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November 2019 Task

Sunday 3 November 2019 Walthamstow Marshes Scrub management and willow removal along ditches

More details after the site visit.

Site Visit done.

On Sunday 3 November 2019, Lea Bridge Conservation Volunteers will be doing a nature conservation task on Walthamstow South Marsh. The work on this Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is being done as part of the Higher Level Stewardship agreement with Natural England.

The task is scrub management, which will involve removing invasive willow from along the ditch, which will aid the Water Vole population. Removing the scrub will maintain the marsh as a wetland meadow habitat. 

We will pick any litter we encounter but the focus of the task is removing the willow. 

No experience is needed. LBCV will provide the training and tools along with the tea, coffee and biscuits. Bring your own packed lunch. Volunteers should wear sturdy footwear and appropriate clothing for the task and weather.

Volunteers are welcome to meet us on site, be at Leyton and Walthamstow parish boundary line on Sandy Lane at 10:30, but please text 07757 766950 or email info@, before 9am on Sunday, so we can provide enough tools and gloves.

Join LBCV

Everybody is welcome to volunteer with LBCV. No experience is required. LBCV will provide tools, training, gloves, tea, coffee and biscuits. Please bring some lunch. Under 18 year olds must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, 

Please wear sturdy footwear and appropriate clothing for the work and weather. The task involves working in long thick spikey vegetation. We can provide wellingtons in the morning. So please arrive in plenty of time to select your pair.

Please arrive from 9:30am – 10am at the Waterworks Centre Lammas Road, off Lea Bridge Road, Leyton, London E10 7QT, for a 10am departure to the tools storage area. The meeting place is the former golf centre across from the former Greyhound Public House on Lea Bridge Road. Look for a person in a black LBCV t-shirt. We will leave the tools container at 10:15am for walk to the task site.

If you use What 3 Words the meeting place is snacks.settle.nerve at 9:30am – 10am or on-site gentle.become.hugs at 10:30 but please text or email before Sunday 9am 

Please lock bicycles to the stands in front of the Waterworks Centre. There is ample free car parking there too. Dogs are not allowed on the Waterworks Nature Reserve so please do not cross the bridge with dogs or ride bicycles in the nature reserve. Dogs are welcome on some tasks, including this one. 

We should be finished by 4:00pm.

Future LBCV Tasks  – Complete Programme 2019-2020

All conservation tasks are the first Sunday of each month, 9:30am – 4pm.

 
December Walthamstow Marshes pollarding Horseshoe thicket  
January Waterworks Nature Reserve reptile and scrub management  
February Rammey Marshes Scrub management  
March Walthamstow Marshes Bramble bashing

Farewell

Doing a conservation task with LBCV is great way to meet new people, learn new skills, use old skills, be more active, get closer to nature, make a difference and have some fun with like-minded people.

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LBCV c/o Hornbeam Environmental Centre, 458 Hoe St, Walthamstow, London E17 9AH


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August 2019 Task

Nature Conservation Task Details

Goldenrod
Goldenrod

On Sunday 4 August 2019, LBCV will be doing invasive species management on Walthamstow Marshes(SSSI). We will be removing Goldenrod from the South Marsh. Meet at the Waterworks Centre, Lemmas Road from 9:30am – 10am.

This is not a repeat of the June/May task when we removed goat’s rue and did scrape management. 

Walthamstow Marsh is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI, pronounced “triple S, I”) declared under the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act. Covering 55.4 Hectares (136.9 acres), it is part of a Green Flag Awarded Nature Reserve that also includes Coppermill Fields and Leyton Marsh. This Nature Reserve is a remnant of London’s once widespread river valley grasslands and is especially important for its plant and insect life containing a national rarity in creeping marshwort along with long-stalked orache, black poplar, brookweed, penny-royal, water vole, bats; soldier-flies, snail-killing flies, orthoptera, reed bunting, linnet and song thrush. The marshes are former Lammas lands, in that commoners had rights to graze there from 12 August to 6 April.

The aim of the task is to help keep the Marshes free from invasive species.

The native Goldenrod (Solidago virgaurea) is known as woundwort, woundweed and Aaron’s rod. 

The non-native Goldenrods (Solidago canadensis, Solidago gigantea) also known as Canadian goldenrod and early goldenrod are species native to North America and have been cultivated as ornamental plants in the UK since 1648.

The species were first recorded in the wild in 1849 and 1916 and have the ability to spread very quickly, becoming widespread in England and Scotland by the 1930’s, quickly out competing native plants in sensitive habitats such grasslands, meadows and alongside riverbanks. Dense infestations along waterways can impede flow and increase flood risk and erosion. Goldenrod can spread by wind-bone seed and via rhizome resulting in large monocultures, with each adult plant capable of releasing up to 10,000 tiny seeds which are easily dispersed by the wind. Finally, their roots also produce a group of chemicals that can inhibit the growth of other plants that surround them, a process called allelopathy.

The recent wet weather will make our task of pulling as much rhizome as possible a little easier. 

The Model T Ford was equipped with tyres made from rubber produced from goldenrod plants. Thomas Edison was able to produce a variety of goldenrod that was 12% rubber compared to 7%. 

Why remove ? Walthamstow Marshes are under Higher Level Stewardship in that they are being grazed by traditional bred cattle, Belted Galloways.

Join Us

Everybody is welcome to volunteer with LBCV. No experience is required. LBCV will provide tools, training, gloves, tea, coffee and biscuits. Please bring some lunch.

Please wear sturdy footwear and appropriate clothing for the work and weather. The task is in long grass and will be in the same enclosure as the cattle. We can provide wellingtons in the morning but you must clean and return them to the Waterworks Centre, after the task. So please arrive in plenty of time to select your pair.

