Greenway: Volunteer

The Greenway Project has transformed sections of east London's Greenway into a safe, clean park which is attractive to people and wildlife.

Education

We are also looking for volunteers to help with school trips along the Greenway and in our new classroom, the View Tube, overlooking the 2012 Olympic Park. Activities include preparing resources (laminating, cutting and drawing), shadowing the Education Officer on walks and activities, supervising group activities such as minibeast hunting. You will need to be willing to have a CRB check undertaken and a general helpful and responsible attitude. You would mainly need to be available on Wednesdays, Thursdays or Fridays in Stratford during term-time. Contact Cairis Hickey or call 07734 599 286 to get involved.

The Greenway Diary
London Wildlife Trust volunteers have been keeping us up to date on our mission to green up an important, but somewhat neglected, stretch of land in east London.

March 2011

The mission for today was to finish the stairs that started to take form last Tuesday. After fitting bits of reclaimed wood, hammering in pegs (which couldn't be done without Steve), and a lot of fine-tuning we were very pleased with the result. The stairs passed the test of a small army of excited volunteers rushing up and down! Now it will be much easier to reach the banks of the Greenway that need to be cleared. In the meanwhile Lauren and Jeremy attacked a huge bush of bramble and created a corridor along the bank. We also cleared a large amount of broken glass and rubbish that was hidden by the vegetation. After all the hard work everyone agreed that a bit of teamwork and a cup of tea provided by Cairis is a great way to lighten up a grey and cloudy day!

8th February 2011

Another good Tuesday with the London Wild Life Trust at the Greenway, we cut buddleia, bramble, rhododendron and sycamore, which we used to make dead hedges, the work is good for me, the area, the wildlife, and good for the environment. We also were overjoyed to discover a beautiful looking beetle when stopped for lunch. By Steve, volunteer

1st February 2011

Looking at what had been achieved at the end of five hours activity on the eastern end of the Greenway gave me a sense of achievement and ownership. We had cut back brambles,tidied elder,rose and blackthorn bushes and small trees and created a low wall with the off cuts; we worked down the embankment cutting back buddleia and creating light and space which enabled us to find several large burrow entrances. The removal of several sacks of litter helped also add a sense of calmness to the refreshed setting as we left at the end of the session .

Written by Jeremy who worked with Steve, Jan, Petra and Lauren under the guidance of Cairis.

September 2010

Last Tuesday volunteers from the London Wildlife Trust already managed to plant 2,000 out of the 7,500 crocus bulbs kindly donated by the Rotary club. There was even an MP or two helping out! A surprised but eager Hillary Benn got stuck in to planting bulbs around the View Tube, where the London Wildlife Trust currently teach environmental education linked to the Olympic park, and lead voluntary conservation work. Hillary Benn MP had only popped down to film the Olympic Park progress with his colleague from Tooting Sadiq Khan MP, when they saw that already good work towards the Legacy was already happening on the Greenway thanks to the London Wildlife Trust.

These bulbs need to be in the ground as soon as possible so if you want to help out come along next Monday 27th September at 9.30am to The View Tube (www.theviewtube.co.uk). You don't need to be green fingered, just willing! Trowels and gloves provided, just bring your own lunch (or pop into the container café) and wear sturdy shoes and clothes you don't mind getting dirty. If you want to take part in regular conservation volunteering along the greenway, come along to Beckton DLR station 9.30am every Tuesday afterwards or ring 077 345 99 286 for details.

August 2010

Fighting our way through the ripening blackberries, we have collected and sourced a variety of wood offcuts and wooden pallets to create bird, bat and bug houses with. We have started burying and creating hedgehog and reptile refuges and encountered a number of slow worms in the process! These protected creatures don't have teeth to bite as they normally eat things like ants and are actually legless lizards. We have now found what seems like several youngsters and a couple of adults, so there must be quite a healthy population on the greenway, so our habitat enhancements are obviously working. A bright yellow bird (suspected golden sudan sparrow) was also spotted last week whilst we were stopped for our tea break, and although not native certainly brightened up the area.

