Sunday April 18th
2pm at Goan Centre off Keston Road, N17
All welcome to discuss the pond, cafe and future park projects.
Creating a wildlife pond for amphibians and wildlife in Downhill’s Park.
Total project £30,000, funded by Biffawards Landfill Community Fund scheme awarded £27,000 and Haringey Council Making the Difference Fund awarded £3,000.Pond will be approximately 10 x 15 metres, clay lined, with fence and wheelchair accessible pathway and dipping platform. The pond will be situated on the same site as the original pond that was demolished in the 1960's.
"Recent research has shown that some three quarters (more than a million) of Britain’s ponds have been lost over the past 100 years. Therefore demonstrating how important ponds are in London. As well as being an excellent educational resource with a dipping platform for local schools, the pond will also demonstrate to other parks that having a pond in a green space is highly beneficial for people and wildlife. A pathway will be constructed to allow wheelchair access from an existing path onto the platform and there will be enough room for a wheelchair and a classroom of children. We plan to line the pond with the virtually vandal proof geotextile clay liner to give the pond a much longer life. Froglife will support the project and give follow up advice and training to the local community. Once the pond is completed we will carry out community planting days with local people and an interpretation board will be designed and installed detailing at the different animals to be discovered at the site. Additionally the terrestrial habitat will be improved through creating a wildflower meadow around the pond with various hibernacula such as hibernation and foraging sites. This project will support the Local Biodiversity Action Plan as well as the London BAP."
"This is an amazing project that will provide a great habitat for children to learn and wildlife to thrive. Ponds in London are vital for wildlife especially amphibians and sadly both are in decline. This new pond will be creating a wildlife haven and encourage local people to create their own ponds in their own back gardens." Rebecca Turpin Amphibian and Reptile Conservation’s London Living Water Project Officer
"As Chair of the Friends I am very pleased to see the wildlife pond take shape. The original Downhills pond was scrapped in 1968 when it was the fashion to fill ponds in and it was always my ambition to see a pond return. Fortunately the Friends were of the same mind but for some time Parks Dept was not. At last the advent of the London Living Water project and funding from BIFFA/Haringey's Making a Difference opened the doors and now the pond is under way.I would like to thank in particular Rebecca Turpin of Froglife for the work she put in to help deliver the project. I hope the wildlife pond will encourage other Friends groups to follow us in building ponds and serve the community, local schools and of course our native amphibians for many years to come." David Macdonald Chairman Friends of Downhills Park
New Bat & Bird Boxes
Photos of Park View Academy handing over their bird and bat boxes to the Friends of Downhills Park and parks staff.Downhills Park is flapping with birds and bats thanks to the efforts of pupils from the local secondary school Park View Academy.
The school-children worked with BTCV (British Trust of Conservation Volunteers) to hand-craft bird nest boxes and bat roost boxes during their woodwork classes, the different designs will attract pipistrelle bats and birds such as blue tits and robins who's natural habitats are in decline. The pupils handed over the 30 boxes to Friends of Downhills Park and parks services during a ceremony.
BTCV Wild London Photography Walk/Talk/Workshop - Spring Flowers
Saturday, 13th March
10.30am - 12.30pm
Join our wildlife woodland expert and develop your photographic skills on a FREE walk/talk/workshop, open to all budding photographers and non-amateurs.
This month we will be visiting colourful DOWNHILLS PARK. Don't forget to bring your camera!
Meet: Philip Lane gate entrance of Downhills Park, N15
www.btcv.org/london
