Get involved in our tree, shrub and bulb planting day on Saturday 2 December from 10am, as we partner with Big City Butterflies to boost biodiversity in Blythe Hill Fields.
We’re looking for an army of local volunteers to help us plant 14 large native trees and around 80 shrubs, including English Oak, Elm, Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Buckthorn and Dog Rose.
We’ll also be planting some native woodland wildlifower seeds and bulbs to provide a big eco-boost to the Fields.
A boost for local wildlife
These are all species that provide vital habitats for wildlife. Elm trees, in particular, have been in steep decline in recent decades due to blight, so we’ll be adding around eight new blight-resistant Elm trees to the park.
These elms will provide homes for important native species like the White Letter Hairstreak butterfly, which has become threatened due the loss of habitat.
Alongside the trees, we have 80 whips of woodland shrubs, which will be planted in clusters to create new ‘wildlife refuges’ for butterflies and other bugs. These tiny crittters can struggle on windy days due to the lack of cover on our exposed site.
We’ll be focusing on our planting in several key areas, including the top section of the Western edge of the park, the site of our new woodland meadow habitat. We’ll also be creating some shrubbery zones that will be protected by temporary fencing.
The project, which is kindly supported by Big City Butterflies, is the first stage of the Friends’ Biodiversity Plan, which will add a range of new habitats to the park as well as creating a new wildlife garden.
Want to join in? Dress up warm and meet us up at the top of the park at 10am.
Be sure to bring a pair of gardening gloves and and be ready to get stuck in! Please also help out by bringing any of the following other pieces of kit , if you have them:
Spades, preferably border spades
Wheelbarrows
Trowels, planting knives or dibbers for woodland bulbs
Kneeling pads
Cordless strimmers and mowers
Children are welcome, as long as they are supported by an adult.
We’ll be:
Planting 12 large trees
Planting 80 shrub whips, in ten blocks of eight, using the ‘space slice’ method
Protecting the trees and shrubs by giving each one a generous ‘doughnut’ of mulch
Installing temporary rope and peg fencing to protect our bug refuges while they establish
Planting some additional meadow ‘crop circles’, using woodland seeds and builds.
Want to learn more? Join the Blythe Hill Biodversity Group on WhatsApp for regular updates.
The map below shows our planting plan, which has been agreed with Glendale and Lewisham Council.
Note this map was updated on 19 November after further input from Lewisham and Big City Butterflies.
