Come join us for a fun, free and creative collage workshop focused on understanding and celebrating biodiversity on Monday the 15th of June from 6pm.

Access Day with First Bus is back 🚌 Fri 12 June, 11am–3pm at Fulwell Bus Garage. Open to Disabled people, carers, mobility needs & transport fans. Bus tours, control room visits + share accessibility ideas. Drop-in, but register your access needs: https://ruils.co.uk/campaigning/campaign-events/

#VolunteersWeek is here - a time to celebrate all things volunteering! Join us in thanking ALL volunteers & look out for a few spotlights on some local heroes we feel lucky to have met just recently richmondcvs.org.uk/volunteers-w...

This time of the year, you can spot mating pairs of Alder Leaf Beetles (Agelastica alni) on alder trees, for example around Barnes Pond. They are 6mm long, a beautiful, metallic blue in colour with a violet reflection.

Come and explore the Leg o'Mutton, this fantastic small nature reserve on a morning walk on Tuesday 2nd June, led by Veronica Schroter, local resident and Leg o'Mutton committee member. This old Victorian reservoir by the Thames was decommissioned over 60 years ago.

What a wonderful way to spend a sunny evening! Divya aka @fruitywalks took us on a tour of the fruit trees of Barnes. As well as the apples and pears many of us are familiar with, we saw an established kiwi vine with plenty of young fruits.

Are you coming to this Wednesday's Volunteer Fair? We'd love all the fantastic local charities involved, from all around the borough, to meet a record number of visitors this year There's still time to book a free ticket Hope to see you there! 😊 bit.ly/47QiJH7

Come and meet us at the @richmondcvs.bsky.social Richmond Volunteer Fair today (Wednesday 20th May) and find out all about our opportunities! This year we have our own stall in the main hall area, where you can meet our staff and volunteers for a chat if you’re interested in volunteering with us.

Thank you to everyone who came to our sold-out bat walk last month. As always, it was fascinating to get a glimpse into the world of these nocturnal mammals...🧵

We're excited to announce that applications for our 2026 Young Darwin Scholarship are open! This unique opportunity offers 16-25-year-olds a 90% subsidised, Darwin-inspired scholarship, combining environmental education and ongoing support. Apply now 👉 buff.ly/sDcR3AM #YoungDarwinScholarship

Our screening map now offers a table view with a postcode search - so that you can list People's Emergency Briefing events near you. www.nebriefing.org/screening-map #PEBuk

⏰ ONE WEEK TO GO!⏰ This time next week we'll be almost set up @rhacc.bsky.social to greet you Book a free ticket & discover new opportunities in your community • meet 50+ inspiring charities • find local volunteering roles • get advice, ideas & a friendly welcome bit.ly/47QiJH7

Join us at the @bca4barnes.bsky.social Barnes Town Team meeting this Wednesday 13 May at 6.30pm at Barnes Green Centre to see the updated proposed plans for the regeneration of Vine Road Park/Recreation Ground, which includes a skate park, community hub and new playground and waterplay facilities.

It’s going to be a busy Saturday for Barnes Common with four different activities taking place across the Common and Vine Road Rec! Please do come along to whichever one you find most interesting. Book all events here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/32576892073

Voices of hope and healing...threaded through a woodland floor. This Mental Health Awareness Week, pause in nature with us.

Love the NHS & want to help improve it? Join the Involvement Pool! Volunteer for a few hours a year to share your experience with NHS and social care organisations & drive positive change To learn more, email [email protected] or call 0208 843 7945

Our summer series of walks, talks and workshops kicks off on 20th May, when Divya Hariramani @fruitywalks will take us on a 'fruity walk' through Barnes. Divya is a renewable energy and sustainability consultant and is a London National Park City Ranger.

Over the years, we’ve been working hard to improve the brook for our local wildlife. With the new dog beach now open on Barnes Green, we’d love dog owners to make use of this dedicated space to help protect fish and river insect populations.

Since 2020, we have planted and maintained over 400 metres of hedging on Barnes Common. These hedges are comprised of a traditional mix of trees and shrubs, with the majority being Hawthorn, as it can handle the hot and dry conditions of the Common...

If you shop at any local Tesco Express, please vote for our After School Growing Club project using the blue tokens and we will receive a grant of £500, £1000 or £1500 from Tesco’s Community Grants Fund! Voting is open in all local Tesco stores until the end of July 2026.

Just a hedgehog having a good scratch for your viewing pleasure 🦔 You can make your garden hedgehog friendly by making wild corners with log piles for nesting, creating holes in fences and walls for hedgehogs to pass through and leaving out a shallow bowl of fresh water.

Discover views and spaces beside the River Thames during May's London Walking Festival and enter the 'Thames Path at 30' photo competition 🔽 thamesfestivaltrust.org/artistic-pro... #thamespath30 #lovelondonwalklondon @gojauntly.bsky.social @walking-class-hero.bsky.social @metwalkers.bsky.social

Closing date for our Wellbeing Coordinator role is this Thurs 30th April! We're looking for a 'people person' who is confident speaking with people in the community and initiating conversations to join our Health in Your Hands team. Apply - https://ruils.co.uk/work-with-us/wellbeing-coordinator/

Our volunteers have been planting our Tower Mustard (Turritis glabra) plants on Barnes Common this month. As part of the Tower Mustard Project led by @citizenzoo.bsky.social and @habsandheritage.bsky.social, we have successfully grown these plants from seed

What if the whole country saw the full picture? This is a national emergency. The impacts are already here. But the solutions exist. Communities are watching the People’s Emergency Briefing and discussing what to do next with neighbours and MPs #EarthDay Screenings www.nebriefing.org/screening-map

It was a beautiful sunny day for our Plants for Free workshop on Saturday, part of Capital Growth's #goodtogrow week. There are lots of different propagation methods you can use to grow more plants from what you have already. We looked at seed saving, taking cuttings, layering, dividing and more

@capital_growth Good to Grow Week (18–26 Apr) From seed sowing & harvesting, to bug hunts, garden volunteering, workshops & talks, there’s something for everyone in London's green spaces - including @barnescommon.bsky.social Vine Road project 🌱✨ Take a look 👇️ www.capitalgrowth.org

You can help us for FREE, every time you shop online. If you join easyfundraising, all the big names like John Lewis & Partners, Expedia, Argos, Just Eat and many more will give a free cashback donation to us - at no extra cost to you. Please join today: join.easyfundraising.org.uk/barnescommon...

