So, we have now received the map showing the wildlife potential of the various parts of Kingsmead and it has been a bit of a shock. We anticipated that the Kings Mead would have the highest wildlife designation and that Cromwell Road allotments would at least feature as a wildlife habitat but No!
We can't produce the map due to copyright but there are several designations:
Green - protected* because they are habitats for endangered species
Purple - not protected yet but have a high chance of becoming a 'Green'
Orange then yellow then cream - no habitats and suitable for development with decreasing wildlife interest as you lose colour vibrancy
So, key surprises:
The Kings Mead North of the railway line is designated purple with a couple of very small Green areas
The part of Hartham Common in Kingsmead (NW of the lock keepers cottage) is mainly yellow with a small patch of purple
The Pines is purple
Cromwell Road is orange
Why are these surprises? Because several of the KNP know that there are slowworms/greater crested newts or other protected wildlife living in these areas.
The Herts and Middsx Wildlife Trust collate the information that informs the designations. So, we are asking everyone; if you know/see protected wildlife within Kingsmead please register it onto Irecord as below. Ideally with a photo (and a better one than mine).
https://www.brc.ac.uk/irecord/
Principal, non plant species to look out for are bats, slowworms, grass snakes, greater crested newts or otters plus a depressingly long list of birds, bees, insects. moths and other wildlife all detailed in the listing at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_species_and_habitats_of_principal_importance_in_England
So, if you're out for your daily constitutional and spot some interesting wildlife please make sure you log it on the Irecord site.
Photo is a slow worm enjoying a Tamworth Rd garden
* Protected under Section 41 of the NERC Act
How interestIng that the Cromwell Road allotments have a greater biodiversity than the Kings Mead. It made me realise how much potential individual gardens have in encouraging wildlife.
How interestIng that the Cromwell Road allotments have a greater biodiversity than the Kings Mead. It made me realise how much potential individual gardens have in encouraging wildlife.
I totally agree and on the subject of encouraging wildlife, while it's more difficult to dissuade people from using chemicals in their own gardens, I have often wondered if things like pesticides, non-organic fertilisers and slug pellets are prohibited on allotments.
Hopefully, they are but if not, should they be?
Apparently they're not prohibited in the allotments and yes they should be.
Really! I feel a petition coming on. I will look at the national picture re allotments - unless anyone already knows - and I am more than happy to take this issue up!
My daughter who has an allotment and myself will support you!
Thank you Liz. I'll do a bit of research and come back to you - and your daughter.
Hi Karen
I think Alex Daar (Cllr, sits on the Hertford Town Council allotment committee) has been working on getting glysophate and slug pellets banned. may be worth getting in touch with her
@VickyGw sorry not very familiar with how the techs work so maybe repeating myself🙂 Yes I am interested in increasing Green practices across all allotments in Hertford. I raised this issue at the Community Services Committee last year and questions were added to the recent survey to allotment holders. The survey results are back and discussed at the recent meeting. At the next one in the summer we are going to review the rules for allotments. I will look at how we can get this proposal on the Agenda. In the meantime it will really help if you can get the support of your own local councillors that sit on that committee Sue Barber, Rosemary Bolton and Stuart Hunt.
@alexandra.daar if you would like to have your allotments surveyed for reptiles and amphibians, please let me know and I will arrange a visit by Hertfordshire Amphibian and Reptile Group!
Thanks Vicky. I'll do that.
Years ago - some of you may remember - Transition Hertford organised a local speaker on permaculture to come and talk at Mudlark's allotment in the summer. We had a screen and projector etc and it was a great, well attended event.
Maybe one way to encourage allotmenteers to go pesticide free would be to hold a similar event when allowed later in the summer, with Mudlark's agreement obvs, and invite an expert on growing without pesticides to talk. Invite every one at the allotment. It would be a great opportunity to advertise the idea and benefits it brings, and could get a lot of local growers onside, maybe? What's the view?
Ben - I love this idea. I know there is at least one allotmenteer that encourages slow worms and GC newts by providing habitat and maybe the speaker could get some pictures from his allotment or said allotmenteer could have a 10 min slot on how he encourages wildlife by providing habitat
@VickyGw Sounds great. Id love to know more about encouraging those creatures
@bcrystall lots of microhabitats and weedy areas! Limit pesticide use and dig a pond. Further useful information here;https://www.arc-trust.org/garden-dragon-watch
BTW - Hertford Civic Society (HCS) have a talk organised on wildlife in Kingsmead on the 24th March 2021 8 p.m. Once I have permission from HCS I will post the details on our events page
Details of the talk are now on our meeting calendar WILDLIFE ON YOUR DOORSTEP : HERTFORD'S NEAREST NATURE RESERVES - Zoom talk on 24th March 2021 8 p.m.
I have logged on i record the Short Eared Owl that has been resident over the Winter. HMWT should have loads of records and information as they manage the site. I am sure the Trust and Dan who is the Warden could help.
Hello everyone. My name is Dave Willis and I am the People and Wildlife Officer for King's Meads. My project is funded by the National Lottery, Thames Water and the Environment Agency. I'll be giving the talk later this month, but please do get in touch with any questions about King's Meads and what HMWT are doing.
Really great to see people taking such an interest in the biodiversity of the area, and the wildlife richness of the reserve is well known, rest assured. My particular area of interest is reptiles and amphibians, and I have been recording them since last year. I am very keen to keep an eye on common lizard and common toad populations on site, for example!
Water vole and wetland bird surveys are regularly taking place, along with mapping of the flora. Dragonfly and butterfly surveys are also planned once restrictions lift. We are also really helped by the regular visits to the site by incredible photographers like Stuart!
Would be happy to include information in my talk about encouraging reptiles and amphibians. Great to see people looking after slow worms. They are our longest lived lizard, and that photo seems to show a male, if anyone was interested!
So, hope to see many of you at the talk, and please do get in touch with me at the trust if you have any questions or comments;
dave.willis@hmwt.org