Abney Park Nature Reserve

Veteran Tree Project

Abney Park Cemetery Nature Reserve

Abney Park Cemetery was a visionary, Victorian masterpiece. In 1840 a new non-denominational garden cemetery was created in Stoke Newington. It also been planted as a world class arboretum with 2,500…

Read it, weep and then read what you can do.

Since my complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman in January - about…

Thanks to a political decision to privatise Hackney's only remaining public tree gang, today one of the most experienced tree surgeon's in London leaves the council. Tree Gang Mark – even if I knew his surname I wouldn't print it in respect for the privacy of a quiet, unassuming family man, - leaves today after over 30 years caring for trees in North London (nearly 20 years in Hackney). That kind of experience and commitment is irreplaceable but Mark and his team have…

To whom do we give thanks?

Where do we pay our respects to the life force that sustains us on this planet? We are so ignorant we do not even begin to have an answer to these most fundamental of questions.

Drowning in an ideology of ignorance in a post-thinking age, like it or not we are still totally dependant upon the benevolence of ancient forces we have forgotten to respect or even notice.

Returning to some form of sanity…

The wonderful Dove Tree (Davidia involucrata) in Kynaston Gardens is in flower at the moment.  This tree is from China where it is endangered in the wild.

It has the most amazing flowers with big balls of anthers beneath huge white bracts. 

Each ball also has a small stigma hidden between the ball and the bract.  Presumably this is 'designed' for pollination by a Chinese insect, perhaps a bee.…

This amazing old ash tree in Abney is standing on one leg.  The whole of its north side has rotted away from beneath it, probably because a fire was set against it around 20 years ago.  The tree still stands only because it is sheltered from wind by Abney's woodland and because it has had its crown reduced to decrease its 'sail area'.

As part…

Clissold HLF kills 200 Year Old Giant Elephants

These two iconic trees of Hackney will die as a result of Hackney's Anti Tree bias. The twin London Planes are known locally as the elephant feet. The reason is obvious when you look at their stubby butts and solid trunks. Tragically their…

The plan to leave long grass around the new orchards is paying off for insects. Every time I weed in one of the orchards I discover lots of great creepy crawlies. Identifying them all is quite challenging but fortunately most are fairly common species and I'm even beginning to get my eye in a bit. Here's a selection from the recent orchard care day on South Millfields last weekend (16 Jan).

Hibernating …

2010 was a year of contrasts and contradictions as regards biodiversity in Hackney. Whilst amazing progress was made towards a long overdue Hackney Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP), the reality on the ground was far less positive. Small, incremental improvements continue to be made by voluntary groups and dedicated individuals, and there were even a few …

Last Saturday Tree Musketeers turned out in the cold to plant under the snow. Many people think you cannot plant when there is snow on the ground (some TMs included, or at least thats why they said they were n't there!) but provided the soil is not frozen trees are happier planted than standing around…

Last week the huge diggers and other heavy plant in Clissold park were mysteriously silent. No contractors were working anywhere in the park. The reason for the hiatus?  Pressure on the Council and Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) after repeated damage to magnificent trees. Specifically the insane decision to do major works to exclude roots of the ornamental Dawn Redwoods from the West…

As Hackney celebrates yet more Green Flag Awards for parks trees in those very parks continue to die from damage and neglect.   As with so many bureaucratic, league table type systems Green Flag Awards have become a misleading indicator of 'success'.  True parks in Hackney have improved in many respects; new toilets, signs, benches, path surfacing, litter bins, etc.  The fact that these things have happened is in part…

South Millfields maintenance Sunday 30th August 2009 Seven TMs spent the afternoon maintaining South Millfields arboretum. We weeded inside the guards, removed tight tree-ties, re-fixed and straightened loose and damaged guards, crown-raised some trees with damaged or vulnerable lower branches (so that they will now grow to be 'standards') and installed name labels to replace and supplement the original labels - many of which were damaged or absent. One species, a Chestnut-leaved Oak…