Application Form

In the era of rising environmental issues, the aim of BDA (Biodiversity Awareness) is to raise awareness of biodiversity. By becoming a member of the society, you are taking part in preserving the biodiversity of the east side of New Cross Gate Cutting, which is located between the campus and the Southeastern train track, and constructing closer relationship with fungi and bryophytes, small but effective bio-indicator species that are often overlooked.

Biodiversity Awareness Society

 We decided to stick to the idea of establishing a students society and name it BDA (Biodiversity Awareness). It would be designed to not only raising awareness of the biodiversity of the site but also meet the objectives of Goldsmiths's Biodiversity Action Plan and the concerns of London Wildlife Trust:

Promote and implement biodiversity; raise awareness of biodiversity conservation issues and best practice; facilitate both formal and informal learning about nature conservation; increase awareness of the value of railside habitats; promote environmental awareness and personal responsibility; contribute towards relevant local and regional Biodiversity Action Plans and open space strategy objectives.

Preserve the biodiversity of the site; take climate change into account.

 As indicator species, fungi and bryophytes provide important clues about the condition of the environment. By observing them, it is hoped to determine the health of the site.

Traces

Sent: 19 November 2010 15:08 

Dear Mr Nick Pond and Ms Jessica Kyle, 

I am writing regarding the Lewisham Biodiversity Action Plan for the Railway Line sides.
I understand there has been a number of visits and talks to schools and community groups "to explain the importance of railway land for biodiversity".

I am a student in Goldsmiths College doing an MA in Design and Environment. Our class is currently working on a project related to the subject of biodiversity taking as a case study the New Cross Gate Cutting, therefore It would be a great asset to our research to be able to get some information on this education programme being held by the Council.

I would appreciate if you could provide me with additional information on the subject or direct me to a contact person who might be able to help with this matter.

Thank you very much for your time and consideration. 

Yours sincerely, 

Marcela Teran

Sent: Fri 11/19/2010 3:56 PM 
  
Dear Marcela, 

Thank you for your email regarding our education programme and New Cross Gate. Was the site at New Cross Gate the only one that you were interested in? If so, this site is owned and managed by the London Wildlife Trust. I have cced Helen Wallis from the Wildlife Trust that runs Open Days and volunteers sessions at this site as she will be better placed to give you the information that you need.

If you are interested in other sites along the railway, please email me back and I will be happy to email the information that you need. 


Best wishes,
Jess







On Tue, November 23, 2010 5:24 pm, Helen Wallis wrote: 


Dear Marcela,


 I attach the management plan for New Cross Gate Cutting. We're in the process of updating it, but most of the information is still current. Another useful source of information is Ecology Handbook 30, "Nature Conservation in Lewisham" produced by the London Ecology Unit in 2000.

 If you don't have a copy of this, I could send you some copies of the relevant sections. If you would like to visit the site, we have open days on the 2nd Saturday of the month. The next one is on the 11th Dec from 11am onwards. 


Best wishes,
 
Helen







Sent: 24 November 2010 18:59 


Dear Helen, 


Thank you very much for your response and for sending me this useful
information. I don't have the Ecology Handbook, if it is no problem
it would be great if you could send me the copies, and I will sure keep
in mind the open day of the 11th of December.

 I wanted to ask you if it would be fine if I share these files with
the rest of my class. Also as part of the assignment we are making a
blog with our research process, I wanted to know if it is possible for me
to post these files online or if you prefer If I keep them for my own
use.

Thank you again for your kind help. 


Yours Sincerely,
Marcela







On Mon, November 29, 2010 5:30 pm, Helen Wallis wrote:    


I'm having problems scanning the relevant pages from the book so
could you give me a postal address please? It's probably best if you keep
the management plan for your own use as it's so out of date!


 


Helen Wallis
 









Sent: Tue 11/30/2010 12:25 PM


Hi Helen, 

Ok no problem, this is my address:

Limesfourd Road, London. SE15  
Thank you very much for your help, and I will keep the document and
the pdf file for my own use then. 


