Wildlife Circus

Kingston was once covered in orchards and this is reflected in the road names especially around Hook/Chessington. There is even a Kingston heritage apple Kingston heritage apple  and an Apple Store that has fallen into disrepair. Orchards have many benefits for wildlife and increasing this habitat in community spaces would help animals such as hedgehogs, as well as birds, insects etc. free fruit tree(s) are available for your community space for next winter 24-25? If you would like a tree (s) please submit the following: - the landowners permission (must be in Kingston borough) - a fruit tree request by the end of the July 2024 if possible  - anything else you need (tools, assistance, tree cages) - a watering plan Orchard requests will be considered from Friends Groups In addition, volunteers are sought to look after an existing orchard in need of TLC as well as help establishing new orchards.

Has it only been  5 minutes since the Leader of Kingston Council proclaimed 'we want Kingston to become a leading borough protecting and enhancing the local environment....'  That was only for Sustainable September it seems, as now, in Miserable May we are back to 'where are we going to move the Kingsmeadow Slow Worms to'? Kingston Cemetery and Knollmead have been rejected after surveys (at our expense) proved unsuitable.  More recently, surveyors at Rose Walk, LNR, have declared that the Kingsmeadow Slow Worms can be translocated there, even though there is already an 'Excellent' population. The move will require some habitat management- including the addition of some log refugia-  to take the ousted Slow Worms and may lead to the  eventual demise of both populations, as per evidence in literature  to show that translocations do not work. There will be no conservation benefit to either population; an expensive move (sufficient for the purchase of a small area