London¡¯s Wildlife
London is enormous city of restaurants, hotels and shopping centres but also it has a green side. Hundreds of wild animals and plants live around this beautiful city.
- London Wetland Centre. A mosaic of created wetland habitats, developed on the site of a disused Victorian reservoir, forms the site of the London Wetland Centre. Wander around and explore the wetlands, but also make sure you include The Peter Scott Visitor Centre in your trip. The Visitor Centre allows people to get closer to wildlife. There are TV monitors in the buildings broadcasting pictures beamed from the wilderness areas of the reserve, coupled with interactive computers allowing visitors to explore the secret world of birds and wetlands wildlife. To get there from north of the river, travel to Hammersmith Tube Station and take the 283 straight there 9am - 5pm. Or you can get the 209, 33, or 72 to the Red Lion pub, just a short walk from the entrance to the centre.
- London Wildlife Garden Centre. Great place for ideas on how to make your garden more attractive to local wildlife, or interested in training courses, the Centre for Wildlife Gardening is a good place to start. Created as a tree nursery in 1989 by the London Wildlife Trust, this Centre promotes green spaces and shows how we can encourage wildlife in gardens and even window boxes. The pleasant wildlife garden which include two ponds offers a relaxing place to listen to the sound of frogs, grasshoppers and songbirds. Wildflowers, herbs, pond plants and trees are available in season from the plant nurseries here. While here drop into the award-winning visitors' centre and see the innovative ways we can ensure our buildings don't damage the environment.
- Battersea park. Located on the south side of the Thames, facing Chelsea, Battersea Park caters for everyone within its 200 acre space. Firstly, there¡¯s lots of water ¨C a lake for boating, ponds for admiring the wildlife, and the Thames along one side for general gazing purposes. Then there¡¯s art - the Pump House Gallery has regular exhibitions and there are many sculptures dotted around the park itself. Next comes sport ¨C with all-weather pitches, tennis courts and a place to hire bicycles there¡¯s no excuse to be lazy. Children get a great deal with their own adventure playground and zoo, while a majestic Peace Pagoda bestows an air of calm and tranquillity to the typically action-packed surroundings. Wildlife thrives here with birds, animals and plants happily cohabiting within the grounds.
- Highate and Queen¡¯s Wood. Much of London was once entirely covered by the ancient Forest of Middlesex. The oak, holly, and hornbeam trees of Highgate Woods and Queen¡¯s Wood (a road is all that separates the two), alongside a few other patches of green across the city, are the only proof it ever existed.
Seven species of bats, foxes, grey squirrels and over 70 species of birds still happily inhabit this 70-acre patch, which has been cared for by the Corporation of London since the Lord Mayor pronounced it "an open space forever" in 1886.
A year-round attraction, bluebells carpet the floor in the spring, picnickers in the summer, russet leaves in the autumn and snowdrops in the winter. A walk around Highgate Woods is a fantastic way to escape the hubbub of the city, its cooling glades offer escape from the sun on hot days and shelter on cool afternoons.
When night falls you can join one of the organised Bat Walks. These are extremely popular so pre-booking is essential. For information leaflets and trail guides visit the information centre located in the middle of the woods near the cricket pitch.
A great way to end your visit is by popping into the charming Pavilion Caf¨¦ to sample a home-cooked meal made from fresh local produce. Its outdoor garden, surrounded by plants, flowers and tiny lights is the perfect way to see out the day.
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