Please arrive from 9:30am – 10am at the Waterworks Centre Lammas Road, off Lea Bridge Road, Leyton, London E10 7QT, for a 10am departure to the tools storage area. The meeting place is the former golf centre across from the former Greyhound Public House on Lea Bridge Road. We will leave at 10:15am for a walk to the task site. Volunteers are welcome to meet us on site, before the tools talk, please text 07757 766950, before 9am on Sunday, so we can provide enough tools and gloves.

Please lock bicycles to the stands in front of the Waterworks Centre. There is ample free car parking there too. Dogs are not allowed on the Nature Reserve so please do not cross the bridge with dogs or ride bicycles in the nature reserve. Dogs are welcome on some tasks, but not this one as we will be working close to the cattle. 

We should be finished by 3:30pm.

Future LBCV Tasks  – Complete Programme 2019-2020

All conservation tasks are the first Sunday of each month

September Waterworks Nature Reserve reed bed management  
October Walthamstow Marshes Scrub management/ Willow removal along ditches  
November Walthamstow Marshes Scrub management/ Willow removal along ditches
December Walthamstow Marshes pollarding Horseshoe thicket  
January Waterworks Nature Reserve reptile and scrub management  
February Rammey Marshes Scrub management  
March Walthamstow Marshes Bramble bashing  

Farewell

Doing a conservation task with LBCV is great way to meet new people, learn new skills, use old skills, be more active, get closer to nature, make a difference and have some fun with likeminded people.

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July 2019 conservation task


Plenty of goat’s rue pull in July

The nature conservation task on Sunday 7 July 2019 is at the Waterworks Nature Reserve and will involve invasive species management.

The task will be in the meadow areas removing invasive plants before they are able to set seed and add to the seed bank. 

Recently sightings have been made of kingfishers, sparrowhawks, kestrals and common snipe in the nature reserve.

Join Us

As always everybody is welcome to volunteer with LBCV on a conservation task. No experience is required. Please wear sturdy footwear and appropriate clothing for the work and weather. We will be working on grassed areas and with possible brambles. 

We can provide wellingtons in the morning and you must return them. So please arrive in plenty of time to select your pair. Please bring some lunch.

LBCV will provide the tools, training, gloves, tea, coffee and biscuits.

Please arrive from 9:30am onwards at the Waterworks Centre Lammas Road, off Lea Bridge Road, Leyton, London E10 7QT for a 10am departure from the centre. The meeting place is the former golf centre across from the former Greyhound Public House on Lea Bridge Road. LBCV volunteers will be around setting up the tools etc. from 9:30am.

We will leave the centre at 10am for a walk to the LBCV tool storage area and then on to the task areas around the nature reserve. The task is in non-public areas of the nature reserve, so if you arrive late please call so you can be collected. 

Please lock bicycles to the stands in front of the Waterworks Centre. There is ample free car parking there too. Dogs are not allowed on the Nature Reserve so please do not cross the bridge with dogs or ride bicycles in the nature reserve. Dogs are still welcome on some tasks, just not this one.  

Volunteering and doing a nature conservation task with LBCV in North East London, is great way to meet new people, be more active, learn new skills, use old skills, get closer to nature, make a difference and have some fun with likeminded people in the Lea Valley Regional Park.

Future LBCV Tasks  – Complete Programme 2019-2020

All conservation tasks are the first Sunday of each month

August Walthamstow Marshes Invasive species removal  
September Waterworks Nature Reserve reed bed management  
October Walthamstow Marshes Scrub management/ Willow removal along ditches  
November Walthamstow Marshes Scrub management/ Willow removal along ditches
December Walthamstow Marshes pollarding Horseshoe thicket  
January Waterworks Nature Reserve reptile and scrub management  
February Rammey Marshes Scrub management  
March Walthamstow Marshes Bramble bashing

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Countryside Live 2016

Once again we will be at Countryside Live on Leyton Marsh, just behind the Ice Centre on Lea Bridge Road.

Details below are from the Lea Valley Park  website

Walthamstow and Leyton Marshes
Event:
Countryside Live
Venue:
Walthamstow and Leyton Marshes
Address:
Lea Bridge Road
Leyton
London
E10 7QL
Date:
Saturday, 24 September 2016 to Sunday, 25 September 2016
Time:
10:00 – 17:00
Price:
Adult £5 (two day pass £7), child FREE. Cash only

Countryside Live

The countryside comes to town!

This family friendly event, bringing the countryside into London, has something for all ages and all interests.

The weekend is packed full of arena displays, falconry, sheep dogs and ferret racing and the infamous dancing sheep show.  There’s also a range of traditional countryside activities to come and try including willow weaving and wood turning or if you just want to watch, you can marvel at the blacksmith demonstrating his trade.

There’s animals galore too! From the more traditional farm animals of sheep, goats, and calves, we’ve also got some smaller animals for you to have a hold of including rabbits, guinea pigs and tortoises. We’ve got some shy and unusual visitors including bats and otters and some critters from foreign places too!

Make sure you pop into see many of the local wildlife groups and organisations who can tell you all about their work in and around the Lee Valley.

If you need to take a break, then why not grab something to eat from our onsite caterers and pull up a straw bale for a well deserved rest.

Nearly all of the activities are free, but there is a small charge for a couple of them.

Please see our ‘How to find us’ page for directions and transport links. The site is located behind the Lee Valley Ice Centre and there is limited chargeable parking on site in the Lee Valley Ice Centre car park, so why not jump on the bus or your bike to come and see us.

Please note it is cash-only entry. There are no cash points on site or in the immediate vicinity.