Thames Landscape Strategy - Hampton to Kew -

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Swingbridge, Petrofac, and the Stag Beetles

The Swingbridge work is nearly complete out along the Molesey Riverside. The volunteers and community payback groups have been working since the beginning of November, clearing scrub, removing dead trees, widening the towpath, and clearing litter, from Hampton Court Bridge to the Millennium Marker in Hurst Park. There has been an excellent response from the public and residents regarding the work so far. We have also had a visit from BBC Radio Five Live following the work of the Probation Service and the Community Payback scheme as they have been working hard along the towpath.

The management work being carried out to improve the habitats and species diversity along the river has also included the planting of a hedge and the rebuilding of a Stag beetle loggery. Last Wednesday a party of volunteers from the Woking office of Petrofac Engineering Limited joined the Thames Landscape Strategy and Swingbridge to plant a 30m native hedge along the picket fence of Molesey Cricket Club. The plants included various thorns, roses, cherries, crab apple, elderberry, and hazel. In two/three years time, when the saplings have grown, the hedge will be laid in a traditional manner by volunteers, there by forming an excellent home for nesting birds and other wildlife. The flowers and berries produced by the hedge will also feed insects and other riverside wildlife.

Swingbridge’s Community Payback group has rebuilt the stag beetle loggery that had been put there during their last visit. Sadly the first loggery had been dismantled, which was a great shame as it was full of larvae. The stag beetle is Britain’s largest ground-living beetle (up to 7cm in length), characterised by its large, antler like jaws. Although fairly widespread in South England, 30% of the national population was recorded in the Capital in 1998; the stag beetle is protected by Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended) and European law. Its numbers are globally threatened and in decline, with a UK Biodiversity Action Plan dedicated to it.

The stag beetle requires dead wood to complete its lifecycle, laying its eggs under ground near to tree stumps and logs. The larvae will then grow very slowly, living in the wood for up to 7years before emerging as adults from mid May to late July. Loggeries are an important part of protection as their traditional habitats are lost to urban development. The key resources available to protect the stag beetle are parks and gardens but as housing and development becomes denser, gardens get smaller. It is important to raise awareness of the importance of even a small log pile in a shady part of your garden that could house a plethora of life – including the stag beetle. If you would like to find out more about the stag beetle there are many excellent websites and local groups. Richmond Park also has a volunteer monitoring programme, for more information visit The Royal Parks website

From Molesey, Swingbridge will be moving up to Kingston to work along the riverside from the Hawker Centre and Half Mile Tree, to Canbury Gardens. They will, again, be carrying out valuable management as, in association with Royal Borough of Kingston and the Environment Agency, the Thames Landscape Strategy endeavours to create a more natural riparian landscape. They shall also be planting another 100m of native hedge along the Hawker Centre fence line.

Keep checking the TLS website for the latest news updates.

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