Nature Conservation Lewisham

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Tag Archives: River Ravensbourne


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Lewisham DWP help out with the 3 Rivers Clean UP

Wading in the Ravensbourne

Wading in the Ravensbourne

A merry bunch of eager volunteers from the Lewisham branch of DWP came out on a wade today as part of the 3 Rivers Clean Up.  16 of us waded from Ladywell Fields to Catford and managed to pull out 10 bags of rubbish, a bin and a trolley.  The trolley came in very handy when we had to take all the rubbish back to base! A big thank you to all of the staff that came – we hope to see you again next year!

The 3 Rivers Clean up is a is a three-week long intensive annual volunteer campaign to improve the rivers Ravensbourne, Pool and Quaggy in South East London.  Now in its eighth year, this unique 3 Rivers Clean Up partnership program has been highly successful in removing and preventing the spread of Himalayan Balsam and other species such as Giant Hogweed and Japanese Knotweed, in the Ravensbourne River catchment. Removing invasive species is the main focus, however, the 3 Rivers Clean Up is a great opportunity to remove all the rubbish and debris that builds up within this urban river catchment.

 

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Ravensbourne Catchment Improvement Plan

Ravensbourne Catchment plan

Ravensbourne Catchment plan

The River

The river Ravensbourne rises, 4 miles south of Bromley town centre at Caesar’s Well in Keston.  It then flows through the London Boroughs of Bromley, Lewisham and Greenwich where it then joins the River Thames at Deptford, where its 1/2 mile muddy tidal reach is known as Deptford Creek.  The Ravensbourne is 11 miles (17 km) in length with a total catchment area of 180 km2.

River Ravensbourne catchment map

River Ravensbourne catchment map

The Ravensbourne Catchment Improvement Plan

The Catchment Improvement Plan was an initiative led by Thames 21 and supported by several partners, including Lewisham Council, to encourage those with an interest in their local rivers to express their views and have a say about the future of the River Pool, the River Quaggy and the River Ravensbourne. The project had a focus on getting local people more involved in their environment and help them to understand more about the rivers in their backyard. Following on from the two years of extensive consultation and the production of development document ‘The Vision’ in 2014, the Ravensbourne Catchment Partnership hosts Thames21 completed the Ravensbourne Catchment Plan in 2015.

What next?

Within the completed Plan is the Ravensbourne Project Schedule, which contains the main projects that are in progress, in planning or in development along the catchment. These projects are aimed at carrying on the great work that has gone before along the catchment such as the delivery of Sutcliffe Park, Chinbrook Meadows and Ladywell Fields regeneration projects, so that we can remove as much hard engineering as possible, create as many natural habitats as feasible and improve the public amenity value of our waterways without compromising our capacity in dealing with major rainfall events.

How you can help

The RCIG will continue to positively engage with the public by holding training days so that individuals can learn how to lead a river event or conduct water-quality testing. There is also an opportunity for your views to be raised at the RCIG meeting by contacting one of the RCIG partners.

However, if you feel your views are not represented by one of the existing partners please contact Lawrence Beale-Collins, the chair of the group, to discuss representing your group/organisation at the RCIG or to find other ways to become involved.

Ravensbourne Catchment Improvement Group

In 2012 Thames21 joined a range of partners from local community groups and charities to councils and government agencies to form the Ravensbourne Catchment Improvement Group (RCIG). This group is working to improve the rivers of the Ravensbourne Catchment for people and for wildlife.

The priority for the RCIG is to develop, promote and deliver the Vision and Catchment Plan for the Ravensbourne, Pool and Quaggy rivers.

The work of the RCIG is part of Defra and the Environment Agency’s  ‘catchment-based  approach‘(CaBA) to working with individuals and organisations that can make a difference to the health of England’s water environments. The catchment-based approach aims to deliver and raise awareness of the Water Framework Directive and what this means for our rivers, estuaries and coastal waters – which is EU legislation requiring improvements to water quality and the river environment.

