On 19th January 2025, we had the pleasure of welcoming Glendale’s Nature Conservation Officer for Lewisham Parks, Emily Millhouse, to talk to us about nature in the borough. Very few London boroughs actually have any conservation officers – so we’re very lucky. In Lewisham, the conservation officers run volunteer sessions (more info below), survey the wildlife, support and train ‘Friends of…’ groups, visit schools, run projects with partner organisations and much more.
Emily gave an enthusiastic and wildly interesting talk and it was amazing to hear about the flora and fauna that exists in Lewisham. E.g. the European Eel is very rare – and yet a healthy population exists in our borough!
Projects
Just a few examples:
- The creation of four ponds at Chinbrook Meadows (see title picture)
- 3 Rivers Clean Up (including removing invasive plants, and rubbish)
- Aquatic mammals tracking (is there potential to introduce water voles to Lewisham?)
- A brand new pond at Mansfield Park where previously there were no water sources
- Creating natural barriers to protect meadow areas
- Collecting wildflower seeds to distribute in other areas
- Fungi identification training
Emily talked to us about Lewisham’s Biodiversity Action Plan which outlines plans for parks and nature reserves, and identifies priority species such as bats, toads and kingfishers. She also told us of the many benefits in having areas for brambles, nettles and ivy.
How you can help
The Conservation Team run two nature conservation volunteering sessions:
- Rivers and People
- Nature’s Gym
- Joining your local ‘Friends of…’ group is a great way to get in touch with nature.
In your garden or balcony, you can provide:
- Water sources
- Shelter e.g. log piles, small insect hotels, bird boxes
- Food sources e.g. open flower heads for pollen, fruits, berries
- Native plants that can flower throughout the year e.g. winter heath
Citizen Science Ideas
- Record and report sightings e.g. through app iRecord
- Local projects can offer free species ID sessions, or help with your green space
- Unwell/dead wildlife – report to Garden Wildlife Health
Other resources
www.freshwaterhabitatstrust.org
www.butterfly-conservation.org/
www.wlgf.org (Wildlife Gardening Forum)
www.nationalparkcity.london/discover
Our heartfelt thanks to Emily for her fantastic presentation! You can find out more about the conservation team in Lewisham here and check out their Latest News section for nature events.
