Good Morning Twenty Twelve
This Winter we have a host of free and exciting new opportunities with BTCV in Camden and the neighboring boroughs of Islington and Westminster. Some of the highlights will be breathing new life into Camden's parks by seeding new wildflower meadows, creating a new Orchard in a housing estate in West Hampstead, and planting hundreds of native trees and shrubs in Camden's Nature Reserves.
Getting involved is simple, click here to find all our free and upcoming opportunities in Camden, call BTCV on 020 7278 4294, or email GG-Camden@btcv.org.uk to book you place. So hope to see you soon!
Wellbeing Comes Naturally to the Green Gym. Check out this Short Film that Mind, the UK's leading Mental Health charity produced with the Green Gym in Camden. Some great interviews with our volunteers and a great introduction as to what to expect from the Green Gym.
Listen to interview with Camden Green Gym Project Officer Chris Speirs
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The BTCV Green Gym in Camden is delivered in partnership with LB Camden, Ecominds, The Royal Parks and NHS Camden.
Health by Stealth - Poem for 2012
Winter Green Gym Poem
Exercise is healthy, some swim and others run
But come and join the Green Gym, it really is great fun
To join it costs you nothing, yes it really is for free
Not like any sports gym, there really is no fee
Cleaning out the runnels, chopping up a tree
Stopping to take a breather and have a cup of tea
And if you’re nifty with a spade or rake
You’ll even be offered some homemade cake
Mending bridges, hanging gates and some weeding too
Find a job for all of us there is nothing we can’t do
Come and join the workers, get weight of those bellies
You don’t need posh shorts or trainers just a pair of wellies
by
AG (Chipping Norton Green Gym )
Seeding in the City
BTCV's Green Gym have once again teamed up with Camden Council to seed new wildflower meadows in selected parks and gardens across Camden. This exciting project will see large swathes of parks converted into productive and biodiverse meadows, which will provide new habitats for London's butterflies, bees and birds.
More than 5 meadows will be extended and re-seeded this Autumn and Winter across Camden totaling almost 4000m2 of new habitats. The meadows will include a fantastic mix of corn flowers, marigolds, ox-eye daisies, sunflowers and yellow-rattle.
The largest of the meadows will be in Euston Square Gardens, sandwiched between Euston station and Euston Road this will be enjoyed by tens of thousands of commuters, tourists and local residents every week.
Theraputic Garden for Islington
Our latest Carbon Army project is really making a difference in Islington. Funded by supporters of BTCV's Summer Appeal, Waitrose Community Matters and Islington Mind, a massive transformation has already been made in just four days.
Big Green Weekend
Our first Big Green Weekend event in The Regents Park was a great success, with hundreds of people joining in to build and take home bird boxes, mini-insect hotels and willow sculptures. We also welcomed over 40 people for their first Green Gym session in the fantastic Leaf Yard Wood, where as well as getting a workout we improved this important sites biodiversity and wildlife potential. It was a fantastic day, with great weather and lots of laughter!
Camden in Bloom Champion
BTCV's 2010 Regional Green Hero Walter Fernando, was recognised again by Camden in Bloom 2011 for his outstanding contribution to BTCV and all things green in Camden.
"This champion not only takes on the mantle of keeping the entrance to his block of flats beautifully maintained but he also helps in other green spaces in Camden through his membership of the BTCV Green Gym and Carbon Army. He’s a dedicated wildlife-friendly resident" Fiona Dean - Assistant Director Culture and customers
"Walter has invested so much time and effort into BTCV and into making the Green Gym and Carbon Army a fun and friendly place to be, although, sadly he has been in poor health recently and is much missed. On behalf of the whole Green Gym we wish him the very best and hope this is the boost he needs to recover fully." Chris Speirs - Camden Green Gym Project Officer
Photo: Walter Fernando receiving the award from the Mayor of Camden, the authenticity of his moustache is open for debate
Waterlow Park Kitchen Garden Community Launch
Waterlow Park's Kitchen Garden is complete thanks to an amazing volunteer effort from BTCV's Carbon Army (3600 volunteers hours). The project started in January and finished on the 2nd of June, and you would be very welcome to join us for the launch on the 6th of June, 4:30pm at Waterlow Park when BTCV and LB Camden will hand the garden over to the community.
