At the beginning of October, the Friends of Brockwell Park (FoBP) created added to a added to new wildlife area by planting 1,300 wildflowers. Lambeth Parks team supplied help and tools.
The wildlife area is designed to increase the park’s biodiversity and improve people’s access to nature. The Friends paid for the plants, with match funding from Lambeth and the Mayor of London’s ‘Rewild London Fund’ for the creation of the area.
The new wildlife area is in the north of the park between the BMX track and the Brixton Water Gate entrance.
Wildlife and water works
As well as a habitat for wildflowers, it is designed to help prevent flooding in the paths and roads by capturing, slowing down and dispersing surface and rainwater flowing from the higher parts of the park, which helps reduce flooding on paths and surrounding roads. The area consists of a series of raised ridges and ‘swales’, or gentle depressions in the ground, totalling over 4,000 square metres of the park.
Word from the Cabinet
Cllrs Fred Cowell and Nanda Manley-Browne, Lambeth’s Cabinet Members for Equalities, Governance and Change, said:
“This is a superb example of how people in Lambeth work with Lambeth Council to make our environment not only better for wildlife, but also more colourful, and more resilient to climate change.
“Projects and events like this demonstrate our shared commitment to responding to the Lambeth Biodiversity and Climate Change crises, and how the whole community is involved in securing a better outcome for both nature and people.”
Bees, bats, birds and more
The native wildflower species planted were chosen not just because they do well in damp soil and provide cover and food for wildlife including bats and birds, but as fantastic sources of nectar and pollen for pollinating insects including butterflies, moths and bees. They include purple loosestrife, fleabane, meadowsweet, soft rush, ragged robin, hemp agrimony, devil’s-bit scabious, marsh woundwort, viper’s bugloss, and meadow cranesbill.
Laura Morland from the Friends of Brockwell Park said: “This was a brilliant event involving 25 members and supporters of the Friends of Brockwell Park and two of Lambeth’s Biodiversity team. These plants help enhance the area for insects, birds and other animals. A good time was had by all.”
More information
Find out more about Brockwell Park
