Ealing Wildlife Group

Ealing Wildlife Group

Celebrating and conserving Ealing’s wildlife and spaces for Nature

Celebrating and conserving Ealing’s wildlife and spaces for Nature

Home

EWG is a volunteer-run constituted community group focused on conservation which aims to protect local wildlife through education and conservation, preserving our natural spaces for the benefit of our diverse communities.

0

Harvest Mice released

0

Groundbreaking new Beaver project started

0

Swift Boxes Installed

0

New urban nature reserve created

0

Barn Owl chicks fledged

0

Hedgehog Highway holes drilled

0

Peregrine chicks fledged

0

Swift Streets created

EWG@Costons Lane Nature Reserve

EWG@Costons Lane Nature Reserve

EWG@Costons Lane volunteers

EWG@Costons Lane Nature Reserve volunteers, Amira, Alex, Ilyan, and Caroline creating wetlands!

Kingfisher by Neil Greenhalgh

Kingfisher by Neil Greenhalgh

Volunteers at EWG@Costons Lane Nature Reserve

Volunteers at EWG@Costons Lane Nature Reserve

Barn Owl by Sean McCormack

Barn Owl by Sean McCormack

Toad in Hand by Owen Rogers

Toad in Hand by Owen Rogers

Dr Aysha Raza, Ealing councilor for Central Greenford, cuts the bramble to officially open EWG@Costons Lane Nature Reserve. Photo by Trish Hart

Dr Aysha Raza, Ealing councilor for Central Greenford, cuts the bramble to officially open EWG@Costons Lane Nature Reserve. Photo by Trish Hart

Blue tit emerging by Megan Hutchison at the annual photography competition and exhibition.

Blue tit emerging by Megan Hutchison at the
annual photography competition and exhibition.

Cygnets by Matt Smith

Cygnets by Matt Smith

EWGers at the summer Knepp camping trip.

EWGers at the summer Knepp camping trip.

Peregrine fledgling by Malcolm Bowey

Peregrine fledgling by Malcolm Bowey

Me and My Snail by Atiya Tahseen

Me and My Snail by Atiya Tahseen

Harvest Mouse by Cathy Gilman

Harvest Mouse by Cathy Gilman

EWG@Costons Lane Cabin by Caroline Farrow

EWG@Costons Lane Cabin by Caroline Farrow

Fungus by Nigel Bewley

Fungus by Nigel Bewley

Bruce Foxington by Nabil Jacob

Bruce Foxington by Nabil Jacob

Discovery by Malgorzata Sikora

Discovery by Malgorzata Sikora

Great Crested Newts

Great Crested Newts

EWG Volunteers Paula Annette & Julie at Boles Meadow by Sean McCormack

EWG Volunteers Paula Annette & Julie at Boles Meadow by Sean McCormack

Recycling an old greenhouse frame into a bird feeding station EWG@Costons Lane by Caroline Farrow

Recycling an old greenhouse frame into a bird feeding station
EWG@Costons Lane by Caroline Farrow

Orange Ladybird by Dan Chen

Orange Ladybird by Dan Chen

Peregrine chicks being ringed, their little brother must be hiding in the bag! by Sean McCormack

Peregrine chicks being ringed, their little brother must be hiding in the bag! by Sean McCormack

Getting ready to release harvest mice to Horsenden West and Paradise Fields

Getting ready to release harvest mice to Horsenden West and Paradise Fields

EWG@Costons Lane Nature Reserve

EWG@Costons Lane Nature Reserve

EWG@Costons Lane volunteers

EWG@Costons Lane Nature Reserve volunteers, Amira, Alex, Ilyan, and Caroline creating wetlands!

Kingfisher by Neil Greenhalgh

Kingfisher by Neil Greenhalgh

Our ethos as an organisation is defined by the three C’s:

Community

We aim to inspire, educate and foster new connections between local people, neighbourhoods and the natural world.

Conservation

We aim to highlight and protect our flora and fauna, and the natural habitats we are lucky to have on our doorsteps in Ealing.

Collaboration

We enjoy working with others and forging relationships with all stakeholders, groups and individuals working towards a common goal; protection of our natural spaces and the life they contain.

We host volunteer days, educational and fun activities, community events and a few social get-togethers too. We will announce all upcoming opportunities here, in addition to social media. We don’t have a formal or paid membership list. Just join us on our very active Facebook group and sign up for our newsletter.

Beavers in Ealing! It’s really happening!

We are excited to announce that we applied for a license from Natural England to reintroduce Eurasian beavers to Ealing in a controlled enclosure trial at Paradise Fields in North Greenford. And we have been successful! This is a joint project between Ealing Wildlife Group (EWG), Ealing Council, Citizen Zoo and Friends of Horsenden Hill, supported by experts at the Beaver Trust.

And now you can watch the Peregrines live 24/7!

There are a few content warnings for this live stream

Peregrines bring back prey for the chicks, tear it apart and feed it to them, and this can be a bit graphic. Sometimes the prey is still alive when they start plucking it. If you think you might find this distressing, maybe don’t watch the feedings. This is natural behaviour for birds of prey but even seasoned naturalists can find it a bit much sometimes. The second thing is we have adopted a non-interference policy. What this means is, aside from ringing the chicks, we are strictly observing only. Nature isn’t always kind and sometimes baby chicks die. If this is really going to upset you then you may want to give this live stream a miss. Obviously we hope that everything goes well but we want everyone to be prepared if it doesn’t and to understand that we will not be interfering to rescue the chicks. We need to let nature do it’s thing to produce the healthiest and most capable birds for the future. (The only exception to this is rescuing the parents and fledglings from man-made dangers like pigeon netting which is not part of a natural setting.)

