Our Facebook Posts
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.
51°24'41.7"N 0°07'10.5"E · 51.411583, 0.119583
goo.gl
Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.
Category Archives: Crossness
Ralph Todd’s Bexley Bird Report for January – June 2015 published
This latest edition of Ralph’s invaluable six monthly Bexley bird reports, covering the period January – June 2015, is now available, having been delayed whilst he works on the massive job – with volunteer assistance – of digitising older Bexley bird … Continue reading
Crossness – it doesn’t have to be rare or hard to identify to be a new site record
Two new species were added to the Crossness/Erith Marshes list last weekend (23rd August), neither especially rare in the south of England. The presence of the picture-winged fly Urophora cardui was detected by the presence of a few swollen stem galls … Continue reading
Posted in Bird watching, Crossness, Erith Marshes, Swift
Leave a comment
‘Bexley Wildlife’ social, August 18th: reminder and ‘programme’
The ‘Bexley Wildlife’ team, a web platform collaboration between Bexley Natural Environment Forum and the Greener Bexley Charity, invites ‘followers’ and other interested people to join us at a social event on Tuesday August 18th from 7p.m. at Bexley Village … Continue reading
Crossness makes belated claim to ‘first’ Bexley Marbled White
The date of the first Marbled White butterfly (Melanargia galathea) record we know of in Bexley has just been pushed back five years, following this week’s discovery that one was seen by John Archer on 7th July 2010, on the … Continue reading
Thamesmead Youth Voice group picks environment projects and visits Crossness
Karen Sutton writes: On 23rd July I gave members of the Thamesmead Youth Voice (TYV) Group a tour around Crossness Nature Reserve and Crossness Southern Marsh. TYV is a youth group run by Trust Thamesmead who have a dedicated youth facility known as The … Continue reading
More Crossness butterfly and moth marvels from Mike …….
Clouded Yellow, Painted Lady pictured at Crossness Mike Robinson has been out and about photographing butterflies and day-flying moths across the Borough lately, but spends much of his time at Crossness on Erith Marshes. Here are a selection of his … Continue reading
Posted in Bexley, Butterflies, Crossness, Erith Marshes, Recording
Leave a comment
Sun shines (intermittently) on Crossness butterfly event
Karen Sutton, Biodiversity Team Manager at Crossness Nature Reserve on Erith Marshes, reports on the Wednesday 15th July butterfly identification event. We held a butterfly identification walk on Crossness Nature Reserve just before the launch of Butterfly Conservation’s Big Butterfly Count … Continue reading
Bexley Council has no management plan for 80% of SINCS it wholly or partly owns, reveals FOI request
80% of Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation wholly or partly owned by Bexley Council have no management plan (i.e. only 1 in 5 does), and 3 of the 6 plans that do exist expired more than 7 years ago. … Continue reading
Posted in Bexley Council, Bexley Woods, Biodiversity Action Plan, BNEF, Braeburn Park, Bursted Woods, Chalk Wood, coppicing, Crayford Rough, Crossness, Danson Park, East Wickham Open Space, Environment, Erith Marshes, Hollyhill open space, Joydens Wood, Lesnes Abbey Woods, London Wildlife Trust, Martens Grove, Open spaces, Parish Wood Park, Parks, River Cray, River Shuttle, SINC, Thames Road Wetland, Woodlands Farm
2 Comments
Some people pictures from last Saturday’s Crossness invertebrates event
As previously reported there was an excellent turnout of 27 – mainly locals – for last weekend’s (July 4th) London Natural History Society-led event at Crossness Southern Marsh on Erith Marshes, looking at lesser-known invertebrates. The area is part of … Continue reading
Bexley birds maintain media profile
Crossness Kestrels in hardcopy ‘News Shopper’ two editions running. Joined by Swifts this week. The Kestrel family at Crossness Nature Reserve on Erith Marshes was splashed across the top of the front page in last week’s ‘News Shopper’, so it … Continue reading
Posted in Belvedere, Bird watching, BNEF, Crossness, Crossness Nature Reserve, Environment, Erith Marshes, Raptors
1 Comment