During her first couple of weeks as TCV’s new CEO, Rebecca Kennelly MBE, along with TCV Chair Jon Towler, joined teams in London to see the varied and impactful work they and their volunteers do.
At TCV Haringey, they spotted pockets of thriving biodiversity at Railway Fields, a green oasis yards from a bustling London street; and saw the transformation of once neglected green space surrounded by new housing developments, The Paddock.
Rebecca and Jon also visited TCV’s Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park, where there are four acres of freshwater habitat, home to a fascinating array of wildlife. They spent time talking to volunteers – those who have been with us for years and one on their first day! They got to understand how this site was developed with The Land Trust and how it has managed the urban change that surrounds it.
TCV President, Sir Jonathon Porritt, joined Rebecca and Jon on a visit to TCV’s Stave Hill Ecology Park – a nature reserve, educational facility, research area and place of recreation. The Park has been designed and managed to form a mosaic of grassland, woodland, scrub and wetland habitats.
Rebecca, Jon and Sir Jonathon took a tour and were introduced to a variety of TCV volunteers – a group who joined us for a corporate volunteering day creating community impact and some of our dedicated, regular volunteers who make this fascinating green space accessible to the public.
While TCV’s teams gave a tour of some of our London sites, they often stopped to point out evidence of biodiversity at these inner city green spaces. At Railway Fields, it was this shelled slug in its skin casing.
At TCV’s Stave Hill, they were treated to the rare sightings of Blue Velvet Fungus (Pulcherricium caeruleum). This was the third time it’s been recorded in Greater London and first time TCV’s expert, Clifford, has seen it in 30 years of mycology.
TCV’s Stave Hill also has the rare fungus Phellinus Punctatus. This was the first recording in Greater London and 49th record nationally. The team were incredibly proud to show TCV President Sir Jonathan Porritt their finds.
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