Ravensbourne Catchment Improvement Group members

Thames21 is the RCIG ‘host’. Their role is to organise and coordinate the different members of the partnership, and drive Catchment Plan Project Schedule forward. Thames21 is also the initial contact point for any enquiries you may have.
Here is a list of RCIG partners:

Quaggy Waterways Action Group (QWAG)
London Wildlife Trust
LB Lewisham
LB Bromley
Royal Borough of Greenwich
LB Croydon
Thames21

 


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Clearing the Ravensbourne in Beckenham Place Park

3 Sophie and Jess

Clearing the Ravensbourne

As part of the 3 Rivers Clean Up the Nature’s Gym volunteers cleared part of the River Ravensbourne in Beckenham Place Park.  Their work involved picking up litter and pulling up Himalayan Balsam.  Himalayan Balsam is one of a number of invasive species that you can find along our rivers.  This one however is easy to treat with willing volunteers! There is something quite special about wading in a river while dappled sunlight dances across the water! When you are down there you really would not guess that you are in an inner London Borough.

Along with a number of other local groups we run lots of rivers sessions throughout the year.  This doesn’t always involved pulling Balsam, but if this is something that you would like to get involved in, please visit our Friends at the Rivers and People blog.

The video below, filmed with Tom Morgan of Wiltshire Wildlife Trust hows how to remove Himalayan balsam late in the season where it has been allowed to set seed. Himalayan balsam, a weed, is popular with bee keepers due to its high nectar content and late season flowering. However, research has shown it to negatively impact on native invertebrate abundance. The British Beekeepers Association advise that the plant is removed BEFORE it sets seed.


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Nature’s Gym Programme July-September 2015

Volunteers enjoying their wade!

Volunteers enjoying their wade!

Please see attached the Nature’s Gym programme for July-September 2015.  I hope there is something in there that you will enjoy!

Please be aware that there are quite a few sessions that involve wearing waders and working in the river. At these sessions, we can not guarantee that there will be any work available on dry land. If working in water isn’t something that you feel comfortable with, we understand if you would prefer to take a break for a while. We will welcome you back with open arms once the 3 Rivers Clean Up is over!

If you would like to join in with these rivers sessions, booking is essential even if you are a regular volunteer. There are other sessions running throughout the week with our partners. You can find details of these events at the 3 Rivers Clean Up website or Facebook page.

The Lewisham Naiad?

The Lewisham Naiad?

As part of the event London Bubble will be running two story telling events, one in Ladywell Fields and one in Manor Park.  For more information about these events, please visit our earlier post. Join in as well using the hastag,  #whatlivesinlewisham on Twitter and Instgram.

 


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RaP Walk Sunday 24th August

RaP walk 24th August

The next Rivers and People walk will take place on Sunday 24 August at 2.00 pm. The walk goes from Catford Bridge station to Ladywell Station via Ladywell Fields and will look at the naturalised sections of the Ravensbourne river and other aspects of this green space, once part of the Kent countryside.
We will meet just outside the station on Adenmore Road. This can be accessed either by the Platform 1 exit or down the steps from Catford Road.
The walk should last approx 1.5 hours and is almost entirely on level ground.
If you can, please go to http://riversandpeople.com/walk-guides/ and print out Walk Guides 3 and 4 which relate to this walk. You may also want to look at the maps of the river network which can be found there at the Catchment Maps tab.
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A photo from our last walk along the River Pool- Tom Moulton


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River Ravensbourne catchment improvement plan

River Ravensbourne catchment map

River Ravensbourne catchment map

The Catchment Improvement Plan is an initiative being led by Thames 21 and supported by several partners, including Lewisham Council, to encourage those with an interest in their local rivers to express their views and have a say about the future of the River Pool, the River Quaggy and the River Ravensbourne. The project has a focus on getting local people more involved in their environment and help them to understand more about the rivers in their backyard.

We want to hear your thoughts about your local stretch of the river – what you like about it, what you don’t like, what would help you love it more and finally what you can suggest be done to improve it. (Even if you don’t live near to the river, we’d still like to hear from you if you have comments to make about it!)

Please help us by filling out the questionnaire, so together we can make the entire catchment a better place for both people and wildlife. The information that you provide will be incorporated into the Ravensbourne Catchment Plan.

If you would like more information about this initiative, please visit the Thames 21 website.