Newsletter from earlier today:
 Youngsters were out in force on Mitzvah Day
Season's greetings from the Friends of Parkland Walk. It's been a particularly busy end to the year. In late September we headed down to the Stapleton Hall Road entrance which was in desperate need of a general prune and clean up. Four weeks later we enjoyed a leisurely stroll with former conservation officer for Islington, Richard Meyers. After that it seemed to be all hands on the walk for an end of the year tidy up of the platforms at the old Crouch End Hill Station, litter picks on both the northern and southern sections and three sessions of bulb planting. Much of the work has been aided by tools given to us by Galliford Try.
Next year is likely to throw up some interesting challenges as we see the effects of council cuts on the parks budget really bite. Already the parks department is struggling to find the money needed to carry out the works outlined in its own management plan. More of that at a later date. This newsletter is a round up of events over the last few months with a big thank you to all those who gave up some of their spare time to do their bit for this treasure of a nature reserve.
Bulb planting
Cranley Gardens, Muswell Hill & Oxford Road entrances
On three occasions through November we got teams together to plant some 700 daffodils and bluebells at entrances to the walk, both northern and southern sections.
It's not something we would normally do on the walk itself as the policy is to do everything we can to maintain the walk as a nature reserve with native trees and shrubs, but next spring we can now look forward to some colourful displays at some entrances to draw visitors into the walk.
And a big thank you to all the youngsters who took part on a particularly foggy Mitzvah Day on the 20th of November and did their bit for the community.
They split into two groups, one planting bulbs near the Oxford Road entrance (seriously tough work given the amount of builder's rubble in the ground) the other doing a litter pick where they were given additional help from MP Lynne Featherstone.The teams swapped round after and hour with general consensus that the bulb planting was much more fun. No surprises there!
Path clearing
Crouch End Hill Station platforms
A couple of months earlier we came out to clear a tree that had fallen blocking one of the platforms and it was soon apparent that over the last few years the ground cover on the embankment had advanced over the old platforms at Crouch End Hill station making it almost impassable in places. In some places the platforms had become so overgrown that the path was barely a foot wide.
It took two two-hour sessions of hard work to clear the platforms and cut back brambles and overhanging elder so that people can once again pass each other without risk of falling.
On the second day of work (much colder than the first when midges were intent on making their displeasure known at being disturbed) we were delighted to be treated to a welcome tea break courtesy of Eddie (shown giving the thumbs up) from the nearby Crescent Cafe. Top photo: Matthew Lean
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Pond building
Northern section This was the second attempt to put a pond in on the northern section. The first pond got pulled up and was in a rather cramped position.
The original plan envisaged by BTCV was for it to draw on a regular stream of water running from a spring on the western bank.Unfortunately, possibly due to a lower water table the source dried up. A second attempt has resulted in a larger pond which has been surrounded with brush to reduce the numbers of dogs taking a dip and a drink and to act as a barrier to small children.
As you can see, it is now beginning to fill and we'll get some oxygenating pond plants in there soon.
If you would like more information on the work of BTCV click on their logo below  |
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Entrance clearing
Stapleton Hall Road We've been doing our best to ensure that the entrances to the walk are kept pruned back. It's not just to improve access. We're well aware that for everyone's safety it's important that entrances are open to light.
In the course of cutting back the vegetation with BTCV we also exposed large amounts of rubbish.
Recently volunteers from Haringey's waste contractor, Veolia, removed over two tonnes of rubbish and debris at the Finsbury Park end and there's plenty more where that came from.
North section
Pruning back
BTCV led a group on the 22nd of December cutting back sycamore saplings, beginning the process of removing Russian vine, cutting back brambles encroaching on the path and generally tidying up. There's still more to do and we'll keep you posted in the new year.
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  Planning the year
With an eye on making it easier for volunteers to plan ahead we intend to have a regular date in the calendar for work parties. At the moment this will be the second Saturday in every month. That's not to say there won't be more events during the year, but if you want to get involved and need plenty of notice this should help.
Dates for the diary
First will be a session tidying up path edges on Parkland Walk South on 14th Januarybetween 11.00 and 1.00. We'll meet at the end of the walk by Holmesdale Road entrance. We will be concentrating on the dark and narrow sections towards Northwood Road. Bring gardening gloves. We'll provide the necessary tools.
There will also be litter picks on the northern and southern sections on 11th February.
Picture from the 'litter pick' in February 2011 on the northern section
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