Yours sincerely,
 
Marcela Teran








On Fri, December 3, 2010 12:59 pm, Helen Wallis wrote: 


I've managed to scan these (to follow) but I've also put hard copies
in the post to you today.








Sent: Mon 12/6/2010 9:41 AM 


Dear Helen, 


 Thank you so much for sending me the files, it is very kind of you. 
Me
and my partner for this project have been going through the information and
it has helped us be more clear about the nature of the reserve. 
 I was hoping I could ask you a couple of questions regarding the management of the site, you mentioned the plan is currently being updated, is there any information you could give me about which are or would be the aims of the new management plan? 
from the previous plan I understand the main efforts were to maintain the grassland habitat and the footpath.

It is mentioned that the east side of the reserve is to be kept
untouched, is this still the case? 
 I assume that the lack of resources is still an issue and that more volunteers are needed to be able to run the desired management plan.

I ment to ask you, since Goldsmiths College seems to be interested in enhancing the biodiversity on campus, contribute with Lewishams Biodiversity Action plan, and the access to the east part of the New Cross Gate cutting is through Goldsmiths College, my partner and I were thinking whether it could be usefull for the conservation and management of the site to propose the creation of a Goldsmiths students society that could work as volunteers either in the east side of the site, if there is work that could or should be done for the preservation or enhancement of its biodiversity, or if that is not the case, then on the west side of the site. 
I understand that in addition to the volunteer sessions, the London Wildlife Trust sometimes runs training sessions?

And regarding the volunteer session this saturday, the access to the
site is through Vesta Road? 
 Thank you again for your time and your kind help. 


 Have a nice day, 
 Marcela









Sent: 06 December 2010 10:09 


Hi Marcela, 


I've copied your email to my Conservation Team colleagues who may be
able to give more information about the future management plan and the
East and West aspects of the reserve. A Goldsmiths students society
would be great idea - many thanks for that. All volunteers can join our
training courses - I will send you our updated programme when it comes
out in the new year.



Yes the entrance to the site is on the junction of Vesta and Sandbourne
Roads. I won't be there this time, but a regular volunteer Steve will
open the reserve at 11am. 


 Mathew & Ian - please scroll down for Marcela's queries.










Date: Tue, December 7, 2010 10:03 am 


Dear Marcela, 


 To answer your queries as best I can at this stage... 


 Q: Is there any information you could give me about which are or would
be the aims of the new management plan? from the previous plan I
understand the main efforts were to maintain the grassland habitat and
the footpath? 


 We don't expect the long-term aims for the reserve to change much. 
The
key issues are to conserve the acid grassland, try and maintain the
pioneer woodland community as best possible, maintain reasonable access
around the site, and - critically - ensure its boundaries are safe and
secure (inc. tree management). An underlying principle for the reserve
is no planting of any kind. We will, of course, also be taking account
of climate change issues - as we will in all our future management
plans.




Q: It is mentioned that the east side of the reserve is to be kept
untouched, is this still the case? 


 The reasons the east side were left untouched were initially more down
to resources; we focused on the western side in from 1987, as that was
where the main conservation interest was. The east was - and still is -
dominated by allotments and more typical secondary woodland. That in
itself is not a reason for intervention. However, with a potential
partnership with Goldsmiths, there maybe an opportunity to develop some
limited management on the eastern side.



Q: I assume that the lack of resources is still an issue and that more
volunteers are needed to be able to run the desired management plan. 


Agreed; ideally with some complementary assistance from staff. When I
was working in another position at the Trust I provided staff assistance
to a number of weekend workdays with the then active reserve management
group. 
 
Q: I meant to ask you, since Goldsmiths College seems to be interested
in enhancing the biodiversity on campus, contribute with Lewishams
Biodiversity Action plan, and the access to the east part of the New
Cross Gate cutting is through Goldsmiths College, my partner and I were
thinking whether it could be usefull for the conservation and management
of the site to propose the creation of a Goldsmiths students society
that could work as volunteers either in the east side of the site, if
there is work that could or should be done for the preservation or
enhancement of its biodiversity, or if that is not the case, then on the
west side of the site.? 
 
