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Lesnes Abbey Woods conservation work session, Sunday 1st November. Ffi: www.friendsoflesnesabbeyandwoods.com/
Can Green Roofs Function as True Ecosystems? FREE ONLINE EVENTWednesday, November 25 • 1 PM - 2 PM GMT
Eva Drukker (Wageningen University) explores the ecology of green roofs. Can they operate as functional ecosystems?
Green roofs, exposed to wind, heat, and drought, might seem like unlikely places for ecological development. But can they become self-sustaining ecosystems? How do they interact with the surrounding flora and fauna? How quickly do they develop, and which insects choose to live there? Crucially, which design choices make these elevated habitats most supportive for biodiversity?
Can Green Roofs Function as True Ecosystems?
www.eventbrite.co.uk
Eva Drukker (Wageningen University) explores the ecology of green roofs. Can they operate as functional ecosystems?
THAMES ROAD WETLAND, INNER CRAYFORD MARSHES. NEXT STAFF SUPPORTED HABITAT MANAGEMENT SESSION IS FRIDAY 13th NOVEMBER 10.00-14.00.To book and ffi:
book.plinth.org.uk/e/0WCJmk9xkzaAmCNTk2TC
Sam Dhedhi will be down with a van full of equipment to support a larger team of volunteers than we can accomodate at our volunteer-only events. These bigger teams are essential if we are to push back the Reedbeds and maintain habitat and thus species diversity while breeding birds such as Reed Warblers are off on their winter 'holiday' in Africa.
No particular skills required. All help welcome even if you can come only once. 40% of the person hours delivered in the last 12 months have been contributed by one-time-only helpers.
At our last staffed session on 16/10 we had nine volunteers - who gave nearly 39 person-hours of labour - and one staff member.
Fortunately the weather followed the forecast, with drizzle giving way to warm sunshine shortly after we started work.
Seven people, led by Ian, dug out another significant amount of Reed rootmat and silt from the 'north-west corner pool' and piled it on the new banking by the main path.
Three of us scythed and sheared Reed opposite the road run-off -trap ditch. Due to a mechanical problem with the brushcutter, and poor servicing back-up fron the manufacturer, we have been without it for the last 6 workdays and this patch has rather got away from us. Unfortunately, we had to do without it again on this occasion. as the person who looks after and transports it was injured and unable to bring it down. Fingers crossed we get some rain-free Fridays and can catch up once we can deploy it again.
After everyone else had left, two of us reduced the height of more of the Blackthorn sucker 'hedging' along the main path and 'weeded' the Bee Orchid strip to favour the Orchids, though there was no sign of any yet. Some of the Lizard basking sites which were
getting too shaded were opened up a bit now we're into more autumnal conditions.
Photos: Sam Dhedhi, Chris Rose.
Chris Rose, Volunteer Site Manager.
RARE BUMBLEBEE SEEN AT LESNESRare bumblebee recorded at historic London site - Bumblebee Conservation Trust
www.bumblebeeconservation.org
In an exciting moment for the capital city, a scarce bumblebee has been recorded at an historic London site this summer by a Bumblebee Conservation Trust volunteer.
NORTH WEST KENT COUNTRYSIDE PARTNERSHIP - RUXLEY GRAVEL PITS NATURE RESERVE HABITAT MANAGEMENT SESSIONS IN NOVEMBERWednesday 4th – Ruxley Gravel Pits, Edgington Way, Orpington, BR5 3HY
We will be doing path clearance.
Led by: Lucy Sawyer-Boyd (07809334071)
Meeting Time and Place: 10am at the site. The gate must be kept locked, if there is no-one there to open it, please call Lucy’s mobile. DO NOT block the gate by parking in front of it while you wait! Follow the track and park underneath the A20. Plenty of parking. Portaloo available, but usually far from work site.
goo.gl/maps/S2NBZUfT2mTkbgX17
What3words:
Entrance: ///noises.sheet.reject
Parking: ///hopes.gender.gums
Thursday 5th – Ruxley Gravel Pits, Edgington Way, Orpington, BR5 3HY
We will be continuing to clear the path along with pollarding and coppicing the willow trees in the reed bed.
Led by: Lucy Sawyer-Boyd (07809334071)
Meeting Time and Place: as above.
goo.gl/maps/S2NBZUfT2mTkbgX17
What3words:
Entrance: ///noises.sheet.reject
Parking: ///hopes.gender.gums
Saturday 14th – Ruxley Gravel Pits, Edgington Way, Orpington, BR5 3HY
We will be continuing to pollard and coppicing the willow trees growing in the reed bed.
