Photo left: A winter carriage ride in Richmond Park – December 2023 Photograph: Amanda Boardman
Trees and crates funded by The Friends of Richmond Park installed in Richmond Park
Tree planting and crate installation funded by The Friends of Richmond Park took place just before Christmas.
The Friends have funded 30 new trees and their protective crates. These are stand alone trees amongst woodland and parkland areas across the Park largely replacing old fallen trees.
The Winter Moth
Photograph: Nigel Jackman
At this time of the year vast numbers of the aptly named Winter Moth are active after dark in the Park. In winter most moths enter a dormant phase at one stage or another of their life cycle, but the Winter Moth is one of the few species that has adapted to cope with freezing temperatures, taking advantage of fewer predators.
Almost triangular in shape, the male moths are small and light brown with a darker band across the centre of the forewing. Remarkably, with just vestigial stubs the females do not look like moths. Effectively wingless, they crawl up a tree trunk and give off pheromones to attract flying males.
When clustering low on tree trunks, especially oaks, Winter Moths are easy to find after dark. Take a night safari with a torch to locate them and a smorgasbord of other nocturnal residents.
Honour for The Royal Parks Chief Executive
Photograph: The Royal Parks
Congratulations to The Royal Parks Chief Executive Andrew Scattergood, who has been awarded the CBE in the King’s New Year Honours list for services to heritage and charity.
Andrew, who joined The Royal Parks in 2015, said:
“I am unbelievably honoured to have received recognition in the New Year honours. But this is an award that recognises the hard work and commitment of everyone who works either directly or indirectly for The Royal Parks, including our volunteers, supporters and many partners.”
A piece of Richmond Park in Central London
Photograph: Nigel Jackman
In Quadrant Arcade, off bustling Regent Street, a shop window front currently features a marvellous picture of Richmond Park’s Royal Oak. Artist Luke Adam Hawker is compiling a series featuring 61 ‘Great Trees’ as determined by Londoners after the Great Storm of 1987 and has started with the Royal Oak.
Unsurprisingly a limited edition of 50 A3 prints has already sold out. While the arcade’s Christmas decorations have been an irresistible attraction for camera clicking tourists and visitors, how many of them have stopped to appreciate this gem?
A4 copies of the Royal Oak print by Mark Frith are available at the Friends’ Visitor Centre at Pembroke Lodge: Visitor Centre
or via post through our online shop: FRP Online Shop