Agreed; I have been in communication with Richard Groves and colleagues
at Goldsmiths about this issue, and we are keen to take it further.
Unfortunately we have not had the capacity to progress this as quickly
as we would wish, and there are some legalities involved (the
stipulations of the lease, underpinned by Network Rail's safety
concerns). I hope to take this forward during 2011. 


 New Cross Gate Cutting fits in with the Trust's outline scope for our
Great North Wood Living Landscape area (the site originally was part of
Hatcham Wood at the northen tip of a row of wooded hills rising to the
south until the late 17th century), and we hope to step up our interests
in the reserve as a result of this.

In the late 1990s, the Cutting was part of one of our plans to gain a
greater influence over the railway network managers (at that time,
Railtrack). We had developed some influence with British Rail on their
lineside management, but with the subsequent privatisation that was
thrown in the air. 

However, with NCGC, we helped developed the profile
of the whole New Cross Gate to Forest Hill corridor as a means to
encourage Railtrack to develop a more strategically aligned management
to take account of the biodiversity interests of London's railway
network. This led to some embryonic initiatives at Sydenham Hill Station
and Selhurst Junction, but then evaporated due to staff changes at
Railtrack. 


We did, however, publish a leaflet Wild linesides, and
somewhere in the archives I produced a more detailed paper on the
biodiversity of the threw railway network in London.

In light of Network Rail's tentative steps in this direction, and the
regular calls we get in respect of lineside management from the
concerned public, I attach our position statement on railway lineside
management for information. 

 I hope this helps, 
Regards, 
 
Mathew Frith 
Deputy CEO
London Wildlife Trust

Another Idea

The idea of establishing a students' society within school came up along with the idea of installing sensors and having real-time data posted online, as a means to be engaged with the site.

The purpose of the society would be to study the kingdoms of biodiversity that is usually neglected- fungi and bryophytes. By looking at them, sensitive bio-indicators, the condition of the site can be determined and managed.

An idea

 When we decided to focus on having closer look at the small scale organisms in the site, the first tool came into mind was magnifying glass.
 As a means to connect such organisms and people, without allowing public access to the site, the use of various sensors- webcam, humidity, temperature, vibration sensor, etc.- seemed appropriate. With the help of high-tech devices and internet, "accessing the site not with our senses, but with sensors" sounded like a great idea.

Visit to Angela Marmont Centre

December 3rd 2010


A visit to Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity. 

 Located within Natural History Museum, the "Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity is for anyone with an interest in UK natural history. The center offers an identification and advisory service; a fully equipped visitor space for your own research; access to UK reference collections and UK natural history library; workshop and meeting room facilities; hands-on resources and nature surveys."


 We made a reservation for a desk at 10:30am. It was our goal to learn more about mosses and fungi. There, we got help from Mark Spencer, a Botanist, who also used to be involved with London Wildlife Trust. For the Bryophytes specialist was not present, he provided the basic knowledge on mosses and fungi. He started off by informing us that mosses are quite diverse and are very difficult to identify. They help break down minerals; hold onto water; are the source of carbon sink. Bryophytes (mosses and liverworts) are good bio-indicators: they are very sensitive to pollution and climate. British isles are designated as the internationally important region for bryophytes.


 The introduction to bryophytes lasted quite a while and what we were told is only a drop in the ocean. In order to work with our site, Mark suggested we take a look at GiGL (Greenspace Information for Greater London) and London Biodiversity Partnership. We left the place, overwhelmed. There is too much to be studied and discovered in the world of bryophytes and fungi. 


 Nevertheless, such put us in a different direction: we want to take part in building up database and conserving what is often thought as unwanted.

Lewisham Consultation Portal

Corner Vesta Road & the Brockley to New Cross Gate Railway and ‘Scout Hut’ is found on the list of Reject sites at the website of  Lewisham Consultation Portal. 


As the 'Designated Site of Importance to Nature Conservation (SINC) and of Metropolitan Importance', the reasons for being rejected to be used as residential area are: 

This site performs a valuable open space function in the area. It also contains some of the finest railside wildlife habitats in London. As a greenfield site, residential development would be contrary to PPS3.