Case Study: Greenwich Peninsul Ecology Park

Question 1

Describe the location of the ecology park

Answer 1

It is located on the Greenwich peninsula, south east London. 1km downstream of the O2 arena (millennium dome) on the south bank of the river Thames

Question 2

What type of site was the ecology park built on?

Answer 2

A brownfield site, which was an old steel works

Question 3

Who built the Greenwich ecology park?

Answer 3

English partnerships and a Government regeneration agency

Question 4

How big is the Greenwich ecology park?

Answer 4

4 and a half acres

Question 5

When was the ecology park completed and when was it opened to the public and by whom?

Answer 5

It was completed in early 2000 and was opened to the public in February 2002 by the Trust for Urban Ecology

Question 6

What did the ecology park receive in 2008 which helped with improvements such as disabled and pushchair access along with community involvement?

Answer 6

A lottery grant

Question 7

What have been built to help enable people to view the wildlife on offer in the ecology park?

Answer 7

Bird hides and bat houses

Question 8

Who maintains the park?

Answer 8

A wide range of volunteers

Question 9

What activities constitute park maintenance?

Answer 9

Cutting reeds and clearing blocked streams

Question 10

Describe the physical environment of the ecology park

Answer 10

A wetland environment with reed beds and inner and outer lake

Question 11

What does the ecology park contain in addition to the two lakes?

Answer 11

A ‘mosaic of different habitats’ such as a shingle beach, wild flower meadow, marsh and willow woodland.

Question 12

Name some of the species present in the Greenwich ecology park?

Answer 12

• Garden frogs, common toads and newts which have a specially created spawning area
• kingfishers which have a nesting tunnel which is an attempt to encourage them to breed
• water birds such as grebes, coots and swans
• reed bed birds such as reed warblers
• invertebrates such as dragonflies, damsel flies and butterflies
• a range of plant species such as buttercups, water lilies, water weeds and common stonewort

Question 13

What are the successes of the Greenwich ecology national park?

Answer 13

1. Its become a haven for wildlife and has had positive social and economic impacts
2. High biodiversity allowing many species to use its niches
3. Phytoremediation - plant natural processes to improve soil quality and soil pollution. Roots of willows and other pollutant tolerant plants have taken up pollutants and ‘bioaccumulate’ them e.g. Silver, mercury and zinc removed from the soil and water

Question 14

Outline the failures of the Greenwich ecology park

Answer 14

1. It could do more to attract a wider cross section of society to make use of it, but it does work with local schools. But further cooperation would ensure the park is used by a greater variety of people and is used by generations to come.
2. It is very small so can only have a local scale impact