor Wimpey to resolve remaining issues of access and safety, and we expect to start managing the park on behalf of the Land Trust before the end of the year.
Volunteers maximise biodiversity benefits
Volunteers play a significant role in helping organisations like London Wildlife Trust deliver biodiversity protection and enhancement. We began as a group of like-minded volunteers almost 30 years ago, and today much of our biodiversity protection and management is delivered by volunteers. Through surveys and records, our army of naturalists provide essential species and habitat data, as well as keeping us informed of general nature reserve issues. Volunteers support and deliver much of our conservation work. From our management of chalk grasslands in south east London, to the maintenance of woodlands and hay meadows in north and west London, they help us punch above our ecological weight so that London’s wildlife can be protected and appreciated. A huge thank you to all our current volunteers and, if you’d like to get involved, please do! Visit: www.wildlondon.org.uk/getinvolved
Young Londoners do their bit
Each weekend teenagers on the Earn Your Travel Back scheme, run in partnership with Transport for London, complete a day’s conservation volunteering with us in order to have their free London travel reinstated. The young people’s hard work is having a brilliant impact, not only in improving habitats like pond and grassland, but also sparking off a new interest in nature. Many of the teenagers have little idea about London’s biodiversity, and their reactions to the creatures we encounter can range from horror to awe. We’ve been able to show them the pupae of the privet hawk moth, slow-worms and our biggest land mollusc, the Roman snail. Those involved often leave thinking that conservation work is of real importance, not just a punishment.
MORE WAYS TO HELP 1. Register with our partner – Greenspace Information for Greater London (GiGL). Visit www.gigl.org.uk to sign up online and then record the species you spot around London. Accurate and up to date records are of great importance if we are to monitor biodiversity trends. 2. Join one of our local groups and help to actively manage the land to improve biodiversity. Contact our volunteer co-ordinator at: volunteering@wildlondon.org.uk 3. Keep an eye on local planning applications that may lead to the loss of green space.
You make the difference
It’s thanks to the ongoing support of our members that we have been able to make impressive strides in protecting and improving the biodiversity of London. In addition to your regular membership subscriptions, we had a fantastic response to our Christmas appeal for extra donations. This enabled us to complete some preparatory work on our chalk grassland sites over the winter. Chalk grassland is a globally rare and diverse habitat, home to many priority wildlife species. It critically depends on good land management – it’s a habitat where human input, in the shape of mowing and cutting, has an important role to play. London’s chalk downlands are a valuable wildlife resource, and we’re working hard to protect and restore them. Thanks again for your generous donations.
Above: Invaluable volunteers in action © Ian Rappel Opposite: The Fray’s River at Fray’s Farm © Mathew Frith
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Biodiversity in your backyard Transforming London with many mini nature reserves
Hard work by green fingered Londoners means some gardens are becoming beautifully biodiverse. But is this valuable land safe? The summer began with the welcome news that gardens could be declassified as brownfield land, meaning they are to be much less vulnerable to back land development. The Trust has campaigned for greater value to be placed on London’s gardens for many years, highlighting the vital habitat they provide for wildlife and the protection they offer in the face of climate change. The reclassification is therefore very welcome and everyone – including our members – who has supported our ‘Garden for a Living London’ campaign should feel rightly proud of what they’ve achieved. London’s gardens provide valuable habitat for a wide range of wildlife, and help our city cope with adverse weather by providing shade, absorbing carbon, soaking up flood water, retaining water and helping to cool buildings. London’s garden wildlife includes a variety of birds, mammals and invertebrates including rare and threatened species like stag beetle, hedgehog, common frog, tortoiseshell butterfly, house sparrow and great spotted woodpecker. The loss of garden land over the last decade has been alarming, not only at the hands of development but also due to people turning front gardens into paved parking areas. This trend has affected the character of some London streets, changing
them from green and leafy to grey and perhaps rather bleak. While the change in classification should reduce in-fill development proposals, it won’t halt changes to gardens that happen under the planning radar. Recent legislation that requires owners to apply for planning permission to pave front gardens (to reduce the impact of flooding), does not take into account the effect any development might have on wildlife. Our work on gardens is far from finished. More needs to be done to make garden land safe.
G ardening can be a communitybuilding activity The International Year of Biodiversity (IYB) has global aims and, when the powers that be meet in Japan in the autumn, huge topics of universal importance will be discussed in a series of high minded debates. But root and branch work on the ground is just as important, if not more so. IYB UK has been encouraging people to get out and about in green spaces, asking people to take note of what surrounds them and appreciate its value. In urban areas, gardens constitute a large amount of our
WINNING FOR WILDLIFE Ten London schools have made it through to the final stages of a competition to win a wildlife garden worth £10,000. Schools from Southwark, Hackney, Islington, Camden, Richmond and Newham are now in the running to win the Veolia Wild Green School competition.
total green spaces – collectively in London they cover over 24% of the city. Our ‘Garden for a Living London’ campaign is as important as ever, encouraging all Londoners to get gardening, whatever type of space they have to call their own. Just because you live in the highest of high rises or you’re a temporary tenant in an ever-changing house share, doesn’t mean you can’t do your bit. The Trust has been working to reach more gardeners again this year and we’ve taken our message out to big events like the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and the BBC Springwatch Wild Day Out. Gardening can be a communitybuilding activity, especially if you do it out front for all to see. Those who’ve transformed the spaces outside their homes into wildlife gardens report compliments being called out across the street. New friends are made across fences and inside shared gardens. Our gardening projects
on reserves in Hackney, King’s Cross and Peckham (East Reservoir Community Garden, Camley Street Natural Park and the Centre for Wildlife Gardening) have got people interested in nature who never dreamed they would be. Time spent in a wildlife friendly garden can breed a love of biodiversity and a desire to protect it. If you haven’t pledged to do one thing for wildlife yet, visit our gardening website and find out what you can do. The colourful site is bursting with advice and ideas on how to make your garden a wildlife and climate friendly one, no matter how little or large your space is. www.wildlondon.org.uk/gardening
The competition, sponsored by Veolia Environnement, is just one part of a project that’s encouraging schools to create and improve wildlife areas. It aims to harness the excitement that children feel about nature, and helps teachers make links between garden wildlife and learning objectives in the National Curriculum. To get through to the final round, schools had to design a wildlife garden, explain how they would use it and make sure it was looked after. The final judging round will be held in autumn and the lucky school will have their design finalised by London Wildlife Trust, with the garden completed by spring next year.
Above: The Trust’s Centre for Wildlife Gardening in Peckham © Jamie Grier Opposite: Great spotted woodpecker © Julian Cox
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The nature table Summer interview
Helen Babbs disappears into the depths of the Darwin Centre to talk nature loving with botanist and biodiversity expert Gill Stevens. Gill Stevens sees her office as a nature table, like the one you likely had at primary school, where people create collaborative displays of intriguing finds. Walking past the London Natural History Society’s impressive library and into a dimly lit storage space, I’m faced with endless rows of high tech cabinets and a strong smell of moth balls. Wrapped in a concrete cocoon, and housing 17 million entomology and 3 million botany specimens in 3.3km of cabinets, this surely is a nature lover’s dream workplace. On the lower ground floor of the swish new Darwin Centre, the Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity is a first for the Natural History Museum and sees the venerable institution realigning itself to give its work on British species more prominence. With its international reputation and high public profile, the museum is in a unique position to shout about biodiversity closer to home. Gill Stevens heads up the team of expert scientists that run this sparkling new UK centric resource centre, which aims to excite and support people’s interest in nature. Anyone and everyone can access the specimens, microscopes and books. Experts and amateurs alike work with the centre to identify plants, animals and insects they have found. Wandering round the open
