London,
03
July
2011
|
23:00
Europe/London

Hackney s wildlife is counting on you

Local people wanted to help record wildlife in Hackney

Hackney Council is asking local residents to get involved with recording wildlife across the borough.

Having a good understanding of Hackney’s local wildlife helps the Council to make decisions about the local environment, such as how parks are managed or how planning applications are determined.

Hackney Council is working closely with Greenspace Information for Greater London (GiGL). All of Hackney’s records will feed into a London-wide and national databases helping monitor how wildlife is doing across the UK.

Hackney’s biodiversity audit currently shows we have over 30,000 species recorded so far. This includes a number of rare or protected species, including nine different species of bats, the black poplar tree and the rare black redstart (a robin sized bird).

Cllr Jonathan McShane, Hackney Council s Cabinet Member for Health, Social Care and Culture explained: “Improving biodiversity through initiatives like more spaces for wildlife in parks is a priority for the Council. You can help us record wildlife, by going out to your local green space and making a note of the birds or flowers that you see. Not only is a great way to relax and see Hackney’s green spaces but you will also be helping us shape the future of our urban environment.”

The Council is interested in finding out about all of wildlife, including plants, animals, birds and insects, particularly keen to get records of reptiles and amphibians – things like snakes, frogs and toads – as we don’t have many records for those groups.

Let the Council know what wildlife you see in your garden, park, local canal or other spaces. There is guidance on how to start recording wildlife and how to submit records on the Council’s website at http://www.hackney.gov.uk/recording-wildlife-in-hackney.htm.

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