More on the state of Brent's parks & the 'meadows' debate

There's quite a debate going on regarding the state of Brent's parks on social media.  The 'creation' of meadows  was a decision based on saving money (£0.5m) backed by a claim that it would support natural diversity LINK. It has been implemented by  simply  not cutting the grass. Some are happy for sections of the parks to be left unmown hoping it will provide diversity for nature but others point out that real wild flower meadows need proper planning and maintenance.

Local resident Jaine Lunn succeeded in persuading Brent Council and their contractor Veolia to reduce the unmown area  in King Edward VII park to enable children to play ball games

Meanwhile a reader has sent me the above photograph of the 'cricket pitch' at King Edward VII park in Wembley commenting, 'I forgot how much they spent on doing this but they shouldn't have bothered.'

There is an extensive discussion about the issue on the View from Dollis Hill Facebook page regarding Gladstone Park. LINK

As a contribution to the meadows debate here are pictures of the meadows and 'scrape' at Mason's Field in Kingsbury where the Barn Hill Conservation Group has transformed a former playing field into a meadow. The transformation involved a substantial amount of work by volunteers including planting thousands of plug plants. See LINK.

Similar work was done at the University of Westminster wild flower meadow which is hand-scythed at the end of the season.

Mason's Field on Friday:

By contrast this is a view of one of the Gladstone Park meadows:

Harrow College students on the path to sustainability

With students at Harrow College today

I was very pleased to be invited to Harrow College (Harrow Weald Campus) as a Green Party guest for their Sustainability Week today.

There were stalls on energy saving, bee keeping, water conservation, the wildlife area, recycling and People and Planet. I was particularly impressed by the work staff and students from the SLDD (Students with Learning Difficulties and Disabilities) were undertaking creating a pond, wild flower meadow and insect and mammal habitats.  The students were selling some of their potted plants as Mother's Day presents to help raise money for their project.

Inside the Poly Tunnel

The Poly Tunnel pond had tadpoles already with growth hastened by the heat

Students have painted a Hockney style mural on the container in the wildlife area to blend with the surroundings

Log piles provide habitats for insects and small mammals

Creating habitats from recycled materials

A competition win enabled the college to install a 12ft pond with stduents doing the digging out

Students at their stall

I left Harrow College feeling that from small beginnings something very special, environmentally and educationally, was being achieved. It was a privilege to visit. 

I hope the muntjac let the plants grow!