plan office, I see Gill’s colleagues’ desks disappearing beneath stacks of specimens, bits of rock and various maps. A northerner, Gill loved flowers as a child and decided upon botany when she went to university. “I love remote places and never thought I’d live in London but being here allows me to work at the Natural History Museum. When I came here for my first interview in 1991 I was too excited to be nervous. “My first office was in one of the towers at the front of the main building. At the end of the working day I’d come down a narrow set of stairs and emerge by the ancient sequoia. That view of the cathedral-like main hall never failed to raise my spirits, even after a bad day.” Gill has been unable to resist London and the Natural History Museum’s charms and has realised that you don’t need to be somewhere remote to appreciate the natural world, you just have to look out for it. Sometimes it looks out for you. Last week she found a stag beetle on the doorstep of her Wimbledon home. Gill also helps to run OPAL, an ambitious Open Air Laboratory project that’s all about transforming people who’ve become disconnected with the natural world into citizen scientists, capable of conducting wildlife surveys and collecting
invaluable data. They’re particularly targeting urban areas, inviting schools, old people’s homes and even prisons to get involved. A recent ‘Bioblitz’ of Alexandra Palace Park, run with London Wildlife Trust and the BBC, saw thousands of people out surveying. “Showing people the stag beetle we found on the Bioblitz was fantastic, suddenly they were full of questions. When you have face to face contact with someone you can make a real difference, you can open their eyes. You can reveal that that white blob of gum on the pavement or that smear of yellow paint on a tree trunk is in fact lichen, a living thing.”
People have the ability to have the most impact on the world
For Gill the term ‘biodiversity’ can be an awkward one, it has its uses within certain circles but she prefers to simply talk about nature. “Nature is a word that inspires people. I work in a nature centre and I’m creating a nature table. We want to make nature more prominent in the museum.”
The design of the Darwin Centre is all about bringing people face to face with science. But what’s it like working in a fish bowl where you are on display like a museum exhibit? “The viewing areas are quite small, only part of our work space is on display. Sometimes we forget and people get to witness our animated photocopier chats. I think it’s wrong to show a manufactured view of science, we shouldn’t orchestrate what’s going on behind the glass. Science isn’t standing around in a white coat with a light bulb flashing above your head. Eureka moments are rare.” What does Gill think about the focus on bad news stories when it comes to the natural world, the obsession with crisis and loss? “Getting people to appreciate nature through bad news is not a good idea. The best thing is to encourage appreciation and make nature relevant. People won’t understand why bad news is important if they don’t appreciate nature in the first place.” Gill imagines the world as a complicated jigsaw, with nature as one of the crucial pieces. If pieces go missing the picture is incomplete. “People have the ability to have the most impact on the world”, she says, “and that makes us the planet’s worst enemy and its best hope.”
ABOUT DR GILL STEVENS Gill is head of the Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity, based in the Darwin Centre at the Natural History Museum. It’s a new resource centre for anyone with an interest in biodiversity and aims to play a key role in supporting the network of groups, partnerships and organisations that work in the natural history field. www.nhm.ac.uk Gill is also the deputy director of OPAL, a five year, nationwide project that’s encouraging people to explore and study their local environments. www.OPALexplorenature.org
Opposite: The Natural History Museum’s glittering new Darwin Centre © Torben Eskerod Below: Gill Stevens pond dipping in the museum’s wildlife garden © Natural History Museum
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Your wild London
Biodiverse day about town Fancy seeing as much biodiversity as you can in one day, plus eating and drinking well too? • • •
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Walk from the Nun’s Head to the Screaming Alice, a 10km stretch from Nunhead to Crystal Palace, taking in various cemeteries and woodland areas, plus great views from One Tree Hill. Stop off at the Horniman Museum for lunch and to see the overstuffed walrus. Walk some of the 125km long Capital Ring, for example from Hendon Park to Highgate (perhaps including a pint at The Flask); from Crystal Palace to Streatham Common, following the ridges and valleys of what was the Great North Wood; or through Putney Heath to Wimbledon Common, then onto Richmond Park and Ham Common. The Wandle Trail is an 18km route in south London that includes Wilderness Island and Spencer Road Wetlands. Sustenance can be found at the Sutton Ecology Centre and the National Trust’s Morden Hall Park, near Morden tube.
