Emily M Friends Groups

Digging the Dirt – the world beneath your feet

Wild Cat Wilderness are running a project entitled Digging the Dirt – the world beneath your feet from March to June 2026. As part of the project at the Wild Cat Wilderness there will be a Soil Festival 18th April and a Summer Solstice Exhibition to show any creative outputs from the project 20/21st June.

There are several opportunities for gardens/ greenspaces to get involved

Become a Soil Hero

If you are part of a local group we are looking for people to help with project and spread the word. WCW will provide some training and information all about soil health so you can pass this onto others on the 8th March at the Orchard Gardens. For more information and to enrol (x1 person per garden/greenspace) please email Maria wcw@rgtb.org.uk

Take part in “Soiled”

Check your soil health by burying some calico for x4 weeks and participate in a collective community piece of art to be exhibited at the Summer Solstice Exhibition. WCW will provide the calico and instructions and then you return the results back to us to form part of a communal art piece.

Lewisham open gardens day

Be part of a self-guided trail across the borough of greenspaces with an open day and map in conjunction with Good Food Lewisham on the 19th April. 

Hands on workshops, talks and films about soil, sustainable gardening, growing advice and composting. Dates to be announced. WCW are also looking for local experts to get involved so get in touch.

Grow a bee friendly plant or herb

Sow some seeds to plant at you greenspace. WCW will provide the seeds and instructions.

They are also open to ideas and attach a summary of the project. To get involved with any of these free opportunities please email Maria

wcw@rgtb.org.uk – with the subject matter ‘Digging the Dirt’ and which garden/greenspace you are part of.

Emily M Lewisham Parks, Lewisham Rivers, Volunteer

Volunteer Sessions in January

January began in a very wet fashion, with lots of heavy rain and the rivers in flood mode. Our first session back was at Cornmill Gardens where we working on the viewing platform both checking the wooden slats and removing a line of vegetation so in a month’s time when the plants get growing you’ll still be able to see the river! The volunteers also cleared up litter and various bits of rubbish that had floated downstream in the recent rains, which Glendale’s cleansing team collected at the end of the session.

Later in the month we were back on the weir in Ladywell Fields, allowing the river to permeate through the weir and unblocking the secondary channel was our key aim and after 3 hours of shifting vegetation, rubbish, fence panels, and a e-bike we left the weir with a good flow, and a cohort of moorhens who appeared as we left.

Emily M Lewisham Parks, Lewisham Rivers, Volunteer

Volunteer Sessions 2025 Wrap-up

It doesn’t feel too long since I wrote a post about the end of 2024, but 2025 has been a really busy and varied year for our Rivers & People volunteers. Firstly, I want to extend a HUGE thank you to everyone who helped out at one of our 36 sessions this year. We covered all three rivers within Lewisham, and miles of banksides, surveying for wildlife, litter-picking, restoration projects within the channel to improving access to the river from within the parks. Overall, 693 volunteer hours have been given to the rivers in Lewisham, so thank you to everyone who has been involved.

To join the Rivers & People volunteer group in 2026, please check out our January-March session programme.

Emily M Lewisham Rivers

Creekside Discovery Centre Open Day [13.09.25]

Our friends at Creekside Discovery Centre have their annual open day coming up! Please read below for more information about the event.

This is your best chance to experience the full variety of wildlife experiences and activities we offer here at Creekside, and to meet the whole team of staff, volunteers and trustees whilst you enjoy an afternoon immersed in urban wildlife. Mark your calendars and book your tickets, as it’s an event not to be missed!

On the day you’ll be able get up close and personal with wild plants and animals sharing Creekside with us – on land and in the river! The event will be packed full of guided and self-led activities, including river dipping, pond dipping and bug hunting, to name just a few. There will be lots to entertain young ones and grown-ups alike. And for those interested in learning about how we are conserving and enhancing the local environment, join our guided wildflower walk where you’ll also learn about our exciting wildlife and community projects.

