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So another mild, dry winter.
The Wild Life Area look despoiled and empty...
but impressions can be deceiving. In the log wood area for instance lots of invertebrates are active both in the logs and under it. The wattle hedge covered with soil is home of a great number of sheltering organisms and even in this season columns of flying insect could still be seen here and there.
The resident fox was sauntering about and a flock of gold finches was flattering in the bushes. The more notable of several other and shyer birds.
None the less the site needed a good cleaning.
Days of strong winds and unkind human activity (we are bordering to the Kinglake estate, after all and it is tough) have left lots of rubbish strewn all over the place especially on the Kinglake side.
Responding to the challenge and taking advantage of the dormant vegetation, ( the absence of which allow to reach more difficult places) the the Friends of Surrey Square volunteers have sprung into action!!
Some beaver away in the background...
Others are less reserved, but all work hard to take advantage of the daylight and the reasonable weather conditions.
Besides we all worry that people may complain about the state of the area and one doesn't want to give ammunitions to the enemies of our little park.
Daniel even get on the other side of the kick-about court for a spot of cleaning under the abundant and neglected snowberry bush thriving there (the park maintenance contractor should have trimmed and above all cleared the rubbish from the "understory" of the symphoricarpos patch, but they have not done so for a considerable time).
In any case a large flock of common sparrows had made their home in the thick hedgerow last summer and would be a pity if they would be deterred from returning by the decomposing detritus . They are rare enough in London and encourage they presence is a must.
The accumulating of waste is a big problem for pocket size parks like our. They serve a very large human population and this put a lot of pressure on the habitat.
Put simply a small area of green like Surrey Square Park could quickly and easily cave in under the enormous strain that the presence of so many people can put on it. For one thing they could easily disappear under the amount of waste that human presence naturally produces. This ranges from the lighter components brought in by the wind, for instance papers and plastic bags, to the cans and bottles or food wrappings left behind by careless passers-by, to the more challenging threats of fly-tipping and house-goods abandonments; for instance just in front of the Kinglake side of the Wild Life Area, the previous day, someone damped a lots of old fridges (and they could have as well have dumped them in the park!!).
So cleaning up is important. Not only because is an essential maintenance but also because gives the impression that someone look after the place. Beside it is just good old fashion civic sense and makes one feel good. At the end we collected the usual medley of objects, few balls (we managed to give one away to a group of kids that asked for it) and electronics. We found only a couple of blades and no credit cards!! Things are getting better!
So well done everybody and may our efforts give us good karma.
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