A haven for wildlife in the centre of Green Lanes
The Railway Fields is a green gem in the heart of Green Lanes. The fields could go unnoticed to a non-curious eye, to a passerby with the world’s daily worries on their mind. However, a moment of attention paid to the large gates on Green Lanes, across the Haringey train station could reveal a wildlife heaven.
Working in partnership with the Haringey Council, the Conservation Volunteers have been keeping the Railway Fields alive. Providing a safe haven for wildlife in the middle of the world’s busiest cities, the Railway Fields is also an ideal location for introducing the local community to nature.
With multiple events taking place throughout the year, the Railway Fields has become the perfect place to keep Green Lanes’ wildlife alive and to be used as a springboard for efforts to save green spaces elsewhere. For the local community, the fields has become a magical gateway between the hustle and bustle of Green Lanes and an isolated green space filled only with the sounds of natural life.
After a minute’s long walk from the gates, we reach the small shed and office of the Railway Fields, to be warmly welcomed by Mary. Mary Hogan is leading the Conservation Volunteers’ efforts to keep this and other green spaces in the area alive and thus expand the habitat available for wildlife to survive. She explains to us that alongside its own advantages, Railway Fields is used as headquarters for activities that aim to increase the natural habitats for wildlife in North London. Several times a week 12 to 14 volunteers go to a green space around the area, pick up litter, clear the invasive species and plant wildlife for other wild creatures to survive. The aim is to create a habitat that is suitable for wildlife to live on. To be clear, wildlife in this sense refers to any insects, frogs, birds, beas, flies, plants, etc… that you can think of. The volunteers are hoping to save the animals that we are accustomed to seeing or have knowledge of but are slowly decreasing in number because we are taking over their space. These efforts are managed by paid staff that organize the schedule, guide the cleaning efforts and advise the volunteers on how to make the idea habitat with the sources available. Mary tells us that the volunteers are made up of a varied group, participants range from students to retired people, from the unemployed to young mothers.
Mary Hogan (Right) with volunteers at Railway Fields
The Railway Fields is maintained beautifully by the Conservation Volunteers
The Conservation Volunteers have been running nationally since 1959. They have had the Railway Fields since the 1990s and with their efforts and activities have made the fields more and more popular every year. Mary explains that while up to 10 years ago there were only 2 people working in the fields, the number of staff as well as visitors have increased. Now, there is enough staff to keep the fields open from nine to five everyday. Mary confirms that the usage of the fields has definitely increased. Yet, there is also room for caution; the management of the fields must balance the increasing interest in the fields with the need to keep the fields generally quiet enough for wildlife to remain on site. If it gets too crowded, Mary knows that the wildlife will leave. “This is not a park” she says, and shall not be confused with one.
Well, for now the volunteers seem to be doing an amazing job balancing the rising interest and the requirements of a truly wild space. What is more, alongside creating habitat for wildlife, the volunteers have been providing educational activities to the local community in Green Lanes. Around 1500 school children come between April and July says Mary, to receive education on nature. They look for different species and make bird nests among other activities.
The bug trail is an interesting aspect of the fields that is helping children become more involved in learning about the wild species in the field. A pathway has been opened by the volunteers, where the area around it has been made ideal for bugs to live. Their efforts encourage snails, ants, spiders and similar animals to live around the pathway. For example wood ant colonies have been the latest large group of inhabitants. We are told by Mary that the children specially enjoy this trail as every corner has a new type of insect to excite them.
Also in the fields, there are family wildlife art and photography workshops organized on the last Saturday of every month. Around 50 to 60 people attended these special days in January and February of 2014, says Mary. The Green Gym is another new project organized to encourage the community’s interaction with nature. Held in three different locations, the activity focuses on health and improving it through a rising interaction with nature.
Major events await nature lovers of Haringey
The two major events of this year are the Dawn Chorus in May and the Big Green Saturday in October. Last year, more than 60 people attended the Dawn Chorus, which is a walk that starts at dawn, around 4:30 am. The birds sing specially during that time and the sounds apparently embody a beautiful chorus. The attendees not only listened to the unique and rare chorus of the birds but also had breakfast after, turning the natural event to a social one where local community members got to interact with each other.
The Big Green Saturday on the other hand, last occurred two years ago, with 400 attendees. Mary emphasized that they had posters in Turkish for Big Green Walk that was performed that day. She expressed her hopes for the Turkish community to become more involved in the fields and in learning about nature through such community activities.
Meanwhile, the fields’ latest project is on moths. The plan is to trap moths and learn more about them. Mary believes especially the students will find this very interesting, as they will get to look at the moths under a magnifying glass. The children already do a similar activity called pond dipping. They catch animals in the pond, look at them under a magnifying glass and learn more about them with the guidance of the volunteers. Seeing as how much the children like this activity, the volunteers believe that moth trapping will be equally interesting for them.
The community of Haringey contributes to the habitat as well
Mary Hogan informs us that The Railway Fields, which is about two acres, has three types of habitat; woodland, meadow and water. The fields is largely woodland and meadow. However, the New River – which was actually built in 1613 – provides the fields with the water that the habitat needs. With 200 species of plant, she says it is an oasis of biodiversity in the heart of Green Lanes. She also highlights that amongst the many animals, the woodpeckers and frogs seem to be the most popular amongst the fields’ visitors. The community itself has also contributed to the make up of the fields, she says. Mary takes us to a loquat tree in the fields, informing us that loquat isn’t a usual fruit of this climate. Yet, people from Mediterranean countries who are used to eating loquat have eaten it in the fields, leaving its seeds on the soil. As a result, a loquat tree has emerged, reflecting the presence of visitors from across the world.
As we leave Railway Fields on a beautiful sunny day, we are left with a feeling of serenity that is difficult to find in the busy atmosphere of London, especially the commercial street of Green Lanes. We are left to contemplate the vital role Railway Fields and similar efforts play in keeping the nature alive in our surroundings.