Wimbledon Park Flower Bed Digging to Protect new Hornbeam Whips
Friends of Wimbledon Park planted 160 new trees in the park on Friday 4th and Saturday 5th March, as part of our volunteers programme. Many thanks to all those who helped.
Five hornbeams were planted. Two are in a flower bed. The single hornbeams now need to have a flower bed surround dug (subject to approvals). Please see this flyer for details.
To protect these from casual damage and dog interest until flower bed is established, it is suggested they be enclosed by 4 short posts in a 300mm square (tree area).
This tree area will then be kept topped up with woodchip.
Cornfield annuals then need to be sowed in the flower beds asap.
We are looking for 12 adult volunteers on Thursday 10th March for 3 hours, 10am-1pm (sorry for the short notice). Volunteer applications will be processed on a first-come basis. You must be available for the whole 3 hours as there is quite a lot of work to get through !
Due to the short notice, please just email: if you wish to take part.
Volunteers will need to read the risk assessment (health and safety guide) and will be asked to bring a signed copy on the day.
More volunteering opportunities are being discussed and will be advertised in due course.
History of the Friends volunteer’s activities:
a. Tree & bulb planting have been running successfully for over 5 years. Over 2000 trees have been planted since 2016 and many hundreds of bulbs.
b. A Duke of Edinburgh Award & Citizen Science was run from 2016-2017 with planting and maintaining the raised beds at Revelstoke Road & Wimbledon Park Road as entrances as a main task. But due to lack of DBS check certified2 volunteer availability had to be suspended.
c. Litter picking was carried out monthly for a few years but has recently moved to a spring & autumn event focussing on Horse Close Wood and the Railway Hedges.
d. A Citizen Science bat survey project was undertaken in Wimbledon Park in 2017.
e. Investigations of lake pollution have been undertaken with Environmental Agency, Thames Water and South East Rivers Trust.
f. Dr. Dave Dawson (Environmental adviser to the Friends) has been monitoring birds in the park on a monthly visit since 1986 on a standard walking route that includes the waterside promenade and water sampling.
i. He wrote the management plan for Horse Close Wood.
ii. Dr Dave Dawson also has a nature blog
g. The Capability Brown Society has been developing programmes for school children to perform music and display artwork in the park.
