Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Nature notes: the diary of an EEVO

This week has been super busy and I’ve spent most of it outside so no time to sit and read. So I thought that for a change I’d share some of my field diary notes about being an Environmental Education Volunteer Officer but first let's look at some picture of cute baby birds...

Saturday 12th May
12.30pm A trip to the ponds at Clissold Park to feed the waterbirds (proper bird food of course!). We are treated to goslings and cygnets who come to enjoy the feast.
Sunday 13th May
3.30am Can’t believe I’m up at this time.
4.30am The bird walk with Quentin Given of FoE begins. We hear great tits, wrens, robins, sparrows, blackbirds, blackcaps singing as well as the less melodic tones of wood pigeons, crows and a jay and, as we approach the New River we spot coots, mallards and swans. As the walk finishes the welcome summer sound of swifts scream over our heads.
5.00amish Watched the sunrise over Railway Fields, listening to the Dawn Chorus. Every year I think I’m so glad I got up and did this.
7am Back in bed!

Monday 14th May
10.30 The first of five sessions at Railway Fields this week, starting with taking a Reception class on a mini-beast hunt. It’s a beautiful day and there’s a lot of flying insects to spot: bees, butterflies, hover flies.
1pm It’s the turn of a year 2 class to search for mini-beasts. We practice keeping very quiet and walking very slowly so that we get to see more of what is going on around us, especially the bird life. Not always easy at that age but they do a grand job.

Tuesday 15th May
10.30 Lovely morning with Reception class on our mini-beast hunt. We found a slow worm! The slow worm population is gradually increasing in Railway Fields but it’s the first live one I’ve found...or rather the kids found. Slow worms are legless lizards which like to hide away under logs (where we found ours) or in compost heaps feeding on slugs and other slow-moving prey. So definitely the gardeners friend!
12.30 pm Quick trip to see the Dryad's Saddle, Polyporus squamosus behind the cabin. Edible when young, it smells of watermelon when cut apparently. A dryad (as any fule no) is a mythical wood nymph.
2.30pm We don’t just get to teach Environmental Education to children as schools volunteers but also free training and this afternoon we are learning how to tell which tree is which when all the leaves are out and everything is just green!

Highlights include finally learning to ID the rare wild service tree on the site and finding a hatching of tiny spiderlings*

Wednesday 16th May

10pm A fearless fledgling blackbird hedge-hopping totally steals my heart and makes me break my rule about trying to take pictures of birds with smartphones. I just can’t resist him!
10.30 Cold day to search for mini-beasts today but the Reception class are still game and love all the creatures that like it cold and damp, like centipedes, woodlice, slugs and worms.

1pm Lots of fun in the afternoon with year 3 exploring the world of plants and trees: sticking cleavers to our clothes and blowing dandelion clocks to show how seeds disperse.
If this sounds like an ideal way to spend your day, Railway Fields are interested in volunteers for its schools project. You will need to do a DBS background check but you don’t have to commit to coming every day (unless like me you want to!)