Content Warning Close
Peregrines on the hospital

An Urban Wildlife success story

Follow Dusty & Freddie's family journey so far.

Our Current Conservation Projects

Rewilding: Beavers!

We are bringing beavers back to Ealing! Weare partnering with Citizen Zoo, The Beaver Trust, Friends of Horsenden hill, and Ealing Council to develop an enclosed area in Paradise Fields for the beavers that will be accessible to the public.

Can you help our hedgehogs?

Find out what you can do in your own garden to help Britain's favourite but also one of it's most endangered animals! Connect your neighbourhood gardens with a hedgehog highway and we can help!

EWG@Costons Lane Nature Reserve

We turned an abandoned and neglected urban space into a nature reserve! The space was an allotment site that was abandoned almost 25 years ago due to flooding. We have installed a educational hub, paths, a hide, ponds and wetlands, and a teaching wildlife garden!

Rewilding: Harvest mice

Harvest Mice are back in Ealing after 40 years! We have partnered with Calderglen Zoo, Battersea Children’s Zoo and their sister zoo, New Forest Wildlife Park,, and derek Gow to bring Harvest Mice back to Ealing as well as starting our own breeding program!

Saving Ealing's Swifts

Our swift champions are giving these amazing birds a home! We are installing hundreds of swift boxes on private homes and public building throughout Ealing. Would you like to help create a Swift nesting haven and turn your street into a Swift Street?

Great Crested Newts

Ealing has a few sites where these newts cling on. Unfortunately, their habitats are degrading in value and suitability for breeding as old ponds become overgrown and neglected. We are committed to protecting those habitats by improving their quality.

Bat Conservation

Improving habitat for our 7 species of bats, as well as recording vital data about our bat population. We have several bat walks over the season (late spring through early autuimn) at various locations around Ealing. You can do some citizen science, learn about these fascinating animals, and have loads of fun this summer!

Ealing Hospital Peregrines

In 2020 a pair of Peregrines took up residence on top of Ealing Hospital in Southall. The hospital allowed us to instal a nest box and in 2022 they nested sucessfully and produced three chicks! We now have a 24/7 camera installed to follow their journey in 2023!

Help an Ealing Owl

Our owl nestbox and habitat management project to attract Barn Owls, and help our Little and Tawny Owls thrive in Ealing! We now have Barn Owls' breeding in Ealing and our other owl species are doing very well!

Sponsor a harvest mouse!

Help us maintain our harvest mouse breeding project!

Donate

Donate to Urban Hedgehog Highways in Ealing

London's hedgehogs are in trouble, with their population falling by nearly a third since 2000. Will you help save them?

Donate

Latest Blogs and Videos

PRESS RELEASE: Ealing Beaver Project backed by Mayor of London’s Rewild London Fund!

PRESS RELEASE: Ealing Beaver Project backed by Mayor of London’s Rewild London Fund! For press enquiries contact:Sean McCormack 07754 147 656hello@ealingwildlifegroup.com Beavers set to return to urban London landscape in a publicly accessiblereintroduction site in Ealing! Paradise Fields by James Morton Eurasian beavers, one of the most impactful, native ecosystem engineers will be returning to […]
Read More

EWG x JE Delve: Engaging Future Conservationists With Urban Nature

EWG x JE Delve: Engaging Future Conservationists With Urban Nature I had the absolute pleasure of giving a guided tour of Horsenden today to two bright young students, Leshae and Kishan from the late Jamal Edwards’ Acton youth group, JE Delve. Both are interested in biology and nature conservation. They got a behind the scenes tour […]
Read More

Sean’s speech, cut short at Warren Farm Scrutiny meeting

On Tuesday 21st February 2023 EWG Chair Dr Sean McCormack spoke at the Warren Farm Overview and Scrutiny Committee (OSC) meeting called in by leader of the opposition, Liberal Democrat’s Cllr Gary Malcolm. Unfortunately, despite the first speaker Dr Mark A. Spencer speaking for nearly six minutes without interruption, Sean was told he was “well […]
Read More

Wildlife presenters speak out on Ealing Council plans to de-wild & destroy Warren Farm Nature Reserve

Ealing Council’s proposal for sports facilities at Warren Farm must be reconsidered. There are much better alternatives for sports provision that will not destroy wild green spaces that are vital for our wellbeing. Spaces that are also vital for our threatened wildlife like red listed Skylarks, Swifts and Linnets, Bats, Barn Owls, Slow Worms and […]
Read More

Imperial College land & Warren Farm ‘rewilding’. A plea to Councillors to vote no & start over.

Imperial College have come out with a statement today saying they have no plans for sports grounds on their land in the controversy surrounding Ealing Council’s ambitious plans for sports and ‘rewilding’ at Warren Farm. The truth is that Imperial College land entering the scheme is currently a trashed, horse grazed paddock next door to […]
Read More

An EWG statement on the proposed future of Warren Farm

Following publication of plans (https://www.aroundealing.com/news/warren-farm-nature) to reinstate sports facilities at Warren Farm by Ealing Council leader Cllr Peter Mason which claims the compensation will be Local Nature Reserve (LNR) status for the remainder and a newly acquired field alongside, we wish to put out a response ASAP: “I’m very disappointed that our leaders are pushing […]
Read More

Share this:

Like this:

%d bloggers like this: