Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park facts for kids

The Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park is a special park in South London, right by the River Thames. It's located on the Greenwich Peninsula. This park helps bring back the natural marshland that used to be here.

It's a safe home for many different animals and plants. You can find lots of birds, plants, and insects here. The park also helps control urban sprawl, which is when cities spread out too much. It's a great example of how old industrial land can become a beautiful nature spot.

The park covers 11 hectares, which is about 27 acres. Half of it is water, and the other half is land. It was finished in 2000 and opened to visitors in 2002. Today, The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) help manage this important natural area.

A Home for Wildlife: Habitats and Biodiversity

The Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park has many different natural areas, called habitats. Even though it's a small park, it has a lot of different living things, which is called high biodiversity. You can find amphibians like frogs, fish, and many kinds of insects here.

The park features two lakes, marshland, a shingle beach, and areas with alder and willow trees. There are also shallow pools and open meadows.

The Lakes and Marshes

The two lakes get their water from deep underground. This makes sure the water quality is perfect for wildlife. The park carefully controls the water levels. They are low in summer and high in winter, just like in nature.

Reeds grow around the lakes and marshes. These tall plants offer shelter and food for birds. You might spot grebes and warblers hiding among the reeds.

Beaches, Woodlands, and Pools

The shingle beach has sandy soil and rocks. This is a perfect spot for dragonflies to lay their eggs. Butterflies also love to warm themselves in the sun here.

The alder carr is a wet woodland area. Alder trees can grow even when their roots are in water. You'll also find dead wood here. This dead wood provides homes for tiny creatures like insects.

Willow trees in the park are regularly cut back in a process called coppicing. The cut branches are used as mulch on the ground. This helps the soil stay moist and stops unwanted grass from growing.

Shallow pools are found in the willow woodland. These pools are great for frogs and small invertebrates. Next to the bat tower, you'll find pools that sometimes dry up. When they do, special insects and tiny crustaceans thrive there.

Meadows and Rare Moths

The meadow areas are full of colorful wildflowers. These flowers provide food for bees and butterflies. They are the primary producers in the food chain, meaning they make their own food using sunlight.

Scientists have even found some species of moths in the Ecology Park that were once thought to be gone from this area. This shows how important the park is for nature.

History of the Peninsula

The Greenwich Peninsula was once a natural wetland area. But in the late 1800s, it became very industrial. Factories that made chemicals and steel, along with shipyards, took over the land.

This industrial growth led to a lot of pollution. Factories dumped waste, which harmed the environment. The natural marshes and wetlands were destroyed.

In 1997, people became more aware of the need to protect the environment. A big project called urban renewal began. The Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park was created as part of this effort. Its goal was to clean up the environment and bring back the plants and animals that were lost during the industrial period.

Cleaning the Soil: Phytoremediation

One special method used at Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park to clean up pollution is called Phytoremediation. This involves using plants to remove or break down harmful substances.

Many different kinds of willow trees are grown in the park. These trees are great for phytoremediation because they can handle toxins and pollutants. They are also "hyperaccumulators," meaning they can soak up a lot of these harmful chemicals.

How Willows Help

Willows can help clean up many heavy metals like silver, chromium, mercury, lead, selenium, and zinc. They can also deal with other harmful substances called organic contaminants.

These toxins in the soil can be dangerous. They might leak into water sources and cause health problems. The willows were planted so their roots could reach deep into the ground to the water table. They then absorb these contaminants through a process called osmosis.

Some small pollutant molecules, like 1,4-dioxane, are even evaporated into the atmosphere. There, ultraviolet light breaks them down into harmless chemicals.

Phytoremediation is a cost-effective and environmentally friendly way to clean up polluted soil and water. It's a natural solution that helps restore the land.