Wildlife Circus

                              Note bark strips with access hole retained at the top I recently attended a talk at Bruce Castle Museum, a short bus ride from Seven Sisters, where Russell Miller, of the Ancient Tree Forum, spoke about the conservation of an ancient Oak in the grounds. We also saw a video by wildlife film maker, Ian Phillips, showing how the team has cared for the tree over the years. One of the major challenges has been dealing with large voids inside the hollow trunk. These cavities have been used —three or four times—to light fires, which has seriously endangered the tree. After trying various solutions, the team decided to cover the voids to reduce the risk of further damage. They built a wooden framework, covered this in chicken wire and secured bark strips using special screws. If you look closely at the photo below, you can still see some of the underlying structure.      ...

   I was asked to speak on Light Pollution and Wildlife at the fourth tranche of   Richmond Biodiversity Action Plan   launched at Hampton Court Palace 29.9.2025. The event, hosted by the Richmond Biodiversity Partnership , celebrated an updated plan, aiming to reverse environmental damage including actions encouraging dark skies, and saw the launch of an Action Plan of that name. The launch also featured inspiring talks, art, and other activities involving community groups, local authorities, and other partners. This leaflet, printed a decade ago, shows Council's intent to educate others on the issues that LP causes.   Most of the scientific information delivered in my talk came from commentaries written for the London Naturalist (2006, 2012) updated to include local information on the following headings: Light pollution in London is there more or less? Recent policy changes and the launch of initiatives by the Welsh Government; How do we manage wild...

Queen’s Wood, Highgate, annual fungus foray, London Natural History Society. The London Natural History Society’s annual Fungus Foray is one of its most popular autumn events, bringing together members, mycologists, and  newcomers to explore thediversity of fungi found in London’s parks, woodlands, and open spaces. Led by experienced field specialists, the foray offers participants the chance to learn how to identify mushrooms, brackets, and other fungi while gaining insight into their ecology, lifecycles, and importance in urban habitats. The walk typically includes hands-on examination of specimens, discussion of notable  finds, and guidance on responsible collecting and recording. Beyond discovery, the event contributes valuable observations to the Society’s longstanding biological recording efforts, helping build a richer picture of the city’s natural heritage.                                 ...

  Docks along the Mersey    My friend Marg has sent the letter below to her M.P. and whilst it it refers to the River Mersey, the names within our river catchment could just as easily be substituted (Thames, Hogsmill, Wandle, Queens Promenade, Teddington Lock etc.). Lack of preparation and rising water levels in the Thames, are becoming an increasingly urgent concern, yet preparation has lagged behind the pace of change. More frequent and intense rainfall, higher tides, and climate-driven sea-level rise are putting additional pressure on aging flood-defence systems.  “From 2035, sea level rise and changes to the Thames Barrier operation will result in higher water levels in the River Thames. In areas between Richmond and Sunbury, these increases could range from over one metre to as little as a few centimetres during frequent flood events that we expect to see most winters. Sea level rise will progressively increase flood levels in West London throughout the rest of ...

Application Summary 25/02562/FUL | Demolition of existing gasholders and associated above ground structures and buildings. Phased redevelopment of site to provide 8 to 16 storey 5nos blocks with 586 residential units and ancillary residential facilities (C3 Use Class), together with associated works to the existing accesses and internal vehicular routes, new pedestrian and cycle routes, the provision of new publicly accessible open space, amenity space, hard and soft landscaping, cycle and car parking, works to the brook embankment, re-siting of some gas infrastructure, ground works and plant and associated works. Cross boundary application with LB Merton: Development within Merton comprises works to existing vehicle access onto West Barnes Lane, including hard and soft landscaping and new public realm and associated ground works, to provide pedestrian and cycle route with access for emergency vehicles only, new pedestrian/cycle access routes to Marina Avenue and Sir Joseph Hood Memori...

  This application should be withdrawn until some of the issues are properly dealt with. This pertains to the incompatibility with the London Plan and the access to open space. Our unrestricted access to 'open space' as detailed in the original Barton Wilmore document, has recently been withdrawn on the 'authority' of the police. The perception was that it encouraged 'anti-social', behaviour. This has been compounded recently by a sign on the cemetery gates stating that dogs are prohibited. This means that on occasion when the cemetery is open, say for the school run, dogs cannot be brought into the cemetery and families with pupils going to King Athelstan or Hollyfield will have to perambulate via the main road. It was said at the time that this would happen and full access was only initiated by the council until planning permission was granted. We are deficient in access to open space and this application should reflect t his by reducing the density of the sch...

  Badgers mark their territories by pooing into a scrape in the soil. Sometimes their ‘poos' can be soft and other times quite 'well formed'. The photograph is taken from a series of latrines around a development site in Chessington. Badgers are not mentioned in the ecology reports for the proposed development. Badgers and development do not sit well together. A development can curtail the access a badger has to resources and safe trackways that may have been used for generations. Developments that do not consider Badgers, can push animals into roads, where they can cause accidents.  Over the years, I have written several posts regarding Badgers and development, mainly around Kingston Hill including the Golf Courses coombe-wood-lawn-tennis- . This included two sites owned/developed by Kingston Council, -although the Council were not the applicant for the licence to close the sett - failure to accomodate badger movement, appears to have pushed these animals into subop...

Outline plans for the full redevelopment begain in 2022, with detailed planning applications coming forward for each phase. Completion of the first phase of the regeneration (452 new homes) has been much delayed. Some newly planted trees and the distinctive Piper road Cherry tree are dead or dying and sewage surcharges from manholes have ended up disappearing down two of the storm drains (to the Hogsmill river a mere 200m away).                                                One of the more 'friendly' videos of the sewage surcharges                                            If we want to see some improvements in these poor standards, it is important to comment on the above application. In the second phase of the development, a detailed planning application for...

 GLA Assembly member former chair Dear Andrew, You may remember we corresponded & subsequently met with you in 2021, re: local environmental degradation, including green space provision in the plans for the  regeneration of the Cambridge Road Estate, loss of footpaths etc. in advance of the planning application. One of the issues was increasing the population in an Area of Deficiency of access to open space. The attached map of AoD, was drawn by Greenspace Information for Greater London and the purple is the Area of Deficiency.  Kingston Council had an Independent Assessment of Open Space provision in Norbiton Ward stating that it was below the qualitative standard of 1.11ha of public parkland per 1,000 population (Atkins). This was before the population was to rise considerably when  the number of residences > double. Knowing this, the developers consultants, Barton Wilmore, stated that Kingston Cemetery was to be the new Open Space, and was in fact a Park. F...