The marvellous arts and environment community organisation Cally Arts has been working hard, in partnership with the Canals and Rivers Trust and Islington Council, to take care of the towpath from Maiden Lane (York Way) bridge to the Islington Tunnel.
Last week saw a new beech tree installed, replacing a much loved tree that had been destroyed in a criminal act of vandalism. The beech will eventually grow tall but will have a narrow crown and will have lots of wildlife associations.
Recently a new cherry tree and a new crab apple tree have also replaced a vandalised tree on the towpath near Copenhagen School. Both are important for wildlife, the crab apple especially so.
Coincidentally, Cally Arts latest work came at the same time as “Valuing London’s Urban Forest” was published, co-authored by Keith Sacre and Jessica Goodenough, of Treeconomics, and Kieron Doick of Forest Research. It is a partnership project including The Forestry Commission, Greater London Authority, Greenspace Information for Greater London, London Tree Officers Association, Natural England, Trees for Cities and The Tree Council. Using the iTree app the project is the largest survey undertaken to date worldwide using the software. It found that trees in inner London alone:
- Remove 561 tonnes of pollution each year, worth £58 million.
- Store 499,000 tonnes of carbon, worth £30.9 million.
Tree vandalism is criminal and harms us all. If you see anyone acting suspiciously near trees anywhere in our area, please report them to the police – easily done using the Just Evidence app.
In this little green-space, my daughter has used some of her pocket-money to buy wild-bird suet feeders which we have hung from a tree. We’re on the fourth one now; great to know the wren, tits and sparrows are enjoying them.