Picture left: Work underway in preparation for repairs to the Pen Ponds causeway Photograph: Nigel Jackman
Pen Ponds works – bird sightings
Juvenile little ringed plover and swan mussel Photograph: Nigel Jackman
Despite the relocation of many fish and thousands of swan mussels into the lower pond, the necessary drainage of Upper Pen Pond for essential repairs will have long-lasting ecological consequences. However, one unintended benefit over the coming months is likely to be the appearance of wading birds rarely seen in the Park. As well as commoner birds such as little egret, common and green sandpipers, there have already been sightings of a juvenile little ringed plover (only the Park’s fifth record) and four avocets (second record). We hope that even more will be attracted by the low water level and muddy margins, while they last.
Sunny scything
Holly Meadow volunteers Photograph: Mary Gledhill
The Friends’ Holly Lodge Meadow team recently assembled for a morning of scything in the sunshine. Using scythes loaned by Elliot Newton, Kingston Biodiversity Officer, we tackled this year’s growth which was head-high at the start of the session. The aim was to create a ‘heterogeneous sward’, taking away fertile material and leaving behind varied conditions for invertebrates and other wildlife. Scything is much quieter than strimming and allows us to relocate any creatures found hiding in the meadow – plus it’s a good workout! The team plan to cut the other half of the meadow in September.
Ragwort – more dangerous dead than alive
Photographs: Ragwort – Roger Hillyer; and Cinnabar moth and its caterpillars – Tim Thursfield
The park is yellow with ragwort. The recent weather has favoured both germination and flowering. Ragwort is a biennial plant, like foxgloves, germinating and growing in its first year and flowering the following year.
Ragwort divides opinions: horse owners hate it, whereas environmentalists love it. Ragwort is toxic to mammals but has a smell and bad taste which means animals will avoid eating it. But when ragwort is dead, the smell has gone. The danger for horses is if ragwort is cut when making hay. The horse eating the hay will not notice the ragwort. The toxins are still there, accumulating in the liver leading to a painful death.
But ragwort is an important food plant for many insects. The cinnabar moth lays its eggs on ragwort. The emerging tiger striped caterpillars are yellow and black. Eating ragwort makes the caterpillars toxic, deterring predators. Butterflies sip nectar, bees both take nectar and pick up pollen, beetles enjoy nectar and may inadvertently transfer pollen too.
In Richmond Park areas of ragwort are cleared for two reasons. In areas where grass will be cut to make hay and on acid grassland as cutting the grass and removing it will lower the nutrient level in the soil.
Teams of volunteers (both Friends and TRP volunteers), staff and contractors have been digging up ragwort. If the root is left new shoots develop, which will flower. All the plants are bagged up and taken away to be composted outside of Richmond Park.
Heathrow flight paths update – the CAA approves Heathrow’s short listed options
As a reminder, Heathrow Airport are developing new arrival and departure flight path options (including over Richmond Park) in response to the national Airspace Modernisation. This is a complete overhaul of UK airspace usage – and is separate from any plans for a third runway.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which has responsibility for assessing Heathrow’s plans, did not initially approve these plans through Stage 2 (development and short-listing of options) because it was not satisfied that Heathrow met the process requirements for stakeholder engagement. After further engagement by Heathrow, the CAA has now approved Heathrow’s plans through Stage 2 with virtually no changes.
We continue to be deeply concerned by Heathrow’s plans for new flight paths over Richmond Park. This concern is supported by the London Assembly who unanimously highlighted its concern that Heathrow had included numerous flight path options impacting Richmond Park. Thanks to lobbying by the Friends, Heathrow has recognised that Richmond Park is an area which merits special protection. However, that has still not led them to remove from the shortlist any of the flight paths of concern. Therefore, our campaigning work continues unabated.
For regular email updates on this, sign up here: Save Richmond Park – Friends of Richmond Park (frp.org.uk)
Olympics and Richmond Park
The Olympic Village from an Ordnance Survey map published by the Ministry of Works 1951
With the 2024 Olympics underway in Paris, many will remember London 2012 and the cycling races through Richmond Park. Less well known is Richmond Park’s involvement with the London 1948 Olympics. The first Olympic Games after World War II were held in London during a difficult economic climate and rationing. So, very few new buildings were constructed and athletes were housed in former military camps including an army camp in Richmond Park south and east of Thatched House Lodge.
In 1948 the sexes were decidedly unequal. Sylvia Disley, a sprinter at the 1948 games, told The Times: “In 1948 the men were stationed at Richmond Park, a lovely, peaceful, calm place, but the women were in the middle of London over a bus station near a red-light district”.
The camp was not dismantled until the 1960s (one of the earliest aims of the Friends was the removal of the camp and its return to parkland).
The Royal Parks Guild Award for Nelson Gouveia
Nelson Gouveia receiving his award from Lloyd Grossman who has just finished his term as Chairman of The Royal Parks
We are delighted that Nelson Gouveia, Head of Banqueting at Pembroke Lodge, was given an Outstanding Contribution Award at the recent Royal Parks Guild award ceremony. Nelson has worked at Pembroke Lodge for 25 years and now heads up the banqueting department. A couple recently celebrating their 20-year Pembroke Lodge wedding anniversary on the terrace were delighted to see Nelson (a banqueting junior at their wedding) still present and now heading the team; twenty years on they still remembered him.
The tree of life
Photograph: Nigel Jackman
One day last month on Sidmouth slope above Lower Pen Pond, a solitary dead tree was transformed for ten minutes by a remarkable array of nine bird species. Spread about its skeletal form were a long-tailed tit, half a dozen each of blue tit and great tit, a family of five common whitethroat, a juvenile blackcap and a wren. All were darting in and out of the surrounding bracken. Also in the tree were three juvenile green woodpeckers, a great spotted woodpecker and a tree creeper. The appearance of a little owl or a kestrel would have been perfection. Instead they were suddenly all gone, but such are the unpredictable pleasures of Richmond Park.
Richmond Park retains Green Flag Award
Richmond Park has been recognised as one the best in the country as it retains its Green Flag Award, the prestigious international award for parks and green spaces. Richmond Park has also been awarded the Green Heritage Site Accreditation supported by Historic England for the management and promotion of its historic features.
Every year, the parks are judged, or visited, by a mystery shopper. The judging process includes a review of park management plans, and a site visit to meet the park teams. Judges meet staff across park, landscape, volunteer, and biodiversity management.
Paul Richards, Richmond Park Manager, said:
“We are honoured to receive the Green Flag Award again this year. It is thanks to the hard work of all the staff, apprentices and volunteers who work tirelessly to ensure the park is at its very best, and provide a welcoming green space for the public to use and enjoy.”