London Wildlife Trust's Greenway Project gathers momentum

London Wildlife Trust's Greenway Project gathers momentum
Thursday, June 26, 2008

London Wildlife Trust is on a mission to make the Greenway a welcoming and valuable place for people and wildlife. This week the project enjoyed a special visit from representatives from Newham Council, Thames Water and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG).

The Greenway is an unique natural corridor, stretching east from Wick Lane in Tower Hamlets towards the Thames at Beckton. It provides important habitat for wildlife as well as a traffic-free route for cyclists and pedestrians. Unfortunately, fly tipping and invasive shrubs are a problem in some parts, making the Greenway unsafe, untidy and unfriendly for wildlife.

London Wildlife Trust, London Borough of Newham, London Councils and other partners are working together to encourage local people to claim ownership of the Greenway and transform it into a safe, clean and attractive linear park that is more welcoming to both people and wildlife.

“London Wildlife Trust’s Greenway Project is a fun and sustainable one, where local volunteers can take ownership of an important piece of land, learn practical conservation techniques, and contribute to the clean-up and enhancement of their natural environment” explains Chief Executive of London Wildlife Trust, Carlo Laurenzi.

The Greenway is being greened up by a group of London Wildlife Trust volunteers, who this week received bikes with trailers that will aid them in their conservation mission. Volunteer Nritijuna Naidu is keeping an online diary all about her expereinces on the Greenway. Here's a taste of what she and the rest of the team have been up to:

25 June

Day eight: some special visitors

Carlo on the Greenway (c) Nritijuna Naidu It was one of those perfect summer days for outdoor, physical work. Not only was the sun shining, we were also eagerly anticipating an exciting arrival and a delivery. Visitors from Newham Council, Thames Water and the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) were expected, plus we were getting our very own bikes and trailers to help us continue our mission to green up the Greenway.

Oke (student of environmental sciences and a new volunteer), Pablo, Kareem, Enric, Girish and I were ready with our tools and bikes to welcome our visitors. It was an opportunity for us to showcase our work and for our guests to get a taste of a much loved and much needed project.

Pablo on the bike 25th June (c) Nritijuna Naidu Newham councillor Richard Crawford, John Liddard from Thames Water, Matt Watts from LOCOG and London Wildlife Trust’s Chief Executive Carlo Laurenzi arrived as we were busy shearing plants that were overhanging onto the pathway.

They immediately got stuck in, helping us shear and shovel as we tidied the path. As we worked together, we talked about past work, future plans and our shared interest in the Greenway Project. It was encouraging to hear how much they appreciated all our work.

With more than half of the path cleared, we needed to transport the cuttings to the designated area and so time to put our new bikes to good use. Pablo was more than happy to ride the bike down the path, collecting the cuttings along the way and riding back, with Oke providing assistance. Girish and Enric followed. Finally, all cleared, we collected our tools and walked back to the van with the bikers leading the way.

Next week, I am going to get on board and use one of the bikes – I can’t wait!