HUG DIRECTOR

Patrick Courtney

Treasurer

HUG DIRECTOR

Emma Dowsett

Green Grafters

HUG DIRECTOR

Lynsey Elliott

Social Media, Marketing and Communications

HUG DIRECTOR

Helen Erhardt

Grey Court Allotment Club

HUG DIRECTOR

Penny Frost

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HUG DIRECTOR

Sharon Mehta

Friends of Ham Lands

What sparked your passion for conservation, and how did that lead to your involvement in Friends of Ham Lands?

I moved to the area in June 2018, visited the HUG stall at Ham Fair two days later and was inspired to connect with Friends of Ham Lands. Ham Lands are a total delight supported by a welcoming inclusive community that are passionate about supporting and understanding nature. 

What are the most urgent environmental issues the group is addressing right now in the community?

Involvement with Ham Lands has meant I have been able to help support the precious biodiversity of this unique area and help empower engagement with nature. This has involved working closely with Richmond’s ecology officer, local experts and different community groups.

Connecting with nature has significant benefits for both physical and mental wellbeing. Climate change is having a big impact on the precious biodiversity of our unique nature reserve and other local green spaces. Sharing information and empowering engagement is important. FoHL have regular walks to support this.

Sensitive and informed management is needed. Some more robust or stressed plants are taking over and need to be removed wherever possible.  Volunteer conservation work has helped make a difference.

How can new volunteers or supporters get involved and make a meaningful contribution? 

Anyone interested in getting involved should get in touch. There are many ways of helping make a difference, but the most important is to enjoy nature with all your senses.

HUG DIRECTOR

Dharbi Modi

Ham Meditation Group

HUG DIRECTOR

Barbara Nixon

Ham Library Gardeners

HUG DIRECTOR

Chris Ruse

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LOCAL NATURALIST

Geoff Hyde

Geoff is our guide for our apple and wildflower walks.

Geoff moved to Ham from the Wirral in 1964 and lives overlooking the Lands. He calls them his back garden. He has seen Ham Lands transformed since he moved here, from fly-tipping of builders rubbish to beautiful heaven for humans and wildlife.

He is not a botanist, but the Lands flora inspired Geoff to learn about and appreciate them, and to bring them to the attention of residents and wider. For over 40 years, he has given talks on the Lands to local societies and led wildflower and apples walks. This led to his becoming a judge, Trustee, and later Chairman, of London in Bloom and a committee member of Britain in Bloom. The Bloom experience has made him aware of the need to protect our natural green spaces especially in urban areas as 97% of Britain's original wildflower meadows have now gone. Ham Lands need active protection and preservation.

Geoff's very popular guided wildflower and apples walks inspired us to involve other local naturalists and offer more walks. 

LOCAL NATURALIST

Paul Barlett

Paul has lived in the Thames Valley most of his life and has walked on Ham Lands for 55 years!

It was his father started his interest in the Natural World. He became keen on botany during his work as a GP. That other outdoor interests (hiking, general natural history, several kinds of sport).   

Nature became his refuge. To pursue these aims, he has traveled extensively both locally in Surrey, through most of Britain, and worldwide.   

He is an active member of many botanical and wildlife societies, both local and national.

Paul believes strongly that we must make every effort to preserve Ham Lands as a Nature Reserve, now that so much of wildlife are threatened elsewhere.

LOCAL NATURALIST

Diane Bridson

Diane helps with guiding us through the flora of Ham Lands.

Diana has lived at Ham for over 50 years and always enjoyed Ham Lands as a tranquil, attractive wild area and valued the rich biodiversity it supports. Over the years she has seen many changes as the Lands have matured.

Diane is an active member of the Friends of Ham Lands and helps with the butterfly conservation work and attends our bimonthly meetings.

Untils 2002, she was employed as a botanist at Kew Gardens specializing in the coffee (or goosegrass) plant family in tropical Africa.

Unsurprising, her particular interest on Ham Lands is the flora, and even though Diane is very knowledgeable she often says she does not claim expertise in all plant groups.

Diane also regularly attend the Wednesday Health Walks at Ham as a leader, backmarker or walker and enjoy sharing our special area with others. 

LOCAL NATURALIST

John Gard

John guides our dawn chorus.

John had the good fortune of growing up in Ham and ever since his childhood, he has had an interest in all things wild and has spent many years studying the ups and downs of the wildlife of Ham Lands. John’s main interest is in the bird species.

LOCAL NATURALIST

Paul Cook

Paul is a local naturalist with a particular interest in recording the wildlife of Ham and Petersham. He grew up in East Kent where he became interested in butterflies and moths and flowering plants. This extended to an interest in fungi following a spell living in North Wales.

In 1994 Paul moved to Ham with the proximity of Ham Lands being one of the main reasons for deciding to live in this part of London.