Please bring your own refreshments for this day.
Led by: Lucy Sawyer-Boyd (07809334071)
Meeting Time and Place: as above.
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.
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Category Archives: Bexley Council
Poor biodiversity score contributes to Bexley’s 29th out of 33 placing in annual London parks report
The 2019 Good Parks for London report makes sobering reading for Bexley, which has been ranked 29th of the 33 Boroughs and City of London after scores were added up across ten different criteria. One of these was ‘Supporting Nature’, … Continue reading
Posted in Bexley Council, Biodiversity Action Plan, BNEF, Environment, Open spaces, Parks, SINC
Tagged BAP, Bexley Council, biodiversity, Good Parks for London, open spaces, parks, SINC
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Community Infrastructure Levy spending consult – deadline 5p.m. Fri March 2nd
Bexley Council is consulting on what the priorities should be for spending money obtained from developers who are given planning permissions. The deadline is 5p.m. Fri March 2nd. E-mail views to SP>eam@bexley.gov.uk You may wish to draw on the following suggestions put … Continue reading
Posted in Bexley Council, Biodiversity Action Plan, BNEF, Consultations, development threat
Tagged Bexley Council, CiL, CiL spending, infrastructure
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Former Council HQ site scheme: bizarre on biodiversity and conflicted on cars
Bellway has submitted its finalised scheme for housing on the old Council HQ site on the Broadway. There are a number of welcome nods to sustainability but still too many contradictory elements falling short of what should be done. The … Continue reading
Posted in Bexley Council
Tagged Bellway, Bexley Council, Bexley Council HQ, BNEF, car dependency, exotics, living roofs, non-native, planning policy, sterile hard surfacing, zero carbon
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Criminals perpetrate Thames Road Wetland fly-tipping outrage
Around 37 sacks of rubble, thick-sheet foam insulation board fragments and other rubbish have been fly-tipped very close to a patch of rare plant on Bexley Council-owned land at the far east end of Thames Road Wetland, some time between 11th … Continue reading
Thames21 team tackles two fly-tipping incidents by Thames Road Wetland
Local Thames21 staff and volunteers have recently been tackling two ugly fly-tipping incidents adjacent to Thames Road Wetland, with a third yet to be sorted out. The second, and largest, of these might have been avoided had Bexley Council acted … Continue reading
Cory/Borax fields found to be of regional, possibly national, importance for invertebrates (post outline planning permission …..). Campaigner pressure appears to be paying dividends.
Further wildlife survey work, required by Bexley Council as part of its granting of outline planning permission for the building by Cory of large data centres on open fields next to Crossness Nature Reserve, has revealed them to be of … Continue reading
Posted in Bexley Council, BNEF, Crossness, Crossness Nature Reserve, Demonstration, development threat, Erith Marshes, Uncategorized
Tagged Bexley Council, Bexley Council planning committee, Bexley Natural Environment Forum, Borax, Cory, Cory/Borax fields, Crossness, Friends of Crossness Nature Reserve, invertebrates, open mosaic habitat, planning, Shrill Carder Bee, Thames Gateway
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Bexley ‘Growth Strategy’ claims sustainability but knows no bounds. Suggestions for comments. Deadline (now changed to) Friday 28th July 5p.m.
DEADLINE EXTENDED TO 28th JULY – so you might now be able to read it and comment. You don’t have to say something about every aspect, but just the ones that bother you the most. The more people criticise various … Continue reading
Bexley Council plans by-pass across Crayford Marshes. Proposal buried in 117 page ‘Growth Strategy’. More potential damage to SSSI contender. Relevant to, but not mentioned at railfreight depot planning meeting.
Bexley Council is proposing further major damage to one of the Borough’s best wildlife areas, one that is of London-wide and potentially national importance and has often been mentioned as a potential Site of Special Scientific Interest. Detailed examination of … Continue reading
Bexley Bird Report for 2016 – 153 species, 13,000 records, 80 contributing observers.
Bexley Wildlife is pleased to be able to publish the latest ‘Bexley Bird Report’ compiled by Ralph Todd, which covers the whole year 2016, as opposed to the previous half-yearly documents. 153 species were seen, 13,000 records were examined and … Continue reading
Posted in Bexley, Bexley Council, Bird watching, Recording
Tagged Bexley Bird Report 2016, Bexley Council, Ralph Todd
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Nature history – Bexley conveniently forgets about previous Skylark policy
Over the last year Bexley Council has approved building on two of the three known Skylark nesting sites in the Borough – the only Skylark breeding habitat on Erith Marshes, and on part of the main breeding site at Crayford … Continue reading