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Take a Royal Park wander, starting at Westminster tube and finishing at Kensington High Street, visiting St James’, Green and Hyde Parks. There’s a fabulous café in St James’. Have coffee at the View Tube’s acclaimed cafe (Pudding Mill Lane DLR) before walking along the Greenway to the Lea towpath, past the Olympic Park, then north towards Lea Bridge Road, enjoying riverside willows, heronries and wildfowl. Walk from Canonbury along the New River, one of London’s oldest artificial watercourses, opened in 1613 bringing clean water into London. You’ll pass through a range of Islington green spaces, before reaching Stoke Newington Reservoirs, and curling back to Railway Fields nature reserve just off Green Lanes. If it rains, head to the Natural History Museum or, for something a little less obvious, the Grant Museum of Zoology. Followed by afternoon tea in either Kensington or Bloomsbury of course.
START YOUR WILDLIFE LIBRARY The Wildlife Trusts have just published some new books, including an action packed nature guide book called ‘152 Wild Things to Do’ and some new species guides, including ones on butterflies and moths, birds and wildflowers. We have copies of the books to give away to some lucky members, just tell us two butterflies that take London locations as their common names. Email your answer to members@wildlondon.org.uk by 12th September.
Going Wild London Wildlife Trust runs a range of events throughout the year, many of them free. Here’s a taster of some of the things on offer across our reserves in the coming months: Birds, bats and moths – guided walk 8th September and 23rd October East Reservoir Community Garden, Hackney Park life since WWII – family fun day 19th September Crane Park Island, Richmond Up the garden path – storytelling 17th October Centre for Wildlife Gardening, Peckham Fungal foray – guided walk 24th October Gunnersbury Triangle, Chiswick Clean up the River Crane 24th October Crane Park Island, Richmond Tree spirits – Halloween storytelling 31st October Sydenham Hill Woods, Forest Hill Family conservation volunteering Alternate Saturday afternoons Camley Street Natural Park, King’s Cross For the latest listings visit www.wildlondon.org.uk/getinvolved
A welcome legacy Our sincere condolences are extended to the family and friends of Clifford Harrison. Mr Harrison generously left a bequest to London Wildlife Trust in his will and we are extremely grateful for his support. Mr Harrison’s legacy will ensure that his memory lives on through the healthy, vibrant and diverse natural world he has helped protect. We’ve enclosed a leaflet detailing how you can support London Wildlife Trust with a legacy. Please consider supporting us in this way.
Marathon man Our Vice Chair Richard Barnes ran the London Marathon this year for London Wildlife Trust. He completed the race in 5 hours, 1 minute and 43 seconds, and raised over £700 for us. “I set off slowly but soon got caught up in the sense of occasion” says Richard. “At 23 miles I met my wife and baby daughter. A sloppy kiss and a double espresso meant I ran the last 3.2 miles in 25 minutes!” Thank you Richard, and well done. If you’re planning on completing a challenge to raise much needed funds for London Wildlife Trust please let us know so we can provide fundraising support and cheer for you on the big day!
