Local groups and partners celebrate community care for nature

This month, we hosted a networking day for river management stakeholders in London, bringing together the Crane Valley and River Lea Catchment Partnerships for a day of knowledge and experience sharing.

Representatives from Crane Valley Community Interest Company, Friends of the River Crane Environment (FORCE), NatureWorks, ReNature London and the London Borough of Hackney Council came together to connect and enjoy the outdoors.

The networking day highlighted the importance of collaboration and learning to restoring and maintaining London’s river systems. The ongoing restoration of the River Crane in Richmond has been the result of over 30 years of collaboration involving numerous partners. Through our combined efforts with local partners, the river is now a beacon of inspiration and can be used as a valuable example for those working hard to emulate the same success elsewhere.

Starting at Twickenham Station, we walked over 4km upstream through Kneller Gardens, Crane Park and Little Park. Along the way, we met with community charity Let’s Go Outside and Learn, who were building stag beetle loggeries with pupils from a local college, The Friends of Meadway Orchard who were carrying out their regular Wednesday volunteer session and The Conservation Volunteers, who were working with FORCE to maintain the artificial river flow deflectors in Crane Park. This journey provided the group a chance to learn on the ground about the vital role of local volunteers and community groups in looking after our borough’s rivers.

Look after nature together

Our parks and open spaces are perfect for enjoying the longer days of spring and summer. As we spend more time outdoors, it’s important to remember these areas are shared with local wildlife. There are many opportunities to give back to nature, and your small actions can make a big difference. Find out more about volunteering in parks.