Another green space which I’ve travelled past many times but never explored. This is a further Great North Wood project site in this case owned by Croydon Council and is mostly oak woodland. Despite the dry month we’ve had, there is healthy-looking ground flora under the mature oaks, particularly in comparison with Dulwich Wood. I […]
A week later I finally worked out how to post this video extract from the Urban Tree Festival showcase 2020 of me talking about the #sundaynatureworkship podcast and a reading of my winning nature writing piece.
For the second of my 30 days wild challenges, I’m visiting a green space that I’ve travelled past many times but never been to. Beaulieu Heights on the south side of the Crystal Palace ridge is a remnant of the Great North Wood and more recently was the grounds of two large houses. It’s hot […]
It’s the first of my 30 days wild challenges, I’m planning to visit 30 Great North Wood and/or London Wildlife Trust sites in June, and this one is a green space I know well. Cox’s walk is an oak-lined avenue which was created in the 18th century as a short cut through Fifty Acre Wood […]
So June is the month for the Wildlife Trusts 30 days wild challenge. I’ve spent the morning mapping the London Wildlife Trusts reserves and Great North Wood project sites. I made it 41 in total. While they’re not all open, I’m planning to visit on foot or by bicycle and write about the 30 nearest […]
On the north side of Dulwich Wood where it borders a cul de sac, there’s a picket fence of around 200 metres long with a two metre high cherry laurel hedge (yes, ugh!) running along outside it. Between the hedge and road kerb is a grass verge which varies from about one metre to […]
After a packed exciting week of online events, the Urban Tree Festival finally came to an end last Sunday and the after show party for contributors is on tonight. It was great to have the opportunity to share readings from my blog posts on each of the Sundays of the festival.
I have baby birds on my mind as I set off into the woods this morning. Our blue tits fledged earlier this week and as the families before them flew straight into the oak tree opposite our house. I was pleased to see them all make this first survival milestone successfully but it seems very […]
This week the elder flowers are ready for harvesting. My May ritual is burying my nose in a spray of flowers and inhaling the heady scent. The smell is not universally appreciated but it has good associations for me with summer picnics and parties. To be clear, I don’t pick the ones in the woods […]
The Urban Naturalist 