Connecting with nature in London

I'm a wheelchair user and at the moment am doing nothing to help protect London's natural spaces, I would love to but don't know how I can get involved, if someone could advise me I'd be most willing to listen, I'm also good at sharing campaigns on Social Media when I feel they warrant sharing

London has an extensive canal network but these are often intimidating becuase they don't always feel safe. And additionally they're not great for cycling because typically the paths are narrow and bumpy - would be great if they could create dedicated two-way cycle-lanes along the canal networks. It's not safe to have pedestrians and cyclists sharing the same narrow paths.

The mayor and local councils really need to start to come to grips with the  problem of wood-burning stoves in London. We've reduced air polution caused by vehicle exhausts but this is being undermined by the use of these stoves in ever-increasing numbers. Where I live, it's impossible to go outside when people are using them. I fortunately don't suffer from asthma or respiratory disease but I often find myself choking and coughing because of the appalling quantities of smoke generated hy these things. Surveys have shown that the stoves introduce much higher quantities of dirty and dangerous particulates into the atmosphere than traffic on the roads does. There needs to be an outright ban on them before we find ourselves in the same situation as London was in the 1950's with killer smogs brought on by coal-burning fires. All forms of domestic heating have their drawbacks with regard to the environment but some are worse than others. Wood-burning stoves are simply not necessary when there are cleaner alternatives; they are simply a lifestyle fashion that some people like to display without thought of the wider consequences.

I live in a Borough, Enfield, where the rhetoric of our local government doesn't match the reality and that's very frustrating to the many community and voluntary groups that support green and blue spaces. I'm a member of Enfield in Bloom steering group and I also chair Enfield Climate Action Forum (Encaf) Land Use Working Group. We support and work alongside CPRE London's proposals for a country park in Edmonton (Banbury Reservoir Park)  which desperately needs green and blue spaces for many reasons... Heat island effect, health and wellbeing, clean air. Our local council shows no interest and, instead, is proposing to build thousands of homes on pristine green belt land. We're pleased that the mayor of London opposes this and we support his position. As you can imagine, we're not thrilled either about Enfield Council's support for Tottenham Hotspur F.C building on Whitewebbs country park. 

As Londons population expands, its an ever increasing challenge for people and nature to co-exist.  We  all our green spaces to do the most they can to support biodiversity.  Improving management of existing green sites is essential.  In the last 4 years, Butterfly Conservations Big City Butterflies project has helped establish over 40 new wildflower meadows   Unfortunately the funding is ending shortly, but the project has shown what can be achieved.  We need more initiatives like this - they need not be expensive, but they do require commitment.  London is lucky in having such a strong Friends of Green Spaces Network of people who care for their local park.

Search for Butterfly Conservation/Big City Butterflies to see some of the resources we have developed including our guide to managing urban habitats for butterflies

The Mayor is doing nothing for London.All he wants to do is concrete any natural area with housing and awful cycle lanes.Clog up the traffic on the roads and make it dangerous for pedestrians to walk.He and his labour council have torn all the frees down near me to build a tower block and even more cycle parks.

For several years I have planted flowers around the street trees near my house. Unfortunately at 84 I am unable to continue with this although I am considering paying a gardener to do it for me.

I still love to walk in woods and along waterways, but find that I need to drive into Buckinghamshire or Hillingdon to find interesting walks. I live in Ealing and the parks are great but not for long wild walks.

 Mayor has done nothing to support London canals in relation to removal of rubbish . If wasn't  volunteers towpaths and canals would be inaccessible.

Litter is a big problem in many of London's green and blue spaces. The introduction of a Deposit Return Scheme would help to address much of this. Even if the people who drop the cans/bottles etc. aren't bothered to claim it, there will be an added incentive for others to pick up discarded items (and a potential source of income for the commuity groups responsible for much of the litter-picking).

We need more restrictions on dogs. More dog-free places and dogs on leads. The number of dogs has increased so much in recent years and there is a small but substantial percentage that are uncontrolled and threatening, which makes using green spaces often unpleasant. It is in urban areas where we most need to access parks and other green spaces without having to worry about safety (or an argument with a 'he's only playing' dog owner!), but this is where the most problems arise.  Also dog waste and urine can impact plants and other nature by adding excess nutrients. 

There's no easy answer but some dog-free areas and training courses for owners about how to control and care for their pets and be pro-social, would help.

Light pollution is nowa big problem, with so many places lighting up all night with LEDs when no one is using the place (schools, shops, gardens etc). There have been lots of studies showing these harm moths, bats etc - and even plants due to pollination being disrupted. They even harm humans by disrupting our circadian rhythm, impacting sleep. So we need more policy to restrict unnecessary lighting, especially blue/white light which is more problematic for wildlife. More motion-sensor lighting and timers would help. It's a big problem but it's an easy one to fix!

There are lots of well-intentioned schemes, such as tree-planting, which if done in the right way and the right place can be helpful. However, we need to know what the existing wildlife and habitats are first, to avoid doing more harm than good by changing things (eg tree-planting is damaging on rare acid grassland habitat).

Also, new trees have to be watered until they become established. In many cases allowing natural regeneration, forming scrub, with species that are adapted to the conditions, is best. Scrub habitat is often not appreciated enough, but it's the dynamic 'in between' stage from open ground to woodland, and offers lots of opportunities for wildlife - nesting birds, for example.

So: the right scheme for the right place, know what's already there to protect the existing wildlife, and allow scrub where appropriate!

1. So much (mileage) of local waterways have no defined walkways.  Due to historic commercial pressure they have either been covered over or are not accessible due to factories and workshops built close to the banks.  I would like to see a planning policy (similar to London Plan 7.29) of opening up local waterways so that any new development or redevelopment must take into account the public need for access.
2. Where walkways (incl. parks/open paces) do exist these should be clearly signposted and local authorities should publish pamphlets showing the routes, walking distance and points of interest and provision of vandal proof seating.
3. Streets with trees should be undersown with wild flowers rather than the current tarmac.
4. Common register and active promotion of existing ‘wildlife’ voluntary groups, e.g. an extn of London Wild Life Trust works but for smaller sites.

Our natural spaces are under threat from councils who receive money from developers to 'improve' the spaces, usually by cementing over them with skateparks or creating playgrounds, zip wires and football stadiums and training grounds all with disruptive floodlighting that harms wildlife etc.  Leave well alone and stop allowing the wilful destruction.  Put your money where your mouths are by creating new parks, not destroying existing ones.

This is a specific comment about Woolwich Common which is owned by the MoD who not take their responsibilities at all seriously.   The filth left by Travellers four times a years is appalling and costly to clean up.  The intimidation is dreadful. That’s because there is no barrier to stop vehicle access. The Mayor needs to put pressure on them to take responsibility    The consequence is that local people are too frightened to go there 

The Friends do what they can - wild flower walks, monthly clean ups, and surveys, but they need support.  

You have experts already. Get all London's rangers together. Create a body to oversee, create advice and see plans implemented. Give them power and routes to influence how developers conduct themselves with regards to nature, how councils treat and fund their parks.. these experts should be helping government shape policy, laws and legislation. Not the money coming from the corporate donors