Author Archives: Chris Rose

Danson dam wall shrubs cut back – emergency repairs necessary

Posted on 23/02/2015 by Chris Rose

Bexley Council’s vegetation ‘maintenance’ has received some sharp criticism of late. Now the shrubs on the dam wall at Danson are being cut hard back. The Council has issued a notice to local residents explaining that this is because urgent … Continue reading →

Posted in Bexley Council, Danson Park, Environment, Parks, vegetation management | 1 Comment

The River Cray project helps deliver Thames foreshore clean-up

Posted on 23/02/2015 by Chris Rose

Last week’s event at Erith (Feb 19th) in support of the Thames River watch Big Count clean-up was a great success for the Cray project thanks to all those attending and the team from the Erith Depot of Select Plant … Continue reading →

Posted in Cray Riverkeepers, Crayford Marshes, Environment, River Thames, Rivers, Thames21, Volunteering | Leave a comment

Residents revolt over Council ‘carnage’ on banks of Wyncham Stream. New row as Council describes heavy-handed management of Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation as ‘tree maintenance’.

Posted on 19/02/2015 by Chris Rose

Bexley Council is once again under scrutiny for an apparently budget-driven ‘scorched earth’ approach to vegetation management. Complaints from residents about the severity of an operation last week along the Wyncham stream, a tributary of the Shuttle, where it flows between Brookend … Continue reading →

Posted in Bexley Council, Biodiversity Action Plan, BNEF, coppicing, Environment, Friends of the Shuttle, Parks, River Shuttle, Rivers, RSPB, SINC, Trees, vegetation management, Volunteering, Wyncham Stream | 4 Comments

The River Cray is not for scrap – it’s our nature!

Posted on 18/02/2015 by Chris Rose

Cray Project Officer Michael Heath reports on last week’s (Fri. 13th) removal of car parts from the river just below Crayford town centre, following a second major fly-tipping incident: It was wonderful to be joined by old faces (returning volunteers) … Continue reading →

Posted in Cray Riverkeepers, Environment, Fly-tipping, River Cray, Rivers, Volunteering | Leave a comment

Over 2,000 Ring-necked Parakeets at Danson roost again

Posted on 17/02/2015 by Chris Rose

Eleven people attended the Friends of the Shuttle Danson Park Parakeet count on this sunny evening (Feb 17th), tallying some 2,125 birds into the roost area on the north side of the lake. Participants came from FotS, Bexley RSPB, BNEF … Continue reading →

Posted in Demonstration, Environment, Friends of the Shuttle, Open spaces, Parks, Ring-necked Parakeet, River Shuttle, roost site, RSPB, Volunteering | 2 Comments

Friends of the Shuttle volunteers remove rubbish from more Council open spaces

Posted on 12/02/2015 by Chris Rose

Another productive Friends of the Shuttle river-cleaning event took place today (12th February) at Crofton Avenue, Bexley.  15 bags of waste and recyclables were collected by 8 volunteers braving the chilly weather. Our haul also included a child’s car seat, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Bexley Council, Litter, Open spaces, River Shuttle, Rivers, Volunteering | Leave a comment

Friends of Crossness reserve clear litter eyesores

Posted on 11/02/2015 by Chris Rose

Crossness Nature Reserve Manager, Karen Sutton writes: The public footpath that runs along the bottom of the Crossness Nature Reserve, is a pleasant wooded path with plenty of Ash, Hazel and scrub. Unfortunately however, the path gets heavily littered with … Continue reading →

Posted in Crossness Nature Reserve, Erith Marshes, Litter, Volunteering | Tagged | Leave a comment

Woodlands Farm announces Big Farmland Bird Count results

Posted on 11/02/2015 by Chris Rose

Hannah Forshaw, Education Officer at the The Woodlands Farm Trust on Shooters Hill, which straddles the Bexley/Greenwich border, reports that the count was conducted on 2 days in case weather stopped things. However, the team managed to get a range … Continue reading →

Posted in Bexley, Bird watching, Woodlands Farm | Leave a comment

New budget consult: opportunity to support open space ‘maintenance’ reductions over sell-offs, plus more recycling and new energy-saving/light pollution measures

Posted on 10/02/2015 by Chris Rose

Bexley Council is consulting on further budget-savings proposals which could save open spaces, increase recycling and cut carbon emissions and light pollution, thereby benefiting wildlife and people. The deadline for responses is February 20th. It’s important that as many of … Continue reading →

Posted in Bexley Council, BNEF, Budget, Consultations, Environment, Land sales, Light pollution, Litter, Open spaces, Parks, Recycling | Leave a comment

Marsh Harrier drops in for Crossness briefing

Posted on 10/02/2015 by Chris Rose

Crossness showed with impeccable timing, just what makes it one of the very best wildlife sites in Bexley today, as Karen Sutton – recently promoted to Biodiversity Team Manager for Thames Water – showed two new members of her team … Continue reading →

Posted in Bexley, Bird watching, Crossness, Crossness Nature Reserve, Erith Marshes, Raptors, Reedbeds | 1 Comment