London Wildlife Trust

London Wildlife Trust's Camley Street urban nature reserve

London Wildlife Trust (LWT) is the local nature conservation charity for Greater London. It is one of 47 Wildlife Trusts, each covering an area which is typically a county. It aims to protect nature in its area, to engage people to connect with nature, and to influence people to stand up for nature.

The Trust works to achieve these aims by managing over 40 nature reserves in the Greater London area. Its staff work with some hundreds of volunteers to conserve nature on these reserves, and collaborate with a wide variety of partner organisations including government agencies, local authorities, charities and companies. The Trust provides training to young people, walks and other events for the public, and education services for schools.

Overview

Pond dipping for young and old alike

London Wildlife Trust was founded in 1981.[1] It is one of 47 members of the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (known as The Wildlife Trusts), each of which is a local nature conservation charity for its area.[2]

The Trust aims to protect London's wildlife and wild spaces, and it manages over 40 nature reserves in Greater London,[3] One of its campaigns is to turn London's gardens into mini-nature reserves,[4] and it provides education services for schools. Local groups work on reserves and organise walks.[5]

The Trust has some 50 members of staff and 500 volunteers who together work on activities from water management to chalk grassland restoration, helping people with special needs and giving children an opportunity to go pond-dipping. The Trust collaborates with government agencies, local authorities, housing associations, commercial companies, building developers and sponsors to create plans and strategies at local, regional and national level, including the All London Green Grid and Biodiversity Action Plans.[6] The Trust's reserves receive over 230,000 visitors per year.[7][8] The trust is supported by over 14,000 members.[9]

Objectives

"Protecting, Restoring and Creating":[7] burning brash from cleared scrub at Ten Acre Wood

In its strategy document, For a Wilder City. London Wildlife Trust 2015-20, the Trust sets out its vision and mission, as well as plans for a five-year period. The trust states its vision as:[7]

A London alive with nature, where everyone can experience and enjoy wildlife.[7]

The Trust describes its mission as:[7]

Among its aims for protecting and restoring, the Trust intends to bring 30 of its reserves to "Favourable Condition" by 2020. It plans to restore the Sydenham and Norwood woodlands, and the "Living Landscape" of the Great North Wood. It intends to reintroduce the water vole to the River Wandle.[10]

"Engaging, Inspiring and Enabling":[11] A London Wildlife Trust Volunteer Warden instructing a Headstart group

The Trust's aims for engaging and enabling include building new visitor centres for the reserves at Camley Street, Gunnersbury Triangle, Woodberry Wetlands and Walthamstow Wetlands. and training young people in its "Wild Talent" programme.[12]

Its aims for championing nature include creating a London development biodiversity standard, hosting the London Environment Educators' Forum, collaborating on projects such as to support pollinators and to conserve the Welsh Harp reservoir, and opening new reserves such as Byng Road (High Barnet), Braeburn Park (Crayford) and Crane Meadows (Heathrow) across the city.[13]

The Trust has three permanent charitable objectives:[11]

Nature reserves

See also

Notes

    References

    1. ↑ Museum of London archive
    2. ↑ London Wildlife Trust, The Wildlife Trusts
    3. ↑ "Find a nature reserve". London Wildlife Trust.
    4. ↑ London Wildlife Trust, Garden for a Living London
    5. ↑ London Wildlife Trust, Local group volunteers
    6. ↑ For a Wilder City, p. 4
    7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 For a Wilder City, p. 5
    8. ↑ London Wildlife Trust, Annual Review, 2008-2009
    9. ↑ For a Wilder City, p. 16
    10. ↑ For a Wilder City, pp. 6–8
    11. 1 2 3 4 5 For a Wilder City, p. 19
    12. ↑ For a Wilder City, pp. 9–12
    13. ↑ For a Wilder City, pp. 13–16

    Sources

    External links

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