Biodiversity - Links and Contacts

Robin (D A Bender)

On this web site we cannot attempt to describe the wonders of our wildlife or the range of work that is being done to protect it. There is large amount of information available on wildlife, habitats, conservation and biodiversity from many organisations, with increasing amounts appearing on web sites.

We list below a selection of the most relevant organisations operating in West London. We give a couple of links or contacts for each of our West London boroughs and a few contacts for London as a whole. No attempt is made to give a comprehensive list; but the London-wide contacts provide a good starting point for accessing further sources.

London Borough of Brent

Brent volunteer groups : tel 020 8206 0492

A bluebell wood

London Borough of Ealing

Ealing Wildlife Network : tel 020 8422 3284
Perivale Wood

London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham

Local Agenda 21 : E-mail hfla21@fsmail.net
London Wildlife Trust: 020 7261 0447
London Wetland Centre - Barn Elms

London Borough of Harrow

Harrow Conservation Forum : tel 020 8954 3180
Harrow Agenda 21 Environmental Forum

London Borough of Hounslow

London Wildlife Trust: 020 7261 0447

London Borough of Hillingdon

HIllingdon Group of the London Wildlife Trust: tel 020 8868 0207; e-mail rogertayloruk@aol.com
Hillingdon Natural History Society: e-mail enquiries@hillingdon-naturalhistorysociety.org.uk;

London Borough of Kensington & Chelsea

London Wildlife Trust: 020 7261 0447
North Kensington Environment Forum (many issues, not just biodiversity)

London Borough of Kingston

Kingston Friends of the Earth : e-mail futureahead@hotmail.com

London Borough of Richmond

London Wildlife Trust: 020 7261 0447

London Borough of Westminster

London Wildlife Trust: 020 7261 0447

West London

West London Organic and Wildlife Gardeners Association: 8992 0287
RSPB West London Members Group: 8998 2684
West London Ramblers Group: 020 8422 3284, londongroups@yahoo.co.uk

London-wide

Conservation : London Wildlife Trust  tel 020 7261 0447
Natural History : London Natural History Society  See web site for address.
Pratical work for volunteers: British Trust for Conservation Volunteers London office 020 7278 4294
Further education: Ecology & Conservation Studies Society

National

London Natural History Society links
London Wildlife Trust links

Particular habitats and species

West London habitats
West London species
London Natural History Society links
London Wildlife Trust links

Guide to organisations

We give below some background information which may help to place various organisations in context.

London Wildlife Trust  LWT is probably the most important organisation in London. This NGO (Non-Governmental Organisation) runs a network of nature reserves across the Capital and has a network of local groups. As well as working 'on the ground', it is involved in the major conservation issues and campaigns to protect wildlife and sites that are under threat. A must for anyone who wants to know more about conservation in London or would like to get involved.  Link to LWT

London Natural History Society  The LNHS provides a focus for those interested in natural history of the London area and who wish to identify and survey wildlife and communicate with like-minded people. LNHS web site [Info and address only.]

Borough councils  Councils are the biggest owners of land, owning parks, playing fields, nature reserves and other open land. This alone makes them key players in preservation of biodiversity. They have an additional role by virtue of being the planning authority; biodiversity being one of the criteria when setting the local plan and when determining planning applications. Councils are also the usual initiators of Biodiversity Action Plans. Local councils should be able to provide information about important wildlife sites in the borough and give contact details for local groups. Many councils have committees, forums or Local Agenda 21 groups which give local people and council officers the opportunity to meet and work together to promote conservation. Councils do much good work on conservation, but their effectiveness can be severely limited by the compromises they make to appease interests which see open land and habitats as impediments to their plans rather than something to be protected and treasured.

Greater London Authority  The GLA has a statutory duty to promote biodiversity. To this end it has produced a Biodiversity Strategy. This plans is intended to feed into all borough strategies.

London Biodiversity Partnership   This is an association of various groups including the London Wildlife Trust (LWT), the London Natural History Society (LNHS) and Greater London Authority (GLA). Its most important output is the Biodiversity Action Plan or BAP for London. Unlike the Mayor's Biodiversity Strategy, which is rather general and contains many vague statements of intent, the BAP for London is specific and precise. The BAP contains plans for protecting a wide range of habitats and species in London.

English Nature  The Government agency responsible for nature conservation. There can be no doubt that it has many good and dedicated staff and does much useful work. It has, however, a lamentable record in protecting some of our most important sites and in standing up to vested interests that would destroy our wildlife heritage. Link to English Nature. PS It has been proposed that English Nature should be broken up and combined with other agencies.

Specialist groups  There are a number of groups covering special interests such as bats which operate at a London or national level. For more information see links of London Natural History Society and London Wildlife Trust.

Friends of the Earth  A national organisation which runs a Biodiversity and Habitats campaign, dealing with the big issues of wildlife and conservation. Of crucial importance is that Friends of the Earth is politically independent and does not take money from businesses or other vested interests. This means that it is not constrained in what it says or does by its paymasters. Contrast this with the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust or Groundwork which get large sums of money from business sponsors. They carry out some good works, but their activities are inevitably constrained by the agenda and PR considerations of their sponsors and not just by biodiversity considerations. They will stay deafeningly silent about destruction of wildlife and habitats and threats to biodiversity, for fear of offending their sponsors.

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