Our Riverfly volunteers this weekend got a little local help from a pair of Mandarin Ducks (Aix galericulata) who paddled past the session. At these monthly sessions, counting the number of certain invertebrates gives us valuable information about the health of Beverley Brook @riverflies.bsky.social

Who wouldn't want to welcome a few slug-munching #Hedgehogs to their garden? Here's a chance to work with your neighbours to help them flourish where you live: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/hedgehog-h... Thanks to @barnescommon.bsky.social for organising it.

Urban ponds may be small, but they’re biodiversity powerhouses. 🐸🌿 Join Dr Rachel Walker to learn how to monitor, protect and restore urban ponds for wildlife and resilient cities. Skills for Ecology webinar | 15 Sept | £12.50 🌎 🧪 🔗 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1981358046... @barnescommon.bsky.social

Did you know that Barnes is one of the best places to see butterflies in central London? If we keep an eye out, we can see 30 butterfly species, which is fantastic, considering there are 59 in the UK as a whole: barnescommon.org.uk/butterflies-... @savebutterflies.bsky.social

Freshwater ecosystems are vital for mitigating climate change impacts, boosting biodiversity and improving well-being. Help us protect them during #LondonRiversWeek2026. More details here: www.thames21.org.uk/joinacampaig...

Please support the fantastic Rosa who is running 10K at Kew The Run this weekend to raise funds for Barnes Common! Here is the link to her fundraising page: www.justgiving.com/page/rosa-jf...

Wouldn't it be great if we could get plants for our garden without spending money? Join our upcoming workshop, Plants for Free on Saturday 18th April and find out how to make it happen! Book here (£2 plus booking fee) www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/workshop-p...

Families with children aged 3-8 years, join us this Saturday for Yaffles Family Nature Club! We'll search for signs of spring like tree blossom and spring flowers across the Common. Our Yaffles Nature Club happens every month from October to May. Book: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/yaffles-fa...

Our friends at Mortlake Community Association are looking for an experienced Interim Director to join their vibrant & inclusive organisation. The purpose of the role is to maintain their growing profile as a community hub & support their activities www.mortlakecommunityassociation.org.uk/vacancies/

We're launching a new NHS accredited Yoga 4 Health Programme 🧘‍♂️ This 10 week programme is for adults with long-term health conditions wanting to increase their physical activity. Cost is £50 for 10 sessions, but if this is a barrier let us know. To learn more email [email protected]

Next stop on our #wellbeing fair tour with Live Karma Yoga is #Mortlake! Come down to Mortlake Hall on Friday 20th March from 1-3pm for: -accessible yoga -community health checks -massage & henna -hot lunch -info from local orgs Hope to see you there!

The lovely Rosa is running 10K at Kew The Run this March to fundraise for our charity! Please help her reach her fundraising goal and donate here: www.justgiving.com/page/rosa-jf...

We’re delighted to share that applications are now open to join us as a Trustee or Non‑Trustee Grants Committee Member. If you’d like to use your skills, experience and insight to make a real difference - we’d love to hear from you! 👉 Find out more and apply: https://ow.ly/2LUr50YorIr

It was a lovely afternoon for our after school club last week! We planted some first early potatoes. The Montessori students also planted some, so we're expecting a great crop. Our after school club runs on term time Mondays, from 3:30pm: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/after-scho...

Another great batty event from local charity @barnescommon.bsky.social - this one aimed at 8-14 year olds: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/eco-explor... Might be of interest to any young @batconservation.bsky.social members living locally.

The Duke of Edinburgh students were busy this weekend. They planted saplings to fill holes in the hedges on the Green. Then they put up this chestnut paling on either side for protection. They also erected willow fences around the daffodils. Spring is definitely on the way!

Our March newsletter is out! Read it on the link below, and become our Friend to receive our monthly emails - visit our website to join us! mailchi.mp/80d1ff764700... Thanks for the great photo of this Chiffchaff to Andrew Wilson!

Spring is approaching and our green spaces will soon be ringing to new sounds with the arrival of our feathered summer migrants, writes our trustee, Adrian Podmore. We will be heading out on our not-so-early Dawn Chorus Walk on 26th April to listen for birdsong – join us!

Despite a gradual shift, most garden centres and large online retailers are still selling mass-produced plants, and seeking out more sustainable alternatives can take a bit of research. In this post, we’ll have a look at some of the options of sourcing plants ethically.

We are delighted to announce that we are working with Citizen Zoo and Habitats & Heritage on protecting and restoring Tower Mustard (Turritis glabra), a species threatened across the UK and one of London’s rarest plants.

Our conservation volunteers have been busy last month. They worked on coppicing/pollarding willows at Leg O’Mutton, creating glades & dead hedges on Barnes and East Sheen Commons’ to improve woodland structure to benefit wildlife, and helping to restore the lowland acid grassland on Barnes Common.

Looking for family activities for the half term or after school? We've got plenty going on, from family growing sessions to our Yaffles Family Nature Club - book on our website to secure your place! www.eventbrite.co.uk/cc/family-ac...