The Friends of Shrewsbury Park AGM on 14th November will consider the topic of biodiversity and what it means for the park. The Friends have also arranged a quiz night and a bulb planting session in November.
They e-mailed the details of the AGM:
Annual General Meeting
Thursday 14 November 7-8.30 pm
Shrewsbury House (bar open next door)
We hope you can come to our AGM?
In addition to the business meeting and election of management committee members there will be time to raise your park ideas and issues.
‘Why should I care about biodiversity’ kicks off a discussion specific to Shrewsbury Park’s natural habitats and what part we humans play. There will be input from a panel of guest speakers: Claire Lambert and Jack Partridge (trees) from RBG Parks and Open Spaces along with members Les Clark (a bat and hedgehog enthusiast) and John Denton (butterflies and hedgerows).
Then it is time for everyone to add to and evaluate actions we can put forward.
2020 calendars will be on sale (£5) and new park greetings cards (£2)
See you there!
FSP Committee
The National Biodiversity Network‘s recent State of Nature report (pdf) highlighted the decline in biodiversity in England:
Our statistics demonstrate that the abundance and distribution of the UK’s species has, on average, declined since 1970 and many metrics suggest this decline has continued in the most recent decade. There has been no let-up in the net loss of nature in the UK.
They report that 13% of species in England are threatened with extinction from Great Britain, and that 36 plant species have become extinct.
Shrewsbury Park is listed in the Royal Borough of Greenwich Core Strategy (pdf) as a “Site of Importance for Nature Conservation – Site of Borough Importance, Grade I”, with the contiguous areas of Shooters Hill Golf Club and Woodlands Farm. Together they form “An extensive mosaic of habitats, ranging from ancient woodland, secondary woodland through scrub to rough grassland and wetland.” The area is home to a wide variety of plants and wildlife including at least two animals mentioned in the Greenwich Biodiversity Action Plan (pdf) as priority species: bats and hedgehogs. The Mammal Society assess the Hedgehog as Vulnerable, and estimate that populations have declined by as much as 73% since their 1995 review to just 522,000. Some estimates put their decline at 97% since the 1950s. The are often seen on bat walks in the area: what can we do to help them? This will be one of the items discussed at the meeting.
The Quiz Night will be on Friday 22nd November:
Here are the details of our latest quiz – these are always great fun, and a fantastic way to enjoy a Friday night! Do join us!
Friday 22 November
6.45pm for 7.30pm start
Tables of 6 – £5.50 per person
Shrewsbury House, SE18 3EG
Tickets can be purchased using the link above or here
Bar is open from 6.30pm
Fantastic raffle prizes!
Our thanks to our amazing quiz masters, Dee and Geoff.
Then on Sunday 17th November the Friends will be planting spring bulbs and bramble bashing:
Come and join us planting our Spring bulbs!
Sunday 17 November – 1.30pm
Bulb planting/Bramble bashing event! Sunday 17 November at 1.30 (an hour or two).
Meet at the crossroads in the Park, bring a trowel, strong gloves and secateurs if possible. Kids especially welcome! You will get dirty.
Perhaps we’ll be able to clear some of the footpaths through the old allotment site on Dot Hill.
