Ealing Wildlife Group Newt Surveys
The newt survey season runs from April to June, during which we conducted torch surveys and bottle trapping across several sites. There is a huge amount of satisfaction when you find a newt caught in the trap…
The Great London Pond Project
The Great London Pond Project is a partnership project between the Zoological Society of London, Freshwater Habitats Trust and GiGL, and is supported by the Mayor of London. The wider aim of the project is to restore and increase the number of vital pond habitats for London…
Interview, Clara Lehmann
I’ve always enjoyed working with environmental data and appreciated its importance in understanding the natural world. I also thought it would be interesting to work in a LERC based in London to learn more about the connection between the urban and natural environment…
Strategic Significance for London
We’ve been working since 2018 to support our stakeholders with the then emerging biodiversity net gain (BNG) scheme. In the biodiversity conservation field, it’s important we share not only the successes but also the things that didn’t quite work as planned in order to improve methods and processes in the future…
Stories from the London Ecology Unit Handbooks
The LEU created handbooks which provided a description of the biodiversity evident at that time in most boroughs. Though primarily focused on ecology, they also provide local historical vignettes, which may be a source of pride, or horror, to modern-day readers. Several themes weave through these accounts, providing us with a snapshot of life in bygone eras…
Interview, Emily Hawkes
As GiGL’s Nature Recovery Data Officer, I work alongside the Greater London Authority to help deliver London’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS). This entails identifying, collating and integrating key spatial datasets to produce a robust evidence base that can help accomplish successful delivery of the LNRS…
Reinstating Constable’s Branch Hill Pond
Reinstating Branch Hill pond is a collaborative project initiated by the local Redington Frognal Association and with a big contribution from the City of London Corporation who own and manage Hampstead Heath…
The UP Garden
In Summer 2021 I approached the London Borough of Newham and Swan Housing Association, who own and manage the estate respectively, about bringing the yard back into use. Together, we applied for and were awarded a GLA grant to create The UP Garden…
London White Stork Working Group
At Citizen Zoo, we are very excited to announce we are exploring the potential return of majestic white storks to London. White storks (Ciconia ciconia) are an unmistakable and inspiring species that have symbolised hope, regrowth and new life for millennia…
Summer Editorial Issue 35
The nine articles in this Issue showcased a collection of personal narratives, interesting discoveries, and enlightening guidance. They particularly focused on the incredible diversity, both biological and geological, of London and the efforts of those working to record and preserve it…
Recording Apps: Let’s get specific
Over the last few months, I have been testing other recording apps, to provide a thorough overview of all that is available to newer recorders or those interested in testing new ways of storing and sharing their data…
London Geodiversity Partnership
The aim of the London Geodiversity Partnership (LGP) is to identify, conserve, and make available to researchers and interested members of the public, the most important sites of geological interest in Greater London…
Interview, Louisa Bizzarri
I am a naturally sociable creature and enjoy opportunities to connect with other environmentally minded people, and to give my networking skills a bit of practice…
Interview, Sarah Lewington
I love exploring the world around me and have been lucky to live all over the British Isles. I have been able to learn from those around me involved in the natural world, whether professionally or as part of the fantastic volunteer community…
iNaturalist: Nature’s Social Network
Following last month’s initial article in our series on recording apps, the second instalment is here with a brief overview of iNaturalist and specifically iNaturalistUK. Learn why the app has become an essential part of the toolkit for new recorders worldwide and how to get involved…
Hedgehogs in Bromley: A Recent Cause for Concern
Hedgehogs are the subject of a Species Action Plan in the London Borough of Bromley. Bromley Biodiversity Partnership has been running a Citizen Science Hedgehog Survey since 2017…
Recording Apps
With the global proliferation of smartphones, Recording Apps, have become a vital tool of those intrigued by nature. When linked to more conventional recording resources, RAs offer easy exposure to the wonder and complexity of nature, as well as access to the experts who can take advantage of the wealth of new data flowing around the world…
Joy of Recording: Cassandra Li
Committed to weaving biodiversity into the urban fabric, hand in hand with the community, I currently work as Team Leader at The Conservation Volunteers (TCV). You will often find me tending to the charming nature spaces in Haringey, or studying bryophytes, spiders and other wildlife around London.
Capturing London’s Biodiversity: The Role of Photography in Wildlife Recording
Whether using a digital or a phone camera, photography can be fun and engaging, as well as having the added benefit of assisting in species identification, verification, and survey/recorder training…
Winter Editorial Issue 34
Welcome to the 34th Issue of the GiGLer. As with every editorial, this one is bursting with news from the last 6 months, from the launch of the London Day of Nature to the latest in all things planning and policy…
Informing development in London
The updated figures on our Data Searches and Planning webpage give information on planning applications informed by GiGL data search reports in each Local Authority, which provide an indication of how well (or not) biodiversity data are used to inform development in London. We are a long way away from the ideal 18% but there are some Local Authorities that are doing better than others…