As the new Chair of Ealing Wildlife Group, I would like to thank Sean and all past and present officers and volunteers who have helped build EWG into the powerful force for conservation and community engagement it is today. I am privileged to be supporting the next phase of the group’s work.
Recently, I had a nasty bicycle accident and ended up in A&E. One of the first things I thought about in the ambulance on the way to Ealing Hospital was that I was heading to the home of Freddie, Dusty, and their soon-to-fledge chicks.
That is just a tiny reflection of how nature has entered my life through EWG. I am over the moon to see our local Peregrine celebrities being represented on this year’s Ealing Beer Festival logo. This is not the first time our high-profile heroes have served as mascots. The 2023 logo, featuring a Paradise Fields beaver enjoying a beer, was also a classic. I have the T-shirt.
We are also fortunate to have an incredible diversity of green spaces, habitats, and opportunities to connect with nature in Ealing. My favourites are the parks and towpaths along the canals. These incredible green corridors are a dynamic retreat from our urban environment. I love witnessing the birds and the changes taking place within nature in real time as I walk there. I always find something new to enjoy. It helps me to chill.
Although I have lived in Ealing since 2019, my connection to the borough goes back much further. I first moved to London in 2003, and my very first job here was working and living at The Castle pub in North Acton, a place that is no longer there but may be familiar to some of you. Sadly, pubs might come and go, but the nature around us in Ealing must last forever.
EWG has already achieved an enormous amount through conservation, community, and collaboration. I aim to help build on those strong foundations and support the next phase of our work. Personally, I am really interested in how we measure and communicate our impact, and how we bring that impact to life through engagement. I believe EWG is not only a source of inspiration for citizens in Ealing, but also an example of what community action can activate everywhere, whether in London, the UK, or elsewhere in the World.
These days, much of my work focuses on sustainability in sport. If you are involved in a local team, club or organisation, whether football, rugby, cricket, golf, tennis, bowls, or anything else, I would love to hear from you. Community sport has significant potential to support nature recovery in Ealing, and there are many opportunities to enhance biodiversity in and around the places where we play. It can also be fun.
I firmly believe that collective community action is essential to address the interconnected challenges of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. I look forward to working constructively with the local council alongside our local partners. It starts with us, and we cannot rely solely on local or national governments to provide the safe space we need for nature and humanity to thrive. We are stronger because of the support, commitment, and collaboration of local partners such as Horsenden, CURB, Lager Can, and many others across the borough. In a challenging world, action for nature is a practical way to make a difference. Taking action for nature feels good.
Ben Barrett, Chair, Ealing Wildlife Group
Photo credit: Sandra Adar
