Animal Rescue with Marion Garnett
Dedicated animal expert MARION GARNETT, founder of the Ealing Animal Charities Fair continues her column
NEXT time you’re in London and need a tranquil haven where you can go to lift your spirits, remember the Wildlife Garden at the Natural History Museum.
It’s an urban oasis, hidden away in the southwest corner of the Museum grounds and, although it’s next to the busy A4 road, when surrounded by the garden, it’s easy to feel as though you are in the country. Packed into a tiny space, there’s a variety of habitats including meadows, woodland, hedgerows and ponds (with stepping stones you can walk across).
It’s home to more than 300 native species of flowering plants with more than 50 species of birds visiting the garden. Foxes, bats and squirrels are regularly seen there.
The garden, which was the Museum’s first living exhibition, shows the potential for wildlife conservation in the inner city. It’s open from early Spring to late Autumn.
The animal home, Mayhew, is an oasis of a different sort. Similar to the museum’s Wildlife Garden, it’s a small area packed with ideas to help animals – this time cats and dogs.
There’s even a tiny garden (occasionally open to the public) containing beautifully arranged seats, plants, a memorial garden and cat shelters – it’s an oasis for animals in Kensal Green. Pearl is one cat currently benefitting from the work of Mayhew.
She came into the care of Mayhew as a stray and is currently in foster care. She is a gentle girl who can be shy around strangers but once she trusts you, she is friendly and loving. She is inquisitive and likes following her foster carer around to explore different areas of the house. If your home could become a haven for this precious Pearl, see themayhew.org or call 020 8962 8000.
In her new home, Pearl would like access to a garden. The London Wildlife Trust is particularly aware that both animals and humans can benefit from having plenty of gardens and green spaces in our city. They believe that nature is a vital contributor to our well-being and that it’s possible to balance responsible development whilst protecting the city’s nature.
The Trust manages 41 nature reserves spread across London. To encourage us to think more about our local wildlife and green spaces, the Trust is encouraging people to do something every day in June, which values wildlife. They have plenty of ideas such as, one day, listening out for the evening sounds of our local birds. For more ideas and details see wildlondon.org. uk.