INSIDE THE LATEST CAMBERWELL QUARTERLY

Ben Moxham, Sophy Taylor and Elaine Clarke share the ambitions of the Trees and Green Spaces group

In the winter 2021 issue of the Camberwell Quarterly, we described the launch of the Camberwell Trees and Green Spaces Group. And explained our research into green spaces and local opinion that formed the basis of our priorities. This article gives a brief forward look to 2022.

Our third tree-themed walk

In early spring 2022, we will be publishing the Ruskin Park Walk. We have been developing this with the Campaign to Protect Rural England (London) and the Friends of Ruskin Park, with input from the Guild of St George – an educational charity founded by John Ruskin.

We have commissioned six short, accessible written contributions from leading Ruskin experts which explain his thinking, experience, and observations of nature. Ruskin lived in a house near the park for almost 30 years. Each contribution will be linked to stops for the walker next to remarkable trees or interesting views within Ruskin Park. Look out for more information about this project, including a planned event, on the Camberwell Society website!

More volunteering

This spring we are planning to step up our volunteering work. There will be a new series of activities to undertake the gardening and litter clearing tasks which have been suggested by friends’ groups and resident associations. One such activity will focus on creative planting in tree pits in central Camberwell. We are hoping to soon expand our core team to increase our capacity to organise volunteering initiatives.

Planning and Planting

Improving communication with Southwark Council’s trees and green spaces officers remains a key priority. We will work with them on matters such as tree planting and replacement, parks maintenance schedules and consideration of the Urban Greening Factor within planning cases (this work will be undertaken in conjunction with the Camberwell Society’s Planning Subcommittee).

Green Corridors

We will be working with the SE5 Forum to help plan the green corridors that could connect some of Camberwell’s green spaces, from Burgess Park to Myatt’s Fields to Ruskin Park to Camberwell Green and all the smaller green spaces in between. It would be important to provide some coordination of the different proposals that have been made, so that groups can support each other across Lambeth and Southwark. So, we will start with a public meeting.

All in all, we are looking forward to a full and active year ahead.

Caption

The trees and open spaces of Ruskin Park photo Niki Borowiecki