July 2010

Now is the time for cutting the meadow areas to increase plant diversity and give the lower plants some light, so armed with grass hooks, loppers and shears we cut back the meadow areas at Channelsea, and around the ViewTube until our backs were aching and our shears were blunt. We also removed the temporary fences and watered the newly planted baby trees (whips), and meadow flowers that have sprung up, whilst helping ourselves to the just-ripened cherries, along with the local family of goldfinches.

June 2010

With some sweltering Tuesdays, we cleared some of the invasive budlea and created a minibeasting area behind the ViewTube for children by creating a beautiful tunnel through the bushes. We removed the fences and in the West Ham end of the Greenway we have created over 20 bug hotels, put up around 30 handmade bird and bat boxes and cleared 40 bags of litter and flytipping. Having had a corporate group build our much needed toolshed, we also stocked and tidied it and sharpened all the tools. We have noticed an influx of ladybirds this year, not the harlequin invaders but our native species seem to be on the increase along the Greenway so hopefully they will start sheltering in our new bug hotels.

May 2010

On the open day on the 22nd May, one of the hottest days of the year so far, we had 20 very enthusiastic volunteers helping us make the area around the View Tube more pleasant for people and wildlife. We sowed a meadow area, having forked it over, cleared a large area of invasive plants ready to be turned into a meadow and cleared over four bin bags of litter!

Volunteers have started helping again every Tuesday, and we are making the View Tube garden area more wildlife and child-friendly. We have moved some tree whips, mulched them and created some log piles for children to minibeast hunt underneath. There is another open day event on the 7th August if you can only make saturdays, please email changing places to volunteer.

December 2009

Some previous olympians came to the View Tube with Asda's sporting chance to help plant trees on the greenway and some general clearance work with hopeful future olympians (look out for them in 2012 - above).

28th October 2009

The View Tube, a new visitor and community venue on The Greenway next to the Olympic Park, was officially opened today by the Minister for the Thames Gateway.

31st March 2009

This week Luca tells us what's been going on at the Greenway.

Having led the Greenway volunteers with Shaun since February, I'm glad to see how this place has improved during the past two months. In this period of time we've achieved a lot of results, thanks to the great numbers of volunteers who have helped us. For example, we completely cleaned up a large section of the right bank of the Greenway from invasive species, unhealthy trees and rubbish.

Since we've started working at the site, the improvements have been amazing. But not quite satisfied, Shaun and I had a brief chat and decided to sow wild flowers in a small section of the bank to replace the trees and shrubs. The aim is to encourage butterflies and bees to visit the Greenway.

We also wanted to plant herbs instead of trees and shrubs, as the big plants tended to fall down because of their roots couldn't anchor the soil properly. Alexandra (a great new volunteer) and I prepared the soil, using spades and mattocks and a week later we sowed some wild flower seeds.

In February, we also created a long log pile at the bottom of the same bank. We decided to build it there because it's a shady area and it's far from the footpath and other disturbance. First, we made some sticks using thick pieces of wood and then we thrust them in the soil, forming a edge that could contain the pile. After that, we used the wood we had got from the trees we had cut to make a big pile of rotten and dead logs.

A log pile is a really important habitat - it can be an invaluable source of insect life, it can provide shelter for small mammals, reptiles and amphibians, and a really good place to spend the winter in for the animals that hibernate. Its greatest value is when the wood starts to decay, as the log pile becomes the perfect habitat for fungi, decomposer invertebrates, insects and spiders.

As a result, the larger predators that feed on them, such as our native bats, reptiles and insect eating birds, start to visit the site as well. In this way, a simple gesture like building a log pile can considerably increase the biodiversity of a site. To encourage more birds to live in the Greenway, we also put some nest boxes on the tallest trees.

Thanks also to the special help that some young offenders have brought us each week, their efforts have made a real difference. We are currently working on the other bank, where we have been building a new log pile and cleaning up the slope from rubbish and invasive species.

Hopefully, in a couple of weeks, we'll see our flowers grow up, many butteflies flying around the Greenway and some birds nesting in the bird boxes we put in the trees. Of course, beyond the aim of improving the biodiversity and protecting the wildlife, we are trying to turn a neglected place into a better one that can be enjoyed by local people. I really hope to see both our aims achieved in the next few months and that we'll help local people get closer to the Greenway and to nature.

