Steve and the Hats will be playing acoustic music from 3.00 to 6.00pm under the cedar tree in the Rookery.
Bring a picnic and enjoy the music.
FREE entry but there will be a collection for the band
Band in the Rookery: Saturday 9th June 2018 @15:00
environment
Moths in Close Up: 9th June 2018 @ 9.30am
Come and see which beautiful (and not so beautiful) moths have been trapped overnight in the Streatham Common Community Garden. The moth trap will be opened at 9.30am in the Community Garden – entrance door in the brick wall near the sundial in the Rookery’s Old English Garden.
According to the Guardian “Moths are vanishing from our skies at night, declining in southern Britain by 40% over 40 years. Three species have become extinct this century already, following the permanent loss of 62 species in the twentieth century.”
It goes on to say “The moth-phobic may wonder what they have ever done for us, but moths pollinate plants at night, are snapped up by bats, and their caterpillars are a crucial source of food for almost all garden birds. Broadcaster Chris Packham, the vice-president of Butterfly Conservation, said: “The general public’s hearts are not going to be bleeding for the Double Dart moth, but they would be bleeding for all the birds that feed on its larvae.”
Full article https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/feb/01/british-moths-calamitous-decline
These events are FREE and organised by volunteers. We welcome your support either through donation or through Friends Of Streatham Common membership or The Streatham Community Garden.
Streatham Common Community Garden is a historic walled garden situated within the Rookery public garden. Formally a kitchen garden of the Rookery (the last manor house that stood at the top of the hill, built in 1786), the site of garden was also used a Council nursery, supplying plants for parks and green spaces across Lambeth, before falling in to a state of neglect.
The Rocks on Which We Stand 20 August 2017 @ 11:00
Meet at the Rookery Cafe at 11am. A gentle guided walk looking at the fascinating geology of Streatham Common – how rocks have shaped, and continue to shape, the local area. With Dr Iain Boulton – no geological experience necessary!
A FREE event, organised by or volunteers. We look forward to having you along.
A great introduction to geology if you have ever wondered about the ground and the effects it has on our local nature. We have a brief introduction to it on our Geomorphology page
Plant Walk 2nd June 2017 7pm
Enjoy a lovely relaxing evening summer walk through the common. Botanical expert, Tony Wileman, will lead a nature walk on Streatham Common identifying the wildflowers and other plants that he comes across.
Meet by the Rookery Cafe SW16 at 7.00pm. The walk will last for about two hours.
It is free but donations to the London Wildlife Trust will be welcome on the day.
Know Your Trees 11th June 2017 @ 2pm
A walk around the Common, led by Dr Iain Boulton of Lambeth Council, who will point out key features of, and facts about, the different tree species that can be found in the area.
You can see this event as not only a fun educational walk, but one that will be good for your health! Research shows that within minutes of being surrounded by trees and green space, your blood pressure will drop, your heart rate will slow and your stress levels will come down.
Meet by the Rookery Cafe at 2.00pm.
Free – but you can always make a donation if you enjoyed it!
Love Your Common….?
For those that dont have access to a garden or balcony, or work long hours, or have young children – Streatham Common provides the perfect place for escape. Whether its hanging out in the playground or walking through the woods, laying in the long grass or kicking around a football – we all agree its a wonderful place to spend a sunny day.
The common hasn’t escaped the swinging cuts of the last few years and has lost around 70% of its funding. The FoSC volunteers & Sccoop work hard to make the most of what we have in way of volunteering and fundraising. They also spend a lot of time trying to negotiate with the Council to have things fixed, or even to have a rubbish collection. Everything is fought for.
But one thing we cannot control is litter. That is down to everyone of us who use the Common.
If taking a picnic, chilling out or using the Common for exercise – we ask that you leave no trace. The cuts mean that we only have a limited bin collection. The Common on busy days & weekends is unable to cope with the amount of litter left. The downside of this very much affects the environment in a number of ways.
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Vermin numbers increase, attracted by leftovers. Foxes pull the bins out at night and the common in early light is strewn with rubbish. Food, Nappies, pizza boxes – its all a favourite among our unwelcome visitors – Rats.
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Collected rubbish cannot be separated and recycled, which increases the costs on all of us through Council Tax.
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Broken glass is a danger to children and pets.
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Wild birds become starved by ingesting plastics and rubbish which doesn’t break down in their gut. Leftover scraps can also poison or choke dogs.
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BBQ’s [which are not allowed] leaved scorched earth and destroy grasses. It is a particular concern as we are part of a designated Nature Reserve, the largest in Lambeth. And as they are usually too hot to move, they are left smouldering and already this year the fire brigade has been called on more than one occasion.
Love your Common. Take ALL your rubbish home with you. Recycle. And know you have invested, in a small way in protecting your Common and keeping it safe for your Community.
Bird Box Survey 13 May 2017 @ 9:30am
This year’s survey proved that 14 of the 35 bird boxes around the Common were occupied, which is one of the best year’s yet. Of these, 13 were occupied by blue tits and one by great tits.
Why Join The Friends of Streatham Common
The Friends need you!
Green space everywhere is under attack. From development, from budget restrictions, from environmental impacts, from vandalism, from privatisation. We need our green spaces, for play, for peace, for health and for future generations to enjoy. The Common belongs to us all.
All sorts of skills are needed to keep on top of the work that the volunteers of the FoSc provide. Our Kite day is run entirely by volunteers and attracts people from all over the country, and some even travel from abroad to attend, such is the professionalism of the event and those who play apart in it. Bird walks and nature trails are great fun & educational for the volunteers and attendees alike. It brings you closer to the common. But have you got something you know about? Do you see something missing that could enhance and sustain the Common through into another century? A transferable skill…a particular knowledge…..something that you think the community might enjoy?
Come and talk to us.
We need to think outside the box on how we raise funds, on how we preserve, on how we educate others on how special this place is. New ideas are welcome. Especially from young people. You are the future of this common and it needs safe hands to pass it into. You are not expected to give up a lot of time, just now and again when we need a spare pair of hands or a voice where we need to be heard. But if you want to give more – we would love that!
Be part of Streatham’s future.
to join, click here for fees.