Volunteers have been clearing reeds from the backwater by the cafe at Ladywell Fields. We remove the reeds to maintain areas of open water for breeding. Species such as newts need these open water areas for mating. Of course, many of the reeds will be left to provide wildlife nesting areas and refuge for birds. This work needs to be done over the winter to minimise disturbance to wildlife and have the pond in top condition ready for next spring.
After a busy Summer of events, a huge amount of work was achieved by all the volunteers that came out and did their bit for Lewisham’s rivers. There is always work to do though, so if you missed out or enjoyed yourself so much that you’d like to do more, please have a look at the new Rivers and People programme to see if you can help. You’d be very welcome!
The January – March 2017 RBSM programme is now available. If you are new to the River Bankside Sessions, please check out our How to get Involved, FAQ and River Volunteering pages where hopefully you will find all the information that you need. If after reading this you have any other questions, please feel free to contact us. You can also read a little about the team that you’ll be working with.
We’re writing to invite you to sign up for training for an exciting new volunteering opportunity – the Ravensbourne River Monitoring Initiative (RMI).
Are you a Citizen Scientist in the making, fascinated by the wriggly creatures that anchor the ecology of a healthy river? Would you like to learn and apply simple sampling techniques to monitor these invertebrates? Are you prepared to commit to doing this regularly, to provide a continuous picture?
Our local rivers – sometimes invisible or channelled into concrete, elsewhere happily restored – form the Ravensbourne Catchment. The Ravensbourne, Quaggy and Pool rivers capture nature’s water and move it to the sea via the Thames at Deptford.
RMI is a proven method of checking on our rivers, already used elsewhere in London and the UK. We are organising an RMI training day in southeast London on Saturday 21st May 2016. It will be run by Joe Pecorelli of the Zoological Society of London. Volunteers need to be fit enough to stand in or near a river regularly and be prepared to work in a small team.
We’ve both had this training and are keen to start up an RMI scheme on the Ravensbourne Catchment. RMI can flag up pollution, reveal ecological variety, and raise public awareness around rivers. And it’s welly good fun!
We are happy to answer any questions and to speak informally to local groups. Please see the attached flyer for details of the training day.
The New Rivers and People programme is now available. The volunteer sessions will focus on, bankside management, litter clearance and the eradication of invasive species. More information about how you can get involved in these sessions can be found on the River Volunteering tab.
The new programme of events for the River Bankside sessions is now available. If you are interested it attending one of these sessions, please read the River Volunteering page on our blog. Here you will find a lot of information on how to take part. We look forward to seeing you soon!
Earlier this month, the Story of the Ladywell Naiad was told over two nights, once in Manor Park and once in Ladywell Fields. Story teller Richard Neville delighted crowds with humorous tales while London Bubble Theatre provided music and fun activities.
Follow #whatlivesinlewisham on Twitter and Instagram and find our hat lives in our Parks and imagination.
Earlier this month, the Story of the Ladywell Naiad was told over two nights, once in Manor Park and once in Ladywell Fields. Story teller Richard Neville delighted crowds with humorous tales while London Bubble Theatre provided music and fun activities.
Follow #whatlivesinlewisham on Twitter and Instagram and find our hat lives in our Parks and imagination.