21st March 2009

This week Shaun has the latest news from the Greenway, which is buzzing with life

The log habitat wall built by the volunteers at the foot of the slope over the past weeks is now a busy wildlife home. Several bees have been observed coming from the logs at different times, butterflies, including commas and a peacock, have also been spotted, as well as a number of different spider species hiding in the piles of broken brick.

Having earlier planted a short hawthorn hedge in front of the wall, the volunteers this week decided to clear a small area on the top of opposite bank and build another, smaller habitat wall. The low light and damp conditions are an ideal location, so we'll expect insects to be setting up home here too very soon.

A juvenile starling made several appearances, as did a robin, two wrens and great tits, unperturbed by some very loud machinery being used on a construction site close by.

Simona Linzaloni, recently back from a trip to Latin America, brought along not only her father to help out but her boyfriend too, clearing a huge area of litter, as well as building the new log wall.

The enthusiasm and hard work put in by all of the volunteers each Tuesday is really impressive - they love the Greenway for the opportunities it has offered them to actively create new habitats. And it's not just for wildlife, it's for people too, including those who don't yet know of the Greenway's existence.

As well as being a day of practical conservation work, these Tuesday sessions have also become great social events!

17th March 2009

This week Kareem Jones takes it easy, and goes butterfly spotting by bicycle

"Today I thought I would take it easy and just enjoy the good weather. Fortunately for us, the Greenway butterflies had the same idea and could be seen either courting high above or basking on some nearby bramble.

"After struggling for more than 10mins to get the perfect shot of a Comma butterfly, I decided to commandeer the Greenway bicycle and go on a tour, which took me back to where the work began last April. This was a great opportunity for me to have a look at how much work had been done and how much better the area looked because of it.

Overall, there was a great vibe in the air - team morale was high and I really enjoyed the day."

3rd March 2009

This week Oliver Rakocevic... welcoming the spring

"Having been away for a few weeks it was great to come back to a full team (12 of us today) on the Greenway. And I was really impressed when Shaun showed me the area, along the north bank, we've been clearing over the last few months, now sown with wildflower seeds.

Today we began work on the opposite bank. An impenetrable brush of dog rose (Rosa canina), bramble (Rubus fruticosus agg), elder (Sambucus nigra) and stuff you couldn't see... All kitted out, equipped with loppers, bow saws, a manure fork and a rake, our crack team sprung into action removing invasive bramble, dead rose stems and pruning back the wild roses. The scarlet fruits (or hips) of which are edible and high in vitamin C and are eaten by birds and small mammals.

Kareem and Luca worked their way methodically around a dog rose bush, gradually disentangling stems from other vegetation. Alexandra, David G and myself, opening another area revealing an hitherto unnoticed, stand of hazels (Corylus avellana). Alexandra checked the ground for hazelnuts shells of which there were plenty. Two of the Hazel were typically many-stemmed with a smooth coppery-brown bark, however one appeared to have only one stem and we briefly wondered whether it might be a cherry. Fortunately Shaun keeps a copy of the Collins tree guide in the van.

I discovered that in winter hazel can be readily identified by its very hairy twigs and its buds, which are smooth and ovoid in shape. Another telltale sign we noted was the presence of male flowers in the form of groups of pale yellow catkins 2-8 cm long. These appear in February, when hazel and its companion deciduous trees are all leafless, and thus are one of the first obvious signs of spring.

The female flowers are tiny red tufts, growing out of what looks like swollen buds, and visible on the same branches as the male catkins. The fertilised female flowers will grow into the nuts beloved of squirrels and other rodents, and also eaten by birds such as woodpeckers, tits and nuthatches.

As we packed up, I looked on in delight at the area we had cleared with its now visible hazels, having seen both the male and female flowers close-up for the first time this year, and beyond it, the yellow brick of new council housing built here. How did the hazel get here? Was it planted or perhaps those were overlooked hazel nuts left there by a squirrel which germinated like the lone oak sapling we found on the north bank? Nature doing its thing!

Although we do valuable work managing stretches of the Greenway to improve biodiversity, we can also develop our own appreciation of and learning about nature in an urban environment!"

