Tag Archives: Featured

Environment

Hedgehog Diaries – Midsummer

Those hedgehogs that had their litters in June will have started to take their babies out on foraging trips at night. This is so that the babies start to learn to find food for themselves. They won’t leave their mother just yet through, returning to the nest with her and continuing to take her milk as well as the food they find whilst out and about. It’ll be a few more weeks before they’re ready to leave, but they will be starting to develop the vital skills that they need to be able to survive on their own.

Did you know: the biggest predator of hedgehogs in the UK is the badger. Find out more here. 

You may have seen in the news , headlines telling us that a number of our beloved native species are seriously in danger Amongst them is the hedgehog. If we all do a little bit to improve the environment for our prickly friends, we can play our part in helping to change that. Here are the things that you can be doing this month in your garden and in the local area to be kind to hedgehogs:

  • Review the chemicals that you might be using in your garden. Slug pellets are a major threat to hedgehogs. They forage for the slugs and snails and can inadvertently ingest these poisonous chemicals. Slug pellets should be avoided at all cost as they kill hedgehogs.
  • Remember to check overgrown areas before you use a strimmer.
  • Don’t forget the importance of creating a small gap in your fences (13 cm by 13 cm) to help local hogs to get about more easily.
  • Offering clean, fresh water to visiting hogs will continue to be a small, but very important, thing that you can do over the weeks ahead.

SPOTTED A HEDGEHOG IN YOUR GARDEN?   If you spot a hedgehog either in your garden or somewhere in the local area, please let us know. It would be really exciting to build up a picture of where and when they are being seen locally.

You can also log your sightings with Hedgehog Street (the project run by the Hedgehog Preservation Society) who are building up a national picture of the state of our hog population.                               Find out more here

If you spot a hedgehog out during the middle of the day, they may well be in trouble. Contact Willow Wildlife for advice on 07956 472284 or Michelle (on behalf of Friends of Shrewsbury Park) on 07849 534759.

More from the Hedgehog Diaries next month.

 

Environment

MORE Lockdown Gallery

Gallery
Woodland colour
Maggie following directions
The hole story
Courtesy of Tina Muddle

Hanging around and feeling a little Blue – John Denton
The long hot spring comes to a glorious end – John Denton
Basking in the evening Sun, (Comma Butterfly) – John Denton
Lockdown Blues – Susan Urpeth
May Greens- Susan Urpeth
Jack go to bed at Noon – Susan Urpeth
Shrewsbury Double – Jim Urpeth
Winter Outlines – Jim Urpeth
The Way Through – – Jim Urpeth
Courtesy of Tina Muddle
Courtesy of Tina Muddle
Julie Heyward (spot the parakeet)
Bernardo L

Courtesy of John Donnelly

Courtesy of John Donnelly
Courtesy of John Donnelly
Courtesy of John Donnelly
Courtesy of John Donnelly

Courtesy of Joyce Smith

Courtesy of Joyce Smith

Courtesy of Sally Wilson
Courtesy of Anthony Hurren
Courtesy of John Donnelly
Courtesy of our Chair, Kris Inglis
Jim Fraser
Courtesy of John Donnelly
Courtesy of John Donnelly
Courtesy of John Donnelly
Courtesy of John Donnelly
Courtesy of John Donnelly
Courtesy of Jim Fraser
Courtesy of Bridget Imeson
Courtesy of John Donnelly
Courtesy of John Donnelly
Courtesy of John Donnelly
Courtesy of John Donnelly

Environment, Events, Uncategorised

Using the park safely during the pandemic

You’ll be aware of the importance of social distancing in the park, tempting as it is to wander. We’d all like to be as carefree as the animals right now! But please obey the rules, and remind others who may forget.

We have received regulations, apologies and encouragement to pass on from the Royal Borough of Greenwich. This is a recap for your information.

  • All 2020 Parksfest events are cancelled – we had just begun to plan and book gigs.
  • The car park gates will be permanently open from 1 April due to budget cuts. I attended two meetings recently which included the Director and other council officers in Parks and Open Spaces and they will continue to monitor the effects of this action – one that many opposed. Thank you to everyone who answered the last minute call to challenge the consultation, that’s what got us the meeting. There are suggestions to appeal which we will follow up but everyone is currently dealing with priority issues.
  • Please have a look at the information below from Rob Goring of Park Dept.

And most of all, continue to appreciate the park. Although we can’t guarantee any walks or events in Shrewsbury Park for the near future, the ideas remain fresh and ready to go.

If you are doing your solitary exercise, listening to the birds and the buds popping open, and you see a photo opportunity or have some creative thoughts please send your pictures to us at werfsp@gmail.com and we’ll add them to a gallery here.

Best wishes for your safety and calm in the coming weeks. Nature is doing it’s best to keep us cheerful.

Kris and the Management Committee

 

From Rob Goring, Strategy and Development Manager of Parks and Open Spaces:

As of 25 March we will be temporarily closing all:

  • Park Playgrounds
  • Outdoor gyms
  • Park sports facilities
All park cafes should also be closing but some may remain open to provide takeaway services only.

Our parks will remain open to allow people to exercise once a day but people using our parks should social distance and keep at least 2 metres away from people outside their households.
No more than 2 people may gather in our parks and open spaces except where the gathering is of a group of people who live together – this means that a parent can, for example, take their children to the shops if there is no option to leave them at home.

Most parks office staff are remote working i.e. working from home and Grounds Maintenance staff and Park Rangers are not classified as key workers and therefore will not be attending work, in-line with government instructions. However, if possible we may have a couple of Rangers/Ranger Managers working each day to carry out checks in parks.

Our Cemeteries and Crematorium are open and operating as normal but again in line with government instructions people should social distance where possible and keep at least 2 metres away from people outside their households. In terms of people attending funeral services it is advised that only members of the immediate family should attend.