BBC Wildlife - UK (2020-05)

OURWILD WORLD

Howyou

canhelp...

WORKING FOR NATURE

Discoverprojectsyou

cangetinvolvedin:

May 2020 BBC Wildlife 95

Bob Fisher

Bromley Countryside Volunteers, London

Alloverthe

world,dedicated

individualsare

doingtheirbitby

volunteeringto

getinvolvedwith

wildlife.Megan

Shersbymeetsa

manwho'sbeen

doingjustthatfor

almostaquarter

of a century.

NationalTrust

Thetrusthasa range

ofwildlifevolunteering

opportunities,including

habitatconservation.

nationaltrust.org.uk/

volunteer

RSPB

Helpwildlifebydonating

yourtimetooneofthe

RSPB’slocalgroupsor

naturereserves.

rspb.org.uk/get-

involved

TheConservation

Volunteers

Joininwithpractical

conservationworkand

learnnewskillsinyour

localcommunity.

tcv.org.uk/getinvolved/

volunteering

It’snoaccidentthatLondonanditssurrounds

compriseoneofthegreenesturbanplaceson

theplanet.It’sdowntopeoplelikeBob,whohas

beennurturinghislocalpatchwiththeBromley

CountrysideVolunteersfor 24 years.“Bromley

containsmoregreen-belt

countrysidethananyother

Londonborough,sothere’s

lotstodoallyear,”hesays.“In

winter,forinstance,wecoppice

hazel;inspringandsummer,

werepairfencingandmanage

wildlifeponds.Inautumn,we

carryoutconservationworkin

thechalkgrasslands,tosupport

wildflowersandbutterflies.”

Bromley,a blendofurbanandrural,is hometo

fivenaturereservesandsixSitesofSpecialScientific

Interest,allofwhichrequireregularcarefromthe

19-strongteam.A particulargemis KestonCommon

anditsassociatedbogland,whichis “asneartoa

naturallandscapeasyoucanfindintheSouth-East,”

saysBob.“CharlesDarwinlivedinthenearbyvillage

ofDowne,andcollectedsundewsfromKeston

forhisstudiesoncarnivorousplants.Inmyearly

yearswiththevolunteers,I helpedtolaythehedge

borderingDownHouse– Darwin’sformerhome.”

Thesundewshavesincevanished,butthehope

is that, by removing pine trees to allow more light,

anddammingthestreamtoelevatethewatertable,

theseplantswillre-emerge.Inthemeantime,there

is a hostofsuccessestocelebrate.“Sphagnum

mosses,includingtherarebogasphodel,have

increased;invasiveEuropeangorsehasbeencleared

fromtheheathland,allowingnativedwarf

gorsetoreturn;andsmallbluebutterflies

andflyorchidshavecolonisedthechalk

grasslands,”saysBob.“We’vewonawards

forourwork.”

VolunteeringmaykeepBobclosetohome,

butin 2001 hisexperienceenabledhimto

jointheEarthwatchInstitutefora stintin

America’sCanyonlandsNationalPark.“Iwas

basedintheAbajoMountains,monitoring

theeffectofprohibitingvehicles– whichhad

beendamagingthefloraandfauna– inSaltCreek,”

herecalls.“Itwasanamazingopportunity.”

He’sfollowedinthefootstepsofDarwin,

volunteeredacrossthepondandreceivedawards,

butBobis justasproudtobepartofarguably

thelongest-runningnatureconservationteamin

theborough.“I’vemadesomelong-termclose

friendshipsandwouldcertainlyrecommendworking

with this team to anyone who enjoys the outdoors.”

FINDOUTMOREbromleyfriendsforum.org/

bromley-countryside-volunteers.html

I helpedtolay

thehedge

bordering

Darwin’s

former home.

S

T

Knowanamazing

wildlifevolunteer?

Emailmegan.

shersby@

immediate.co.uk

Bobandhisfellow

volunteershelpto

conservenature

in Bromley.

Charles Best