Volunteer sessions Spring/Summer 2019
Dear <<First Name>>
Spring seems to have well and truly arrived with wildlife waking up and lots of flowers blossoming in our City gardens. A huge thank you to all those volunteers who planted bulbs in the autumn; the crocus, narcissus and muscari are now flowering and providing excellent forage for early emerging pollinators.
There are lots of gardening opportunities, biodiversity surveys, walks and talks coming up in the next couple of months. Please let me know in advance which sessions you would like to join so we can make sure we have the right number of tools and equipment ready and we don't move off without you!
Here is the timetable of events and activities; more details below:
| Every Tues 10.00 – 12.30 |
Bunhill Fields - gardening in our Woodland Wildlife Area |
| Weekly rota |
Church Entry - watering and garden maintenance |
| 5 April 19.30 – 21.00 |
Bat talk and walk in the Barbican |
| 26 April 14.00 – 15.30 |
City Nature Challenge - Plant Survey - Noble Street |
| 27 April 10.30 - 12.30 |
City Nature Challenge - BioBlitz – Barbican Wildlife Garden |
| 28 April 11.00 and last Sunday in month |
City Nature Challenge - Bee Walk and therafter once a month until end October |
| 28 April 21.00 |
City Nature Challenge - Bat Walk |
| 29 April 14.00 – 15.30 |
City Nature Challenge - Tree Walk |
| 9 May 10.30 – 12.30 |
Visit to Isabella Plantation, Richmond Park. Guided walk and talk |
| 8/9 June |
OGSW: Volunteers needed to help at Cannonbridge House Sunday 10.00 - 17.00 |
| 6 July 12.00 – 17.00 |
Fortune Park Fun Day |
Bunhill Fields - Every Tuesday morning 10.00 - 12.30
working sessions on the dry shade bed and woodland wildlife area
Join the team looking after our stunning Dry Shade bed and Woodland Wildlife Reserve. Sowing seeds, planting wild flowers and updating the plant survey. Gentle, sociable gardening. We will provide gloves and tools, hot drinks and biscuits!
Let us know in advance which sessions you would like to join.
Bat talk and walk in the Barbican - Thursday 4 April 19.30 - 21.00
Common pipistrelle bat - image courtesy of Hugh ClarkJoin us for a short talk on the ecology of bats followed by a walk around the Barbican gardens where we should see pipistrelles. Learn to use a heterodyne bat detector and hear their calls as they feed on flying insects.
Contact sarah.hudson192@btinternet.com to book your FREE place.
City Nature Challenge 26 - 29 April - various events see timetable above
London is competing with over 160 cities worldwide, including six other UK cities, to find and record the most wildlife across the city in a four day period. The City Nature Challenge is being held over the weekend 26 – 29 April and is co-ordinated by the Natural History Museum. You can find out more at www.citynaturechallenge.org. All observations will be recorded on iNaturalist and verified by the Natural History Museum. Sign up to iNaturalist here or download the app.
In the City we will do our bit to record some of the amazing plants, insects and birds that share our green spaces. If you would like to join a Plant Survey in Noble Street on Friday 26 April; a BioBlitz in the Barbican Wildlife Garden on Saturday 27 April; a Bee Walk or a Bat Walk on Sunday 28 April or a Tree walk on Monday 29 April please contact sarah.hudson192@btinternet.com
Guided walk in Isabella Plantation, Richmond Park 9 May 10.30 - 12.30
Join us for a guided walk in the stunning Isabella Plantation in Richmond Park. The azaleas will be at their best and we will see the biodiversity enhancements to the woodland area including ponds and streams. The tour will be led by Jo Scrivener, from the Richmond Park Management team and London in Bloom judge. The tour starts at 10.30. Numbers are limited so book your FREE place by emailing Marion Blair marion.blair@me.com
Open Garden Squares Weekend 8/9th June
Visit one of the 13 private gardens that are open in the City or sign up for a walk or talk during this amazing 2-day celebration of gardens across London. Tickets are on sale now at http://www.opensquares.org/2019/home/index.php
We are also looking for volunteers to help on Sunday at Cannonbridge House for a couple of hours - let me know if you would like to be involved in this amazing weekend.
I'll look forward to seeing you soon.
Best wishes
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