Tag Archives: Hackney

June 2025 Nature Conservation Task #2

On Sunday 1st June 2025, Lea Bridge Conservation Volunteers will be doing a nature conservation task in and around the Waterworks Nature Reserve. The task will involve removing invasive vegetation from the meadow areas and a poisonous shrub from around nature reserve

This is a change of task location from the published 2025-26 task calendar.

More details and task reminder after the site visit closer to the date.

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November 2023 Conservation Task

Walthamstow Marshes Nature Reserve SSSi
Walthamstow Marshes SSI Sign

Task Deatails

On Sunday 5th November 2023, Lea Bridge Conservation Volunteers, will be doing a nature conservation volunteering task on Walthamstow Marshes near Oxbow Island doing tree management and Pennywort removal.

Volunteer with us !

Everyone is welcome to volunteer with Lea Bridge Conservation Volunteers on any of our first Sunday nature conservation task in North East London. Simply turn up at the Waterworks Nature Reserve by 10am on the Sunday morning in clothing and footwear suitable for the task and weather. If you use What Three Words ///guises.manage.entry is the location.

LBCV Volunteers April 2023in the sun !
LBCV Volunteers April 2023 in the sun near Oxbow Island

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October 2024 Nature Conservation Task

Walthamstow Marshes Ditch
Walthamstow Marshes Ditch

Walthamstow Marshes – willow removal along ditches

On Sunday, 6th October 2024, LBCV will be working alongside the ditches on Walthamstow Marshes to remove willow in this SSSI Nature Reserve. To join us, meet at the Waterworks Centre on Lammas Road from 9:30 am to 10 am.

Everyone is welcome to volunteer with LBCV. No experience is required. Please wear sturdy footwear and appropriate clothing for the work and weather conditions, and apply sunscreen—some will be available in the welfare bucket. Waders will be provided for those working in the ditch. We will be working near brambles, close to nettles, and with sharp tools. We only conduct tasks on the first Sunday of every month, so a little bad weather will not stop us. We are no longer in lockdown.

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August 2024 Conservation Task

Walthamstow Marshes Ditch
Walthamstow Marshes Ditch

Sunday 4th August                   

Walthamstow Marshes Reedmace removal in ditches

On Sunday 4th  August 2024, LBCV will be in the ditches on Walthamstow Marshes to remove reedmace to open up this waterway for dragonflies and the watervole communities in this SSSI Nature Reserve. To join us, meet at the Waterworks Centre, Lammas Road from 9:30am – 10am.  Conservation Task Details The aim of the task is to remove some reedmace by either pulling the rhizomes or cutting below the water level to drown it. This will provide open water areas for dragonflies to hunt. While doing the task we need to cautious as the ditch contains the invasive azolla, mosquito fern, duckweed fern and we must take precautions to stop it spread to other parts of the ditch and nearby waterbodies.  We will work around any nesting birds. The photos show a moorehen nest with 5 eggs and the moorhen sitting back on the nest as we packed away in 2021 Water Voles – Full Legal Protection In England & Wales Water voles were given full legal protection in England & Wales on the 6th April 2008 by provisions under section 9 of Schedule 5 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 (as amended). Schedule 5 of this Act makes it an offence to intentionally or recklessly damage, destroy or obstruct access to any structure or place that a water vole uses for shelter or protection. It is also an offence to disturb, kill or injure a water vole or handle a water vole without a licence. (Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981). Disturbing or harming a water vole, damaging its habitat or destroying or blocking water vole burrows could lead to prosecution. Offences carry a maximum penalty of £5,000.

Everybody is welcome to volunteer with LBCV. No  experience is required. Please wear sturdy footwear and appropriate clothing for the work and weather – please wear sunscreen some will be available in the welfare bucket. Waders will be provided for those working in the ditch, We will be working with brambles close to  nettles and with sharp tools. We only do tasks on the first Sunday of every month so a little bad weather will not stop a task. 
We are out of lockdown but some restrictions still need to apply for LBCV to safely be able to run volunteer tasks in the Lea Valley Park, with the restrictions below.
If you are ill, feel ill or have been in contact with somebody who is self-isolating please do not volunteer.
Please take a test if you are not sure.
Please wash your hands before the task in warm water or hand sanitiser.
Use gloves when handling all tools, touching gates or other items in the park
Wash your hands before eating or drinking in warm water or hand sanitiser
LBCV can supply  wellington boots to work in, please arrive in plenty of time at the Waterworks, to select your pair.
LBCV will provide tools, training, gloves, coffee, tea and biscuits. Please bring some lunch and water.
Please arrive from 9:30am onwards at the Waterworks Centre Lammas Road, off Lea Bridge Road, Leyton, London E10 7QT, for a 10am departure to collect tools and gloves. The meeting place is by the bike racks in front of The Waterworks Centre. If you use what three words ///guises.manage.entry is the location.
Please lock bicycles to the stands in front of the Waterworks Centre. There is ample free car parking. Dogs are not allowed in 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, including this one, as we are in an open nature reserve.
We should be finished by 4pm
Volunteering and doing a conservation task with LBCV in North East London, 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 in the Lea Valley Regional Park.
Moorhen eggs Ditch Walthamstow Marshes

March 2024 Nature Conservation Task

LVRPA sign about ongoing enhanchment project on Ox Bow Island

On Sunday 3rd March 2024, LBCV will be doing a volunteer nature conservation task on Ox Bow Island near Waltamstow Marshes, in North East London We will be creating dead hedges and enhancing the ones already there to control access to the side of the island next to the swans’ nest. Everyone (18+) are welcome to join us, see below for the meeting place.

