Wildlife Group News

Corporate volunteer day in May

Trees for Cities expertly ushered in and supervised some 70 corporate
volunteers to do essential tree care over 30 and 31 May; resulting in a
staggering 85 trees being cared for.

The trees had constricting ties and damaging cross bars removed, were
weeded and well mulched (very well in some cases, you can never have too
much mulch!) then guards replaced, often with new posts in place of many
that were rotten. All the trees were either in the Shell area, around
the Main Field, in/close to the Model Traffic area, and by the path
leading to Downhills.

Thanks to Dick Tomlinson, Haringey Tree Officer, for organising
this, working and supervising, to Russell Miller who came along on 31
May and gave both invaluable advice, work and supervision, and Georgina
and Felix from Trees for Cities. And of course to the many volunteers.

Report on Orchard Day in May

We had a successful day in the Orchard under hot blue sunny skies all
day. 9 volunteers gave a total of 39 and a half hours time to pruning
some of the stone fruits, removing some of the constricting ties and
cross bars installed 6 years ago, weeding, mulching, replacing rotten
posts and putting back the guards in a slightly raised position to make
subsequent weeding and mulching much easier, and planting 3 gooseberry
bushes along the expanding soft fruit fence alongside Freedom road.

Marina O’Connell imparted lots of information about fruit growing, and
there was quite a lot of chat about what way people felt might be best
to progress with the boggy Orchard. Opinions included, planting
wet-loving flowers/plants/shrubs including a sort of ‘bog garden’;
planting wet-loving trees (eg Willow, Alder, Poplar..); planting some
wet loving trees in strategic areas to soak up some of the winter bog
(eg different willows that could be coppiced annually for basketwork
etc.); making mounds and planting a new variety of apple and pear
rootstock that tolerates damp conditions on the mounds…. Sadly the
majority of the Orchard trees are struggling and in poor health, but the
Pear trees are thriving, and some of the Apple and Plum trees doing
quite well.

Sally

JANUARY 2017

The RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch is happening this weekend! You can download the RSPB guide at https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch/packrequest/

If you want to find out which birds are in the Rec, a couple of Wildlife Group members will be at the Hub on Saturday 27th January from 12.00 – 2.00, either at the front of the Hub or in the cafe if wet.

We’re not particularly expert but we’ll have some picture books to help. Why not bring a friend, and introduce them to the cafe, the lake and all the other varied places Lordship Rec?

 

 

Lordship Wildlife Group met on 26 September 2017, and took part in Seed Swap day at Wolves Lane on October 22nd. Here are the minutes:

 

We want to have a hamper for a raffle, anyone can contribute food, flowers or kitchen or garden-related stuff. Ruth to provide leaflets for a wildlife table.

Contact Judith, Jane S, Pamela or Sue P. regarding Seed day.

For the Seed Swap day we will also be showing the photos of local people’s gardens.  Please print them yourselves or get your photos to Alyson by email by Friday 13th Oct. Judith will laminate. We can also create an online album. Thank you.

**Special fund raising  vegetarian meal at 7.30 in the Hub on Saturday 21st Oct, £15. Plus folk singing, apple bobbing and more** 

Please book : hello@lordshiphub.org.uk or ask in Hub office.

Green Waste Collections – An alternative to the £75 bin is to have 60 non-returnable/bio-degradable bags for £55 these will be tagged to your address as proof of having paid for their collection. You may keep your present bags to use in your garden but they will not be collected after 23 October.

Black History Month. The Hub is organizing several events, some for children from 25 to 29 Oct. On Sunday 29 October one of the events is by Flo Headlam talking about gardening. She is sometimes on Gardeners World, see https://flo-the-gardener.com/about/

Hub Garden. Some of you will know that part of the little wild flower garden just outside the Hub front door, was dug up recently for drain repairs. We have replanted as best we could but it looks a little less complete than before. However, it will recover and by next year will be splendid again.

Birds. Sue P did a survey of birds and found that Parakeets have increased in number. Contact her directly for more results.

For sale set of 9 beautiful cards of Rec for only £5.

Big Harvest and River Festival Sept 16 here in the Rec was very well attended, people came from far and wide. There were many stalls, food, music and activities. Judith did a workshop on pollution by plastics and Ruth did one on pruning your fruit trees and bushes.

Web site. Have you looked at it lately? Give us your feedback on what you would like to see there.

Last meeting this year of the Wildlife Group is on 24th Oct. Hope to see you there. Bring your ideas on what you would like to see next year.

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     We are having a project to collect your photos of what and how you are growing veg, fruit, flowers, herbs or other plants organically. This includes growing for wildlife and growing plants as a community or individually.

Ruth needs some stones the size of a child’s closed hand, to fill gaps between big stones in the gabions If you have any please leave in Hub office. Thanks.

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We meet on the 4th Tuesday of each month at 2pm in the Hub Lordship Rec to catch up and plan. All are welcome to join us.
We also do wild flower surveys in the Rec. Come and join in. You can learn something and enjoy looking too.   We also do other tasks to increase biodiversity.
For more info email rutharooot@blueyonder.co.uk