17th February 2009

"The place looks really different, pretty and healthy"

This week Alexandra Stellatou fills us in with the latest from the Greenway

"Having moved to London from Edinburgh just a couple of weeks ago, this has only been my second time being involved in the Greenway Project. I volunteered for several months for the Scottish Wildlife Trust, so I was very keen and intrigued to get involved with the London Wildlife Trust – both to get my hands dirty and see what sort of wildlife you can get in London.

Slightly different to other projects I have been involved in the past, the Greenway is very challenging but has great potential to promote and conserve wildlife and become a great wildlife corridor, connecting urban spaces within London.

This week a lot of hard work was put in by all the team on the steep and slippy slopes. We carried on with similar tasks to previous weeks such as clearing the area of rubbish, dead leaves and brambles, and cutting down some dead trees. Only this time, after having finished with all the clearing needed in this small patch, the result was so great and so rewarding.

The place looked really different, pretty and healthy. This small area gives you an idea of the great potential of the Greenway Project. I will definitely keep being involved with this project and so curious to see the end result."

February update from Shaun

"Having started work on this slope just before Christmas, it's satisfying to see the transformation that has now taken place. Shortly after we arrived today a vehicle pulled up to load the many sacks of rubbish, which volunteers had worked hard to lift up the slope over the last few weeks.

This week we were joined by a couple of London Wildlife Trust volunteers from Barking and Dagenham, including Dave Patterson, who'd never been here before and really enjoyed the challenge of working on such a steep slope.

Marshall Lambert, another of these volunteers, was impressed at the size of our log wall and the fact that this haven existed at all in such a dense, urban area. This will soon be home to a variety of minibeast wildlife. Our un-cleared section of the bank was teeming with birds today and we will be placing nesting boxes further along, over the next weeks.

Steve, one of our regulars, was busying away extending the wall with the remainder of the logs and all that is left to be done over the next weeks is to see which wildflowers will succeed. As we were packing up for the day, a woodchipping machine arrived, courtsey of Newham Borough's contractors, to chip the huge stack of green matter we'd created at the top of the bank."

January 2009

Project Officer, Shaun updates us about what's been happening on the Greenway so far this year

"During the past two months we've been concentrating our efforts on clearing a steep bank close to Abbey Mills Victorian pump station. A great amount of dead, fallen elder, buddleia and some sycamore have been thinned out and removed. These provide valuable habitats for insects and the birds that feed on them. We've also been creating a series of log habitat walls, using this dead wood and old stones, along a Victorian brick boundary wall at the foot of the bank.

Birds, oaks and trolleys!

Last week, as we busied away below, we heard a song thrush singing in its beautiful, inimitable way in a tree opposite the bank. We also saw several juvenile squabbling starlings, at least two robins vying for territory close by, blackbirds, blue tits and a wren. A holm oak sapling has been found down the bank too. We will be leaving a section of the bank as we found it, a tangle of dead branches and trunks, in order to preserve this for the birds, once we have cleared the rubbish and supermarket trolleys that have been dumped there over the years.

Surprisingly wild

The day was cold and fresh, the sun was shining and, as one local resident and dog walker said, it's so good to see this work going on, it makes the graffiti less noticeable. Brian Waldman, who volunteers here, says "The Greenway is so different from the other sites I have worked on, it's surprising just how much bird life is found in this part of East London."

Steve Parish, who's been volunteering on the Greenway for a while told me that he's "involved in other conservation projects mostly in the Richmond area, so it has been particularly interesting to work on a project in a different part of London, and to see how the work of the London Wildlife Trust can have an impact on the local community and its plans for the future".

The mission for today was to finish the stairs that started to take form last Tuesday. After fitting bits of reclaimed wood, hammering in pegs (which couldn't be done without Steve), and a lot of fine-tuning we were very pleased with the result. The stairs passed the test of a small army of excited volunteers rushing up and down! Now it will be much easier to reach the banks of the Greenway that need to be cleared. In the meanwhile Lauren and Jeremy attacked a huge bush of bramble and created a corridor along the bank. We also cleared a large amount of broken glass and rubbish that was hidden by the vegetation. After all the hard work everyone agreed that a bit of teamwork and a cup of tea provided by Cairis is a great way to lighten up a grey and cloudy day!

Greenway: Volunteer

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