£50k fundraising drive to repair footpaths at much-loved green space
By Lina Kurdi
A fundraising campaign to restore and protect a much-loved patch of wildlife will be launched this month.
Sydenham Hill Wood, a 10-hectare nature reserve on the northern slopes of the Norwood Ridge in Southwark, is launching a fundraising campaign to restore the main footpaths.
More than 300m of the main path networks in Sydenham Hill Wood were damaged by heavy footfall after visits to the green space almost doubled during the 2020 lockdown.
Samuel Taylor, Sydenham Hill Wood project officer, said: “It’s nice to see people enjoying Sydenham.
“It’s a great place to walk. It’s an ancient woodland and visitors will see oak and hornbeam trees and they may even spot the smallest bird in the UK, the Firecrest.
“But some visitors have strayed from the designated paths, trampling on flowers, creating new paths. This has caused erosion, compaction of the ground and loss of vegetation.
“This also made the wildlife vulnerable to people and their dogs, especially the hedgehogs and birds that nest on the ground or on low-level shrubs.”
The Wildlife Trust, which manages Sydenham Hill Wood, is aiming to raise at least £50,000.
The restoration work on the main paths, so far, has cost £18,000 per 150m of the path.
The Big Give’s Green Match Fund and The Dulwich Society will match donations up to £10,000.
Jeremey Prescott, Trustee of the Dulwich Society, said: “We’ve been great supporters of the Wildlife Trust for many years.
“They do tremendous work in nature conservation.
“This is in the best interest of the Dulwich community and the surrounding areas.”
To show the public how their donations will contribute to maintaining Sydenham Hill Wood, Samuel Taylor will be leading two guided walks on Tuesday, April 26 from 11am until noon and from 2pm until 3pm.
The fundraising campaign will go live at noon on April 22 for one week.
For more information on the fundraising campaign see https://donate.thebiggive.org.uk/campaign/a056900002D1HU6AAN
Pictured top: Sydenham Hill Wood (Picture: Arnhel de Serra)
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