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.…

Adela reaumurella - male

These amazing looking little moths are part of a group of micro moths called longhorns (for obvious reasons).  They can currently be found flapping around trees and shrubs in Abney on warm days.

The larvae feed on dead oak leaves.

For a full list of species recorded in Hackney see the most recent list produced…

Apologies for the tabloidesque headline but these fellas are gorgeous.  Orange tip butterflies are just emerging and they look amazing when fresh like this male in Abney a couple of days ago.

The larvae feed on garlic mustard.  The adults emerge from April to May and are a sure sign spring is here.

Not content with stunning orange and white upper wings they also have…

I was in Abney yesterday and found a mining bee hole with it's little volcano entrance.  As I squatted and waited patiently for the bee to return for a photo an interesting sequence developed.

First a bee came along, appeared confused and went away again, possible because I'd interfered with the ivy above the nest and or there was a big lump of me that wasn't there…

This little beauty is called Cossonus linearis and it only lives in rotting willows and poplars.  This means it needs old trees that have a lot of dead wood that is at just the right stage of decay.  The maggot like larva live in and eat the rotting wood.  The Abney Veteran Tree Project has been working to preserve Abney's most wildlife valuable…

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…

Monday evening saw the final meeting (before spring elections) of the Living in Hackney Scrutiny Commission (an oversight body of the Council but lacking budgetary and policy decision making powers which are confined to Cabinet Members). Lack of political support for local food growing was indicated by the failure of Nargis Khan (Lab – cabinet member responsible for green space) to attend, as commented upon by chair Cllr Havey Odze (Con). Nevertheless local food growers were well…

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 …

There are a couple of initiatives in HAckney right now to get people using photo voltaic solar cells to produce electricity on roofs.  I'm thinking of installing a system on my roof in Dalston.  It should produce a good proportion of my electricity but only during the day.  There's no storage but it can feed back to the local grid (I'm told).

The other attraction is a feed in tarrif (FIT) return on the investment (about £10k).  The whole carbon economy is fraught with complexity…

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…

The beautiful white carpet may be receding for now but winter is not over. The shortest day has passed but spring is still a long way off. We are fortunate to watch nature's display from the security of our homes with access to food. For us the harsh reality of a serious winter is cushioned by technology and plenty, so we should at least enjoy its ability…

Kynaston Gardens Destroyed

No more feeding waxwings, fieldfares, blackbirds or thrushes.

No insects, birds or other life exist in the barren, sanitised nightmare that is the new Kynaston Gardens. Tightly mown turf, a controlled, safe, lifeless lawn is all Groundwork think people of Stoke Newington deserve. The destruction, ignorance and lack of imagination is staggering. Are there people still stupid enough to cut down and dig up huge, old, …

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…