The Sutton Nature Conservation Volunteers have been very busy in recent years. In fact, we’ve been busy ever since we first started helping Sutton’s wildlife in 1987. Why not join us as a volunteer to be a part of something special?

From planting trees and plants to restoring ponds, from creating wildlife meadows with the help of heavy horses and even rescuing discarded pet bearded dragons, we’ve been changing Sutton for the better. Best of all, we can actually see it’s making a difference, creating a habitat that’s truly welcoming to wildlife.

Timeline of Achievements 2018-19

 

  • 19/12/19 –  Annual bonfire of piles of Blackthorn at Roundshaw Downs
  • 19/11/19 to 12/12/19 Clearing Typha and sludge in icy ponds at Caraway Place, Sutton Ecology Centre, Wandle Valley Wetland and Kimpton Balancing Pond
  • 21 and 26/11/19 –  Planted nearly 100 whips of the 400 donated by The Woodland Trust at Belmont Pastures and Queen Mary’s Woodland
  • 14/11/19 –  Sheep grazing on Wellfield Grasslands
  • 20/10/19 –  Community planting at Queen Mary’s Woodland funded by Tesco Bags of Help
  • 2/10/19 –  Community project at Sutton Ecology Centre to upgrade bridge, assisted by staff from Safestore Self Storage and UC Build.
  • 22/9/19 –  “Crafty Afternoon” community day funded by Tesco Bags of Help, held at Queen Mary’s Woodland.
  • 5/9/19 –   Grass Snake found at Cuddington Meadows.
  • 29/8/19 –  Harvested seed from Cuddington Meadows (Tufted Vetch, Greater Knapweed, Wild Marjoram, Yellow Rattle) to Grow Our Own seedlings
  • 26/8/19 –  SNCV stall at the Environment Fair
  • 22/8/19 –  Worked on six different sites in a single day!
  • 25/7/19 –  A second brood of Small Blue butterflies seen on the scrape at Wellfield South.  Suspected sighting of Weasel’s Snout Misopates orontium at Wellfield North.  Also re-emergence of Broad-leaved Helleborine Epipactis helleborine after at least 7 years’ absence.
  • 21/7/2019 –  First Taster Day for potential volunteers.
  • 16/7/2019 –  GIGL (Greenspace Information for Greater London) staff came out with us on one of our botanical surveys.
  • 7/7/2019 –   Sutton’s Biodiversity Officer led a guided walk around Queen Mary’s Woodland.
  • 25/6/2019 –  Corporate volunteers from Dot Digital lent a hand removing Hogweed seedheads from Roundshaw Downs.
  • 11 to 25/6/2019 –  Bee Orchids Ophrys apifera and Pyramidal Orchids Anacamptis pyramidalis found on 3 of our sites after an absence of many years.
  • 1/6/2019  –   SNCV stall at Bioblitz at Morden Hall Park.
  • 30/5/2019 –  Himalayan Balsam Impatiens glandulifera removal in Beddington Farmlands.
  • 21/5/2019 –  Carried out some experimental rotavations at Sutton Common to see what would best reduce thuggish grasses in future.
  • 19/5/2019 –  Planting wildflower plugs at Carew Manor Wetlands.
  • 12/5/2019 and 13/4/2019 –  Community planting at Queen Mary’s Woodland (joined by Councillor Barry Lewis) funded by Tesco Bags of Help.
  • 17/4/2019 –  Community planting at Sutton Common (with Operation Centaur’s shire horses) funded by People’s Postcode Lottery.
  • 3/1/2019 to 13/3/2019 –  Pond-dipping platform refurbished at Sutton Ecology Centre.
  • 28/2/2019 to 5/3/2019 –  Corral at Cuddington Meadows started and completed.
  • 25/1/2019 –  Volunteers completed First Aid course.
  • 24/1/2019 –  Created scrape at Cuddington Meadows.
  • 22/1/2019 –  Created scrape at Carshalton Road Pastures
  • 10/1/2019 –  Tree whips (from 200 awarded to us by The Conservation Volunteers) planted at Anton Crescent Wetlands.
  • 29/11/2018 –  Tree whips awarded by TCV planted at Belmont Pastures.
  • 20/11/2018 –  Created scrapes and removed tree stumps and roots from Wellfield North.
  • 15/11/2018 –  Bridge replacement funded by Carshalton Rotary Club at Sutton Ecology Centre.

Timeline of Achievements 2017-18

In 2018 Sutton enjoyed its first sightings of a Ploughman’s-spikenard and a Dark Green Fritillary. Rare wild birds are returning to Sutton – at long last!

  • 6/9/18 – Heavy horses ploughing Sutton Common.
  • 23/8/18 – Sheep grazing at the Queen Mary’s Woodland glade, previously dominated by cherry laurel.
  • 22/6/18 – Being accepted as a nominee local charity in the Tesco’s Bags of Help scheme.
  • 19/6/18 – 1st recorded sighting of a dark green fritillary on Cuddington Meadows.
  • 6/6/18 – Raised pond restoration at Sutton Ecology Centre.
  • 22/5/18 – Plug planting at The Warren and Belmont Pastures.
  • 20/5/18 – Community plug planting day at Roundshaw Woods.
  • 15/5/18 – Plug planting and heavy horse ploughing at Sutton Common.
  • 19/4/18 – Installation of the Queen Mary’s Woodland ‘welcome’ totem and signpost.
  • 15/4/18 – Tree whip planting at Queen Mary’s Woodland, with local volunteers joining in.
  • 12/4/18 – Tree whip planting at Beddington Park (with local volunteers).
  • 18/3/18 – Great British Spring Clean at Wandle Valley Wetlands, with local residents joining in.
  • 19/3/18 – Raised pond restoration at Sutton Ecology Centre.
  • 18/1/18 – Tree whip planting for future hedgeline laying at Queen Mary’s Woodland.
  • 10/11/17 – Beeches installed around the Queen Mary’s Woodland looping path.
  • 17/10/17 – Scarification to The Warren.
  • 23/9/17 – Rescue of a discarded pet (a bearded dragon) at Carew Manor Wetlands.
  • 29/8/17 – Cattle set out to graze at Cuddington Meadows for the first time.
  • 24/8/17 – 1st recorded appearance of a Ploughman’s-spikenard in the Borough of Sutton.

Before/after pics coming soon – watch this space!