The community involvement throughout shows the strong support for this initiative which aims to provide a unique community food growing space in one of London's most prestigious parks. Ten local community groups, including schools have applied and been awarded a plot to grow their own!
The raised beds have been built with 200 reclaimed and untreated Jarrah wood sleepers, filled with 18 tons of aggregate and 45 tons of soil. BTCV Carbon Army volunteers have also landscaped the site, laying woodchip and turf pathways, wildflower meadows and creating borders with standard roses, gooseberries and lavender, building compost bins, seating and an outdoor classroom.
Click here to watch an interview about the project with Chris Speirs and check out some of the volunteers in action.
Water Under The Bridge
Camden Green Gym have completed an ambitious project at the stunning Waterlow Park.
As well as clearing, relaying, edging and woodchipping the paths and seating areas, volunteers meandered a new stream, which despite many ‘concrete shaped’ obstacles is now flowing freely from the upper pond, through the new channel, under the boardwalk and down the new channel into the nature area and under the bridge built from giant cross section of London Plane.
All despite some long awaited and torrential downpours!
Green Gym transform Adelaide for Shakespeare
Green Gym volunteers have spent over 1000 hours preparing for the unique performance on Adelaide Road by the Royal Shakespeare Company, which culminated in a procession through Adelaide Road Local Nature Reserve on Saturday the 14th of May.
Over the past month the Green Gym has transformed the reserve, dramatically improving access with new steps and a wood chipped pathway, sprucing up the bountiful meadow and opening up the entrance to show off this glorious reserve.
"I hugely appreciated the enormous amount of work that went into making it beautiful as well as safe for our audiences. On behalf of myself and the Royal Shakespeare Company, I'd like to offer a heartfelt thanks to all those who contributed to making it an unforgettable and magical part of the show. " Aoife Mannix, RSC poet in residence.
"Thanks to BTCV for pulling out all the stops to complete the work at Adelaide. It was done on time and to a very high standard." Richard Harris, LB Camden.
Find out more about this Royal Shakespeare Company Production
Mulberry House School join BTCV’s Carbon Army
Mulberry House School join BTCV’s Carbon Army to plant 200 trees in West Hampstead.
BTCV’s Carbon Army signed up some young recruits an Eco-School in Camden to plant a new wildlife hedgerow at their Local Nature Reserve, Westbere Copse.
The highlight of the day was when 20 children, aged 5 to 7, marched in bubbling with excitement and eager to get some dirt on their new blue gardening gloves. Each pupil planted their very own tree, including digging, planting, stamping down the earth and mulching around the tree with dead leaves.
Mulberry House School commented “it was a really good opportunity to get involved and give something back to the community”. “This is an invaluable experience for the children and a good educational opportunity. We are looking forward to going back and watching our hedgerow grow and develop.”
Hedges are a fantastic habitat for wildlife and will provide the Copse with a much needed screen from the traffic on Westbere Road . The hedge we planted is mainly composed of hawthorn, with a mix of guelder rose, dog rose, holly and hazel.
"We are absolutely delighted with this work”, says Dave Lawrence, Volunteer Reserve Manager at Westbere Copse.”We have wanted to plant a hedge here for years and at last it is in place. This will improve the appearance of the site, reduce litter problems and be a great resource to encourage wildlife. I know that local people will be greatly pleased with this improvement.”
The activity was part of the DEFRA Tree planting campaign, which runs in partnership with BTCV’s Carbon Army and Eco-Schools across the country. BTCV’s Project Officer in Camden, Laurence Clapdorp, made contact with Mulberry House School “I am thrilled the school responded with such enthusiasm to our invitation, literally jumping at the chance to get the children involved. It brought us so much joy on the day and just gave a whole new dimension to our contribution to the Nature Reserve and the local community.”
