Save Lea Marshes Newsletter

Welcome to the May edition of the Save Lea Marshes Newsletter. What a month it has been. On the positive side: the swifts are back - there're more than a dozen flying over my immediate neighbourhood and I've seen them back in the sites of previous nests; we've been treated to more birdsong and wildlife sightings - deer have been spotted on Walthamstow Marsh; and SLM and a whole host of other local groups and individuals have worked together to prevent a licence being granted for three years for a dance music festival near the Waterworks wildlife reserve. Please see https://www.saveleamarshes.org.uk As well as successfully winning, credit is due to the way different organisations and individuals worked collaboratively across borough boundaries and beyond (our website gives a list of these).
On the negative side: the sunny and warm weather has drawn more people to misuse our precious open spaces - using the Lea for swimming by the Friends Bridge between Hackney and Leyton Marshes (not a good idea for health reasons and because it disturbs a nesting kingfisher) and lighting barbeques and leaving litter in the Waterworks area.

"HAPPY MAN" TREE

This is a plane tree estimated to be over 150 years old with at least another 50 years of lifespan, sited opposite the "Happy Man" public house on the Woodberry Down Estate in Hackney. After a long debate at the L.B.H. Planning Sub-Committee, last month, councillors finally agreed that it could be sacrificed in order for the next phase of the re-construction of the estate to take place. The developers, Berkeley Homes, argued that they had listened to the ideas of local residents to avoid cutting down the tree, but there seemed to be a disagreement about this, with local residents saying they were in the dark about the final position before it went to committee. The developers argue that the area will get more green space and more trees but didn't seem able to accommodate a little space for this tree in their plans claiming that it affected the numbers of dwellings that could be provided. Now there is an encampment that has been set up. See https://www.hackneycitizen.co.uk/2020/04/20/woodberry-down-locals-fight-save-happy-man-tree-destruction-developers/target. Repeating the argument again: a mature tree has a bigger effect on the environment than do newer trees.

Another casualty of 'lockdown' the Hackney Citizen is no longer able to print copies and is appealing for donations to keep going - so any generous supporters of the free press out there...

WOODLAND..

Continuing the tree theme, one of my SLM colleagues has flagged up a TV programme on how to re-forest, allowing woodland to regenerate naturally and not on a mass scale which often leads to diseases. See https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000jf8c and don't forget Springwatch is back. Our cat (who is a voyeur and thankfully, hasn't caught anything in her 8 years apart from the odd insect), and I are happy!

ONE MORE THING ABOUT TREES ..

Who are these people that think it is OK to tie exercise bands around trees to do their workouts? Brains over torsos, please, people!

"LEA MARSH TO GLEAMING TOWERS" ..

A forty-minute talk, with slides by Claire Weiss to the Leyton & Leytonstone Historical Society, was presented on Zoom last week, replacing a scheduled live event. For those who missed it, you can catch it on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV8etUBqijQ.

DISTANCE WALKING..

Hackney and Walthamstow boroughs have both put together walks for people getting their daily exercise. For Waltham Forest Wards see https://www.walthamforest.gov.uk and go to the newsletter and for Hackney you can download all of the guided walks at https://www.lovehackney.uk/keep-active.

MOWN AWAY ..

As I type this newsletter, the green space around the block of flats opposite my home has been mown for the third time since lockdown and now looks like a desert! Meanwhile, Plantlife are currently (from 23 to 31st May), running their "Every Flower Counts" programme to encourage counting how many bees you can see on your lawn.. see https://plantlife.org.uk.

GRASS SNAKES AND MORE..

No, not talking about Dominic Cummings, but the other slithery kind of creature, that has been spotted in the River Lea. For the full story on the subject of the healing effects of nature go to https://www.hackneycitizen.co.uk/2020/05/027/josh-loeb-is-nature-healing/?utm_medium= email&utm_term=0_7f5b69838e-ccbb9fcae11-142020245/.

LESS PLASTIC..

Our friends at Plastic Free Hackney are doing an on-line workshop on the top ten tips for reducing.. its free, but you have to book. It happens on Thursday 4 June from 2.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m. go to www.plasticfreehackney.com.

and finally, am I the only miserable person who truly hates barbeques? Not only are they causing a problem in our parks and open spaces, with fire risks and litter, I find the smoke and smell of them in my neighbourhood really horrible and invasive. I can't understand why people don't cook inside and bring it out to enjoy. Sufficient evidence exists to support food being cooked to death on barbeques as being bad for our health, including cancers - for example see Medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321884 and why do we tolerate the bad air they produce in London's smokeless zone? Moaning tone off....