Hard working money Your regular donations make a huge difference to the work we do. There’s now an easy way to increase your support if you shop online with retailers such as Amazon, John Lewis, HMV or eBay. You can sign up for free at www.easyfundraising.org.uk/lwt and then use the links on their site to take you to the retailer. You shop directly with the retailer, as you would normally, but a percentage of whatever you spend comes directly to us at no extra cost to yourself. For example, if you spend £100 with M&S online you raise £5 for London Wildlife Trust, while a £100 spent with Amazon raises £2.50. You don’t have to spend a lot in one go as we get a proportional amount each time you shop, plus you’ll get access to hundreds of discounts and voucher codes – so not only will you be helping us, you could be saving yourself some money too! Above: Many events take place at Crane Park Island © Alex Robb Opposite: View Tube on the Greenway © Girish Rambaran Left: Marathon man Richard Barnes © London Wildlife Trust
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Where the wild things are Reserve focus on Wilderness Island
WHAT TO SPOT IN LATE SUMMER • Kingfisher and grey wagtail both breed on the river. Little grebe bred last year. • Sparrowhawk usually breed here, along with blackcap and chiffchaff. Tawny owl have been heard after a long absence. • Hobby, water rail, reed warbler and firecrest are present, plus unexpected red-legged partridge. • Daubenton’s, common and soprano pipistrelle bats dart about at dusk. • There are lots of butterflies to be found including small skipper, meadow brown, gatekeeper and ringlet. Purple hairstreak can be seen flying around the sole large oak tree on the island, whilst white-letter hairstreak may be found among the elms. Small copper and common blue used to occur and work is being carried out to bring them back. • Banded demoiselles can now be spotted, along with common darter, brown hawker and emperor dragonfly.
Wilderness Island is one of three London Wildlife Trust reserves along the River Wandle in south London. Local volunteer Derek Coleman knows the site well and gives us an insider’s guided tour. There are at least two reasons why Wilderness Island ended up being called one, even though it’s not surrounded by water. The Wandle’s two sources – Croydon and Carshalton – meet at the site to form a sort of island. Alternatively, an artificial channel, called The Cut, was made between the branches and so the more northern part of the reserve really is an island. The Cut forms a division to the reserve and may be the last place water voles were reliably reported on the Wandle in the mid 1980s. The northern part of the reserve is where the owner of Shepley House made ponds in the 1700s to keep carp to supplement his winter diet. The carp have long since disappeared but some of the ponds remain to provide habitat for many invertebrates and other wildlife. One of the ponds now forms a long linear sedge bed, an unusual feature in London. This part of the reserve is possibly the oldest remaining natural habitat along the Wandle. The southern part is over a metre higher than the northern part as a result of dumping that was carried out during the 1940s. However, nature has reclaimed the land, which is now a mixture of woodland, scrub and meadows.
Any site in London will have been threatened by development at some point and Wilderness Island is no exception. There were attempts to build housing on the Island in the 1930s and 60s, and an attempt to formalise it into a public park in the late 70s. The latter met with surprising resistance and went to a Public Inquiry where the local children, for whom the Island was a wonderful place for adventures, presented a petition to the inspector. He sided with the children! After the inquiry, the Trust entered into a management agreement with Sutton Council and subsequently Wilderness Island has become a statutory Local Nature Reserve and part of the River Wandle Metropolitan Site of Importance for Nature Conservation. Hopefully its future is secure.
Top: Kingfishers breed on the Wandle © Julian Cox Opposite: Wilderness Island in early summer © Mathew Frith. Below: Emperor dragonflies can be seen at Wilderness Island © Liz Barrett
RESTORING RIVERS IN A LIVING LANDSCAPE River restoration is a priority for the Trust, with landscape scale projects currently active on the Rivers Wandle, Colne and Crane. These projects are working to improve the biodiversity of the waterways themselves, their associated habitats, and to control the spread of invasive non-native plant species which can pose flood risk, threaten the richness and diversity of native wildlife, and reduce access to the river. The aim is to create more naturally functioning river systems that are no longer fragmented by artificial features such as weirs and culverts or overengineered into fenced, straightened, concrete-lined channels. Instead water is allowed to meander openly alongside lushly vegetated banks that allow good public access and enjoyment of the river, while enhancing the river’s natural resilience to the impacts of climate change. The restoration of the River Wandle has an additional target – to bring the highly endangered water vole back to its banks. The Trust is undertaking habitat assessments and targeting practical restoration works in key areas so that water voles can be reintroduced. Local volunteers, community groups, landowners and statutory bodies are working with us to carry out this pioneering conservation work, and we’re grateful to Veolia for their generous funding.
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COMMON BLUE “The common blue never fails to excite me; I could spend hours following these little butterflies along the chalky slopes of southern England� says photographer Sarah Marshall.