Most of all, we hope you join us on the day and connect with the wonder of Creekside’s urban wildlife!

Our events starts at 11am and so far, activities will include:

  • river dipping for ages 5+ (11:00-13:00)
  • bug hunting for all ages
  • crab racing at 13:30
  • pond dipping for all ages (14:00-15:00)
  • a Lost & Found project talk
  • a pop-up museum by Deptford Ragged School Archive
  • badge making + arts & crafts
  • tadpole corner for the tots
  • Slimewatch Studio – get up close and personal with algae
  • wildflower bingo 
  • a wildflower and Creekside conservation walk ‘n’ talk (14:00)

Read more and book your place at https://www.creeksidecentre.org.uk/events/creekside-annual-open-day-2025~483/

Emily M Volunteer

Student Work Placement: Quin

In this blog conservation student Quin talks us through their work experience placement with Glendale’s Nature Conservation Officer.

I had a really good time during my work experience at Glendale, learning more about what is involved in conservation as well as meeting lots of people with an interest in nature and doing lots of practical work.

Day 1

My first day was an office day near Mountsfield Park, where I met Emily Millhouse, who was really nice and told me about what her job involved- monitoring wildlife populations in parks in Lewisham as well as leading volunteer groups and teaching at local schools. I redesigned some worksheets for a school trip during the morning and in the afternoon I organised the van and made a list of all the items.

Day 2 

On my second day I met with a group of volunteers in Brookmill Park, we waded down the river, uprooting Himalayan Balsam and other invasive species. It was amazing to see how much wildlife there was in 1 urban river, including a heron, an egret, several crabs, some moorhen nests, multiple flower species,  some ducklings, and a kingfisher box. We also collected lots of litter.

Day 3 

I spent half of Wednesday in the office again editing worksheets and then headed to Ladywell Fields Park. We met Jess who works conserving wildlife in public  gardens around Lewisham and she gave me some useful tips on where to get more work experience and volunteering in order to pursue a career in conservation. We walked around ladywell fields to check up on the river and we saw a mistle thrush and many other birds.

Day 4

Thursday was another river walk in the river Ravensbourne, there was a large group of volunteers this time, many of which volunteered in the river regularly. We picked up a lot of litter as we waded through the river towards Lewisham and uprooted some invasive plants. We saw some fish and shrimps in the river and there were two peregrine falcons nesting in a high-rise building which was an incredibly lucky spot.

Day 5

I met a group of bird watchers in Hilly Fields Park and with our binoculars, we went around taking note of all the bird species. There was a collared dove, a chiffchaff, a great spotted woodpecker, several long-tailed tits, a buzzard flying high in the sky and we heard a nuthatch. We also saw some interesting butterflies and beetles. The volunteers were all really nice people who knew a lot about nature, although it was a bit humbling that a 10 year old could recognise more bird species than me.

In conclusion, I had a lovely time working with Emily Millhouse and Glendale was an amazing organisation to find, and it’s very impressive how much they do to keep the Lewisham parks and gardens in good shape. This work experience week has definitely convinced me that I want to go into conservation.

Emily M Lewisham Parks, Lewisham Rivers, Volunteer

Volunteer Sessions in May

We had slightly less sessions in May due to some staff annual leave, but the sessions we had were full on! From clearing the weir in Ladywell Fields, and getting that water flowing through all the rocks to heading back to the willow lined Quaggy in Chinbrook Meadows. In this latter location we manage the veegtation that grows into and through the boardwalk to keep it accessible for everyone to walk through the ponds and over the river here on the pathways.

Above the Ravensbourne on the bridge to St Mary’s Churchyard and gardens we met a familiar avian face; a pair of mandarin ducks who have called this stretch of river home for the past three years. We know its the same female mandarin as she has a twisted lower bill, so she stands out, we also imagine she gets a lot of food from park visitors as she has certain grown in confidence as she was the first bird to fly up and ask for crumbs (swiftly followed by the male, pictured above, then some feral pigeons)!