On Saturday 13 May, we gathered to discover what edible delights the park has to offer! Experienced, self-taught, and local forager, Kevin Godby from GCDA led us around the park, introducing us to lots of plants, bushes and trees that have edible parts.
Kevin had a great list of tips to share, including not foraging at a low level, to avoid contamination, never consuming too much of one kind of forage, being mindful of the time of year and ripeness of plants. As a general rule of thumb, younger seeds, buds and leaves are juicier and tastier!
We look forward to welcoming Kevin back to the park in another season to learn more!
The Dawn Chorus walk was a magic experience, once we all rolled into the park to meet Tim, our leader, for the 5am start.
We heard several species vying for attention, and the parakeets didn’t interfere too much. We could hear the tiny firecrests in the open area of the woods on the bird ID app but while everyone searched to see them, a sparrowhawk was spotted! The pair are nesting in a tall tree maybe 25 m into the woods from the small field. And then the female caught something for breakfast bringing reality of the natural world into focus.
Many thanks to Tim. And to Karen who captured the sparrowhawk on her camera.
In case you haven’t been in the park in the last week, go up the path for between the old and the new allotments and soak up the hawthorne blossom tunnel.
And the bird app mentioned is called MERLIN, free and easy to use on your phone.
Last weekend, we officially christened our newest bench, installed with many kind donations from local people. It is dedicated to our beloved Sonja O’Sullivan, a treasured friend and member of our management committee. Her husband, Brian, spoke movingly about her love of the park.
Friends and family turned out in their droves on a cold March morning to celebrate her life.
Next time you are there, take a look – there’s a fabulous view from it too!
See if you can spot Sonja’s sister in the group photo – a great family resemblance!
Friends and family pose with the benchKris, our Chair and Brian speak movingly about Sonja’s achievements and love of the park
The end of summer bat walk on 27 August was a treat as always, though some of the bats may have gone elsewhere for their bank holiday… it was a fun and informative walk for returnees and new folks alike, thank you to Les for ably leading the walk.
As it was International Bat Night the work of the Bat Conservation Trust (who got FSP started on bat conservation in 2009) was discussed and a collection taken. Thank you everyone who donated, the £35.30 went off to BCT.
HELP BATS NOW! Plea from BCT
The laws protecting bats are under threat again
We are writing to you with an urgent request. The government is considering repealing or weakening legislation protecting bats and other wildlife, namely the Habitats Regulations
The State of Nature report in 2016 described Britain as one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world and the more recent 2019 report painted a similarly depressing picture.
The loss of this protection would be devastating to the natural heritage that wildlife species represent. We need your help to make sure that the new prime minister and the government understand why removing this protection would be disastrous for our wildlife You can read our full news piece here.
How can you help?
Please contact your MP, by either asking for a face-to-face meeting, phoning them, emailing, or writing to them. We have created a template letter/email which can be downloaded from HERE. You can find the contact details for your local MP HERE (remember to include your address so they know you are a constituent). Please let us know if you have contacted your MP by emailing us on comms@bats.org.uk.
We hope you had a wonderful time at the Festival this year – although the dog show was cancelled due to the high temperatures, we plan to re-run it later in the year.
As you can see, we have some fantastic photos to share – but we’d also like your feedback so if you were there – tell us how it was for you?
This sold-out walk happened on Friday 10th June and was a really amazing insight into our park and how the past is still indelibly marked on the present.
From the earliest times when different tribes carved up the area to avoid feuds to the pioneering work of the outdoor schools, working to rehabilitate children whose health was impacted by social conditions and pollution, Andy walked us through the decades.
An inspiring and thought provoking event which we are really hoping to repeat again soon!
It was a still and warm April evening… The bat walk was about to begin. Les Clark had kindly agreed to lead the walk along a revised route that proved to reveal even more bats than usual.
The weather was ideal for tempting out the insects – and the bats were ready for a feast.
BORROW A BAT DETECTOR
If you fancy doing your own bat walk in the park or your back garden remember that we have some FSP detectors to borrow for a week at a time. Go to BATS page under FLORA AND FAUNA in the menu and scroll to the end of the page for details and form.
Today we welcomed the Mayor of Greenwich, Cllr Denise Hyland, who officially planted the tree and memorial bench in Shrewsbury Park close to the car park.
Committee members and some lucky children got to see the Mayor and hear her speech. She spoke movingly about the losses in our community from the pandemic and why it is so important for us all to remember those who didn’t make it through.
They then gave her a hand to plant the tree.
It is a Davidia involucrata, AKA the dove-tree, handkerchief tree, pocket handkerchief tree, or ghost tree, a medium-sized deciduous tree in the family Nyssaceae. It is regarded as the only species in the monotypic genus Davidia and was previously included with tupelos in the dogwood family, Cornaceae.
The bench has a plaque with the following wording:
“Be still and find me in your heart
Sit a while and remember those taken by Covid-19. “
Meet in Plum Lane carpark for the first walk of 2022!
Tim Rymer, an FSP member, will be leading us around the park to identify birds, their preferred habitats, behaviours and much more.
Check out the Bird page under Flora and Fauna on fspark.org.uk beforehand for a preview of which birds you may see. Wear sturdy shoes and warm clothing – binoculars are helpful too.
Dogs are not allowed on this walk which lasts approximately an hour. The walk is free, but donations are welcome to FSP projects.
The route for this walk begins on paved paths but then goes off-road, not very suitable for wheels. A gentle, accessible walk may be planned for summer birdsong in May. TBC
Bus 244 stops by the fire station, short walk from the carpark entrance
An energetic team of seven volunteers turned out on that glorious December 4th morning to plant 500 daffodil bulbs. We planted along the path from the carpark to where it opens onto the big field. It was a pleasure to have so many new faces involved in this yearly effort
So sorry but I was unable to upload their smiling photo due to technical difficulties…will update when I can.
Keep your eyes open in February for the green shoots!
Thank you all – Kris, Chair
Formed in 2006, the Friends of Shrewsbury Park encourage the use of Shrewsbury Park and support the development of facilities for recreation, education and amenities for local people and to encourage a sense of community around the park.