Swan nest on Ox Bow Lake March 2024
Swan nest on Ox Bow Lake March 2024

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Please check your spam/junk folder for the confirmation email, for more details closer to the task date.

Volunteer with us, to do nature conservation!


Everyone(18+) is welcome to volunteer with Lea Bridge Conservation Volunteers on any of our monthly first Sunday nature conservation task in North East London. Simply turn up at the Waterworks Nature Reserve by 10am on the Sunday morning in clothing and footwear suitable for the task and weather. If you use What Three Words ///guises.manage.entry is the location.

Grafitti figure on a tree on Ox Bow Island
Grafitti figure on a tree on Ox Bow Island

February 2024 Conservation Task

On Sunday 4th February 2024 LBCV will doing a volunteer conservation task in the Waterworks Nature Reserve , we will be workng on the filterbed walls clearing scrub that is damaging the Victorian brickwork.

Subscribe to our task reminder email

Please check your spam/junk folder for the confirmation email, for more information, closer to the task date.

Volunteer with us !


Everyone is welcome to volunteer with Lea Bridge Conservation Volunteers on any of our monthly first Sunday nature conservation task in North East London. Simply turn up at the Waterworks Nature Reserve by 10am on the Sunday morning in clothing and footwear suitable for the task and weather. If you use What Three Words ///guises.manage.entry is the location.

nature reserve

November 2023 Conservation Task

Walthamstow Marshes Nature Reserve SSSi
Walthamstow Marshes SSI Sign

Task Deatails

On Sunday 5th November 2023, Lea Bridge Conservation Volunteers, will be doing a nature conservation volunteering task on Walthamstow Marshes near Oxbow Island doing tree management and Pennywort removal.

Volunteer with us !

Everyone is welcome to volunteer with Lea Bridge Conservation Volunteers on any of our first Sunday nature conservation task in North East London. Simply turn up at the Waterworks Nature Reserve by 10am on the Sunday morning in clothing and footwear suitable for the task and weather. If you use What Three Words ///guises.manage.entry is the location.

LBCV Volunteers April 2023in the sun !
LBCV Volunteers April 2023 in the sun near Oxbow Island

Subscribe to our task reminder to receive the latest details when available !

Janauary 2024 Volunteering task

On Sunday 7th January 2024 in the Waterworks Nature Reserve, Lea Brigde Conservation Volunteers will be scalloping Blackthorn along the path way and creating a dead hedge.

Volunteer with us !

Everyone is welcome to volunteer with Lea Bridge Conservation Volunteers on any of our first Sunday nature conservation task in North East London. Simply turn up at the Waterworks Nature Reserve by 10am on the Sunday morning in clothing and footwear suitable for the task and weather. If you use What Three Words ///guises.manage.entry is the location.

Winter tasks – dress for the weather. We won’t let it stop us !

Subscribe to our task reminder to receive the latest details when available !

December 2023 Conservation Task

Coppiced trees from coppicing conservationtask and cattle Horseshoe Thicket, Walthamstow, London
Horseshoe Thicket coup (coppiced area) with belted galloway cattle.

On Sunday 3rd December we will be on Walthamstow Marshes in Horseshoe Thicket doing our annual coppicing task. The task will involve creating dead hedges to control access to the regrowth areas, felling trees to open up the ground and seed bank to sunlight to increase the biodiversity of the area, creating carbon sinks with deadwood ecosystems and increasing biodiversity with habitat piles.

Volunteer with us !

Everyone is welcome to volunteer with Lea Bridge Conservation Volunteers on any of our first Sunday nature conservation task in North East London. Simply turn up at the Waterworks Nature Reserve by 10am on the Sunday morning in clothing and footwear suitable for the task and weather. If you use What Three Words ///guises.manage.entry is the location.

Please do not meet us on site, we carry all our equipment, so will only have enough for those that arrive at the Waterworks,

Winter Dead Head hedge 2022 from 2021 coppicing task.
Winter Dead Head hedge 2022 created during the 2021 coppicing task.

Task Reminder Email

Subscribe to our monthly task reminder emails to receive the latest details when available, closer to the task date !

Check your spam/junk folder for the confirmation email.

March 2023 Volunteer Nature Conservation Task

Sunday 5th March 2023

Walthamstow Marshes Bramble and scrub control

Nature conservation task on Walthamstow Marshes. This is a change to March’s planned task as the nesting season has started early this year, so the scrub management and bramble bash task will not go ahead. Instead we will be adding to the marshes’ hibernaculum and helping to stop the increasing of the nutrient content of the marsh’s soil structure, leading to greater fertility and a loss of this unique ecosytem in the Lea Valley.

This is the final task in our 2022/23 calender more tasks will apear when our 2023/24 list becomes available. As always we will be runnng volunteer nature conservation tasks on the first Sunday of every month from the Waterworks Nature Reserve in North East London.

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