Renters Rights London does what it says on the tin.  There's good information on your rights and how to go about getting them, particulars on renting in each London borough and how you can organise for better controls over the private rented…

This is a photo of the Furry-clasped Furrow bee (Lasioglossum lativentre) I discovered at Abney Park recently. This is a female. The tiny bees nest in the ground but little is known about them.

The species is fairly uncommon but not rare or scarce. It has never been recorded in north or east London before but that's more likely because no one's…

Realising Good Friday was to be the pick of the Easter weekend weather I set out in determined fashion to see if I could find any new species of bees at Abney. After about four hours I had seen: Buff-tailed bumblebee queens, honey bees and lots of Hairy Footed Flower bees (mostly males but a few females had begun flying). There were also quite a few butterflies on the wing. I counted 4…

Those who read my blog at the time will be familiar with the fact that back in October BBC Newsnight ran an astonishingly biased piece about the Tory government's U-turn on contracting to help the Saudi dictatorship run its prisons. [I know the BBC is routinely right-wing and anti- Corbyn but this really took the biscuit.]

For…

Stunning Cobalt Crust fungus at Abney Park nature reserve. Previously seen in Wick…

Heathrow 13: British Justice 0

Judge loses plot in high stakes climate change battle

As a former civil rights lawyer I've seen a fair…

Free Press carried an excellent article on Occupy's occupation of the Mail's offices last year demanding accurate coverage of climate change and a switch to supporting renewable energy and other effective measures.  In just over a page Donnachadh McCarthy tells how the five right-wing billionaires who own most of our media have led the Tories "get rid of the green crap" campaign as well as continually misinforming the public on climate change.  He sets out the occupation's…

We are delighted to unveil our new membership scheme available now.  The Paint Place will now operate a free membership scheme for a range of not-for-profit organisations which could save you on the cost of reclaimed paint. Membership is available to a range of groups including:

Charities

Community groups

Art groups

Community centres and spaces

Community…

Blireana plum (Prunus × blireana) on Shakspeare Walk in full flower yesterday (8 JANUARY 2016).…

See link below for my article in the current London Naturalist on Abney's rare bumblebee mimic not seen in London since 1966.

Pocota personata returns to…

We have an amazing opportunity for a couple of Hackney based community groups to receive a spruce up of their space free of charge in January.

We have teamed up with the Goodgym to pilot a free decorating service for a few lucky community groups in and around Hackney.

Organisations will not only have a team of dedicated Goodgym volunteers decorating their space but the paint used for the…

You may remember this time last year we held a public meeting call the Big Pow Wow.  Hackney Council was consulting on it's transport and air quality strategies and this was an opportunity to hold a public debate with council officers.

Well we have to report that the Transport Strategy was recommended to the Council for Adoption at the Hackney Cabinet meeting in…

Try Fairtrade nuts at the People’s Climate March After Party in Dalston, Sunday 29^th November

Farmers from the Global South are already the most effected by global climate change.  This is despite the fact that they and other people from the majority of the world have contributed least to causing it.  Fairtrade…

29/02/2016 Sustainable Hackney called on the Mayor of London to reject the Bishopsgate Goodsyard planning application and submitted the following comments:

This locality became desirable because centrally located yet financially accessible premises were available to creative and technically skilled Londoners allowing…

Community spaces in Waltham Forest, Tower Hamlets and Hackney in need of a revamp can benefit from a free give-away of 6000 litres of reclaimed paint.

Our ‘Colour The Capital’ project in partnership with Global Street Art are inviting all community groups located within these three boroughs to apply for free paint, which is reclaimed as surplus from companies and recycling initiatives.

The project which aims to help those who are experiencing socio-economic disadvantage is…

Last night (13.10.15) BBC Newsnight reported the government decision to withdraw from a £6m British bid to provide prison services to the Saudi regime. According to the BBC the change of mind was down to Secretary of State Michael Gove (“Michael Gove had thought that and got his way”) and Tory concerns about Saudi regime's harsh treatment of a British citizen imprisoned…

Spring Hill Orchard

TM Mega Bramble Bash

The orchard at Spring Hill was planted by TMs and others…

Housing alone is not enough!  We must protect space for infrastructure and land designated for employment.  Here's a really useful brief on the Thames wharves from Roy Tindle and Roger Manser of the Just Space economy group:

Roy writes: John Gummer prepared the legislative base for safeguarding Thames wharfs: this provided that the listed wharfs could not be released for development without Secretary of State approval. The Chancellor, earlier this year, devolved that responsibility to…

A Banister House Solar Message from Tor Kristoffersen on Vimeo.

Interns from Banister House Solar send a strong message to David Cameron "don't throw away all our work" by killing community solar projects with drastic cuts.…

We've now submitted our response to the North London Waste Plan consultation, which closed on 30th September 2015.  Thanks for your…