A charity for future generations

1. Restoring nature

‘For 130 years, the National Trust has responded to the crises and challenges of the time. Today, nature is declining before our eyes and climate change is threatening homes and habitats on a colossal scale.’ The words of Hilary McGrady, Director-General of the National Trust as she marked our 130^th birthday last year by announcing a new strategy for the next ten years and until 2035.

‘We will ramp up our work to restore nature, both on our own land and beyond our boundaries. We’ll work to end inequality of access to green space and cultural heritage. And we will inspire millions more people to take action to protect the things we all need to thrive.’

As a supporter Centre we need to interpret the strategy for Beckenham and Bromley and consider how we can help the Trust to achieve its goals. I plan to look at each of the three in turn starting with ‘Restore Nature’.

The first goal is that by 2035 the Trust wants to create 250,000 hectares of nature rich landscape where the rivers run clean and landscapes are connected. Then by 2050 natural processes must be restored, ecosystems functioning and habitats expanded to ensure that nature has recovered and flourished and adapted to a changing climate and environment.

In Beckenham and Bromley we are in a strong position, we are London’s greenest borough with more than one hundred parks and open spaces and a network of rivers, streams and brooks interlaced across the parks which run into the Ravensbourne and then the Thames at Deptford Creek. Amazingly we have 93 sites of importance for Nature Conservation, six sites of Special Scientific Interest and five local Nature Reserves.

1. Chinbrook Meadows Peace Garden 2. The river disappearing down another concrete tunnel 3. Kingsmeadow

I am not going to give an exhaustive list and I have a lot to learn about nature within the borough and what might threaten it in the future. I will do that and use this blog and the newsletter to talk about them.

I do know that there are still parts of the borough where the rivers are either running through concrete or inside concrete tunnels and out of sight. The huge benefits of river projects, like the Waterlink Way means that the River Pool now flows freely until its confluence with the Ravensbourne. The redevelopment of Kelsey Park has brought back wildlife to Beckenham to the benefit of all

Projects like this need support and need the maintenance of Green Belt land. I would love it, and it would help the centre and the National Trust if our members and readers could get involved, there is a lot to do to achieve the National Trust strategy.

I also would ask that you get friends and family involved too. Ask them to take an interest in the borough and to consider joining our centre. In particular we would like to recruit more new and recently retired people who may be looking for something useful to spend their time doing!

At the bottom of this page, you will find a heart symbol which you can use to say that you like the article and a speech bubble where you can write comments on what I have said – or just email me at chairman@ntbbcentre.org. I will reply to all comments.