17 Aug Biodiversity in Hammersmith – walking tour
On Wednesday 11th August, Hammersmith BID hosted its first Biodiversity Walking Tour around the town centre.
Led by Seb Dunnett, Ecology Officer at Hammersmith & Fulham Council, the tour explored some of the town’s centre’s greenest areas, and visited engaging projects that Hammersmith BID and Hammersmith & Fulham Council are working on to make the town centre more climate resilient.
Starting at 245 Hammersmith Road, Seb discussed the Green Wall that sits on the Piazza at 245 Hammersmith Road, and its ability to drastically lower surface temperatures. Data from a Hammersmith and Fulham scheme in Queen Caroline Estate lowered surface temperatures on a hot day by 8 degrees. Residents and businesses were encouraged to plan their own green walls using English ivy.
The group were shown the Talgarth Road green cycling corridor, and revisited the ability of vegetation to cut heavy pollutants. The genus Miscanthus has been newly planted along this cycling path, and will eventually grow to a height of 2 metres, blocking the cycle lane from the passing traffic.
At the next destination, St Paul’s Church Green, Seb informed the group of the scourge of amenity grassland, and how grass found in urban green sites is heavily maintained and frequently mown for its aesthetic appeal. Leaving grass to grow more freely increases moisture uptake and allows wild flowers to grow, both which help to attract many different types of wildlife above and below the soil. The recent ‘No Mow May’ initiative was planned to combat the issue of urban grass management.
At the NW corner of Hammersmith Broadway, some of London’s famous plane trees were observed. These trees are able to improve the air quality around them through their bark – the bark falls away from the trunk to remove the pollutants, giving the trunk a camouflage appearance.
The parklets at Hammersmith Grove, installed by the BID, were visited next. Little pockets of green space are vital for attracting wildlife and enabling pollination, acting as green corridors. They also help to cool public spaces. The group learned how important it is that urbanised areas are reclaimed with green corridors, and that we start to take ownership of these spaces.
The tour concluded with a view of Hammersmith’s green roofs, focusing on the green sedum roof at Lyric Hammersmith, that acts to reduce runoff in conditions of heavy rainfall, as well as encouraging biodiversity, improving air quality, and cooling down the urbanised space around it.
With 18 attendees in total and visiting six different sites across the town, this was a popular and highly informative event. It gave an inspiring overview of how Hammersmith is responding to the biodiversity and climate crises and what we can do individually and collectively to respond further.
To register your interest in future guided walks, please email the BID team.