Snow in the Park

February 3, 2015Open Spaces, Queen's Park Gardens, Wildlife Areagardens

Snow doesn’t always come to London. When it does, it rarely settles but this morning we woke to find a inch of white carpet so we took some pictures before it melted.

The Wildlife Area

Third Avenue Shrubbery

The Rose Garden

The Dog Walking Area

(not a footprint in sight!)

Towpath Taskforce: Kensal Green

January 26, 2015Canal Waterways, Local Communityfqpg_admin

Saturday 17th January 2015
Our first session working along side the Canal and River Trust.

We are assigned roles for the afternoon from litter picking to clearing Buddleia from the canal banks.

Katie here is helped into her life-jacket. As a precaution anyone working near the canal bank must wear a life-jacket.

Major Buddleia overgrowth!!! This is our vantage point on the barge.

Cramped location to work in. A saw is needed to separate branches. You can see the branch root sticking out from between the bricks of the wall.

Once separated we discovered more beneath the waterline.

Both sides of the bridge finally cleared of Buddleia, we can move on to our next location.

Here we are making our merry way along the Grand Union Canal Kensal Green.

Canal boats navigate around this monster. The picture doesn’t do it justice! We left this for another day or perhaps a whole day.

If you are interested in helping out for a few hours in our Wildlife Area or our Towpath Taskforce days, please come along to our next session. Click for dates and times.

Gallery Photos

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Wildlife Area Session 10th January 2015

January 11, 2015Gallery, Wildlife Areafqpg_admin

Wildlife Area Session Gardens 10th January 2015

We are back in the gardens!

After the Christmas holidays, there is still work do be done. Clearing away leaves which have accumulated over the Autumn period.

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RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch this month.

January 10, 2015Wildlife Areagardens

Every year, the RSPB conduct the Big Garden Birdwatch. It’s a wonderful incentive and great fun for the family. In 2015 it takes place on 24th & 25th January. We have a lovely diversity of garden birds in Queen’s Park and this is a great time to record them.

Taking part is simple but if you to register online you’ll get a £5 voucher to spend on their seeds etc. They will send you a pack in the post or you can save the environment here.

You can either use a pen and paper to record the birds you see, or use the RSPB’s online counting tool. Just go to rspb.org.uk/birdwatch on the weekend of the Birdwatch. All you need is your laptop, tablet or smartphone and a good view of your garden.

To encourage birds into your garden so you have the most successful birdwatch possible, put some bird food out in a spot where you have a clear view. Visit RSPB’s Birdwatch pages for more tips on getting ready.

Christmas Card Recycling

January 7, 2015Wildlife Areafqpg_admin

Don’t know what to do with your Christmas cards now?
For every 1,000 cards dropped into Marks & Spencer for recycling throughout January, a new tree will be
planted in the UK.

Last year more than 8 million cards were collected, enabling the Woodland Trust to plant more than 8,000 trees throughout the UK. With such fantastic results last year the Woodland Trust are aiming even higher this year.

The Woodland Trust hope to collect and recycle 10 million Christmas cards by the end of January 2015. This will mean they can plant 10,000 trees, creating homes for treasured wildlife such as dormice and red squirrels.

Over the past five years the Woodland Trust has planted 34,000 trees across the UK. The more cards collected, the more trees can planted by the Woodland Trust.

Look out for the special card collection bins at Marks & Spencer stores from January 2nd thru to 31st January 2015. Christmas cards with glittery or metallic covering can’t be recycled.

Towpath Taskforce: Canal Towpath Cleanup

January 7, 2015Canal Waterways, Local Community, Wildlife Areafqpg_admin

Come and work off those Holiday Season excesses with a canal clean up. We have planned a session of litter picking and cutting back vegetation along the towpath from Kensal Green to Little Venice (approx. 2 miles).

We’ll meet Saturday 17th January 2015 at the back of Sainsbury’s Ladbroke Grove, W10 5AA. Starting at 10am and running through the morning until 2pm. We will be working alongside the Canal and River Trust who care for 2,000 miles of waterways in England and Wales.

The stretch of waterway we will be walking along is approximately two miles in total, so please remember to wear sensible warm clothes and sturdy shoes or boots (if you have them). On reaching Little Venice we can celebrate with hot soup and rolls.

We hope to see you there.

Your Neighbourhood! Get Involved!

Christmas Recycling

January 3, 2015Local Community, Queen's Park Gardensgardens

Happy New Year to Friends & Residents.

Westminster have provided a temporary area to bring your Christmas tree when you’ve finished with it.

It’s by the gate near the corner of Fourth Avenue and Ilbert Street and can be used between 8am and 8pm. Tel: 020 7641 2000 More details at their website.

Recycling Christmas Cards for the Woodland Trust

Between 2nd and 31st January 2015 for every 1,000 cards donated to the Woodlands Trust, they will be able to plant one tree.
Last year more than 8 million cards were collected, enabling the Woodland Trust to plant more than 8,000 trees throughout the UK.

Over the past five years the Woodland Trust has planted 34,000 trees across the UK. The more cards collected, the more trees can planted by the Woodland Trust.

Look out for special card collection bins in Marks & Spencer stores from 2nd January through to 31st January 2015.