Wildlife in Burgess Park

At 46 hectares Burgess Park is the largest park in Southwark. It has been designated as having some areas of importance for nature and wildlife but it's felt by experts in this field that there is huge room for improvement in this area. 

The main valuable habitats are the lake, grasslands, various trees, woodland, and scrubland, however there is great potential to improve these areas and to add more diversity for the benefit of wildlife.

What is currently in the park? 

The lake supports a wide variety of fish, as well as the non-native Turkish crayfish. It's also home to common waterfowl, which breed there. The lake is used by bats, swifts, and house martins as a foraging site. The scrub and woodland areas nearby support the lake's wildlife.  

There are several areas of grassland which contain a diverse mix of grasses and wildflowers. These are important for birds, insects and other wildlife.

Much of this habitat has been established by leaving it to grow, but some areas have become rank in nature over the last few years and now contain problem species such as hemlock, mugwort, giant hogweed, creeping thistle, and dock.  

All the woodland is young and is established in small belts throughout the park. One of the most valuable areas is the woodland along St Georges Road. The scattered trees are more mature and offer value as commuting and foraging routes for bats and birds.

Scrubland is abundant throughout the park. This habitat has been allowed to develop on its own on an ad hoc basis, and it contains a mix of native and non-native plants. Many areas now need management as they are overgrown which makes them less attractive to birds.  

The standing water, reed bed, and grassland habitats are rare in a local context, however there are no records of rare species in the park due to its recent origin. Bats and endangered birds are present. The stag beetle has also been recorded.  

How the changes will improve the overall ecology

With the revitalisation of the park there is an opportunity to create a far better ecological structure throughout the park. The aim is to link many diverse habitats to improve the park's overall ecological value. Existing habitats will be retained, while new ones will be created.  

The creation of a 'common' along St George's meadow area will improve the important connection of the woodland and grassland habitats. The largest butterfly garden in the UK will be created here New paths will allow people to appreciate the park's wildlife much more easily. New wildflower meadows across the park will greatly improve the ecology.  

The enhanced lake, with new wetland habitat will help meet national and regional habitat targets.  

The extension of the New Church Road nature area into the park allows the creation of new ponds and stag beetle loggeries.  

The creation of hedges will help link habitats and the new meadows will greatly increase the variety of wildflowers, while the retained grassland will continue to support the birds and insect life already there. Thousands of trees will be planted along with shrubs that support wildlife.  

Orchards and community gardens will provide a resource for residents and wildlife alike.