Welcome to Alexandra Park
in North London
Alexandra Park is a delightful mixture of informal
woodland, open grassland, formal gardens and attractions such as the boating
lake, cafés and the pitch-and-putt course. It covers 196 acres around Alexandra Palace in North London.
The Friends of Alexandra Park is a voluntary group that promotes the use of the Park, encourages the conservation of its wildlife and protects the Park from unwanted development.
Friends Upcoming Events
Conservation Work Party Monday, 25th March 10am to 12:30pm  Hope to see our first butterflies during the morning if the weather is kind (should be in better condition than the brimstone in the picture). No special skills required; enjoy exercise, plenty of fresh air and good conversation. Please bring secateurs if you have them, but we have extras you can use. We usually work from 10 am to 12.30 pm, but come for as long as you want. Meet at the Butterfly Meadow, if you know it, or at the finger post where the path from North View Road meets the Lower Road, at 10 am. Talk: Swift Conservation Trust Thursday, 28th March 7:30pm for 8:00pm  They are some of our oldest birds, having been around for something like 49 million years. They are faithful to both their mates and their nests, returning to the same sites every year (more on that in a bit). They prefer older buildings, returning to the UK from Africa in April/May to their small holes in eaves, gables or upper walls and feeding on harmful flying insects. They are famous for their ‘screaming parties’ which, once experienced, are never forgotten. Join us for refreshments from 7:30pm with the talk starting at 8pm prompt. Space is limited, so please email allyparkn10@gmail.com to book places and we will reply, letting you know the venue. Spring Tree Walk Saturday, 13th April 2pm to 3:17pm  We’ll plan to start from the BBC Tower at 2.00 pm and go down to have a look at the South Slope planting from the 1980s, hopefully walking through those trees if it is not too muddy. Then back up by the mini-golf, and tea at the boating lake for those who fancy it. Hoping for weather like this picture from the same time last year..... Friends' Recent Events
Members Walk: Our Watery Neighbours  We heard how a group of activists helped save the New River back in the 1980s. It now provides about 8% of London's water.  There was a great turn out for this walk - 27 people braved the wind so there is quite an interest for this subject. Spring Litter Clear  As well working around the trees, we pushed into the brambles and the blackthorn and generally into the shrubby bits to remove some of the hard-to-get litter before the Spring growth covers it up. Spot four of us in the picture to the left. February Conservation Work Party  No butterflies, but a Satellite moth was seen (pictured left), and, at the end of our work session, a 7 spot ladybird came to investigate a knapsack strap. We cleared a lot bramble and our work was aided by TCV who continued on into the afternoon. As always, we had Jane to thank for some needed refreshing juice and energy-giving biscuits. Join us next month on Monday, 25th March. Talk - Haringey's Biodiversity: future plans, projects and opportunities Ed summarised the list of Green Spaces within the Borough and their difference statuses (SINC, SSSI, Metropolitan Open Land, etc.) as well emphasising the fact that he wished to  One of the future jobs is to look at new Biodiversity Action Plans (B.A.P.s) which will not only focus on Parks, Woods, Bats, Allotments, but also the green areas in and around housing developments. He put up a slide of some of the invasive species that he has to monitor and counteract. He asked us also to participate by citing our priorities within Alexandra Park and wider Borough. Also to cite courses and training that we thought might be useful. (He collected up the Post-its at the end to study them later....) Finally, one of Ed's take-away thoughts/ideas was to say was that in his job it is important to interact with Friends' group and also for them to help each other. The Conservation Volunteers
February 2019  Other jobs involved removing some leaves in the meadow itself as well as helping out with the bramble clearing (picture). The weather was extra-ordinary for February with temperatures approaching 20 degrees. The next conservation session in the Park will be on Wednesday, 27th March. Meet at 10am. To book or for more information contact Tom Nandi our BAT East Project Officer, email t.nandi@tcv.org.uk or call on Tel: 07917 267 573.
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