A new series of wildlife-rich ponds and marshlands will attract frogs, toads, water voles, great crested newts and dragonflies to London’s city center.
The habitat will be found in Paddington Recreation Ground, and it will be made readily accessible to the public via a network of decking pathways and a wooden “dipping” platform to allow school children to take part in pond-dipping and to learn about the variety of animals that live in the water.
The park, created by Westminster Council and environmental charity Groundwork London, will compose of a 3,200m area which will be supplied by rainwater channeled from the roof of an adjoining building. Several of the ponds will act as a natural water filter to the larger open water area.
It should make for a pleasant, cozy ecosystem for the resident wildlife, but people might be more drawn to the ecology center and demonstration area also set to be built in the park. Run by trained staff, the center will help educate schools and the community about the natural environment and wildlife that surrounds them.
A spokesperson for the new park endorsed it here:
“Westminster is one of the most densely populated places in the UK and our parks and open spaces are enormously valued by residents, as well as those who work and live in the city. Living in the capital it’s easy to forget about the natural world that surrounds us and this new wildlife area will provide an exciting opportunity to get back to nature as well as a valuable and unique educational opportunity for our school children.”
The park and its ecology center should be ready to go by the end of the summer.
Source: Wildlife Extra
Image Credit: wsuph001on Flickr under a CC License
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