The Trust for

Urban Ecology Urban ecology is the scientific study of the relation of living organisms with each other and their surroundings in an urban environment. An urban environment refers to environments dominated by high-density residential and commercial buildings ...

(TRUE) is a London-based ecological organisation and is part of

The Conservation Volunteers The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) is a British community volunteering charity focused on environmental conservation through practical tasks undertaken by volunteers. Until 1 May 2012, it traded as BTCV – British Trust for Conservation Volunte ...

(formerly BTCV). The Trust for Urban Ecology was founded in 1976 when ecologist Max Nicholson and a group of like-minded conservationists set up Britain's first

urban ecology Urban ecology is the scientific study of the relation of living organisms with each other and their surroundings in an urban environment. An urban environment refers to environments dominated by high-density residential and commercial buildings ...

park.

History

Max Nicholson, the trust's founder, was also instrumental in setting up the World Wildlife Fund and became the 2nd Director General of the Nature Conservancy Council. The trust's first site, the

William Curtis Ecological Park The William Curtis Ecological Park was the United Kingdom's first urban ecology park. Max Nicholson and the Trust for Urban Ecology created it on a derelict lorry park near Tower Bridge in London in 1976. It was named for the 18th century botanis ...

, was created on the site of a derelict lorry park near London's Tower Bridge. The William Curtis Ecological Park was always intended to be temporary and in 1985 the land was returned to its owners. By this time the trust had already created two new nature parks and it would later acquire another two.

Current sites

* Stave Hill Ecological Park * Lavender Pond * Greenwich Peninsula Ecology ParkThe Westcombe Society Website website
/ref> * Dulwich Upper Wood

Aims

* To provide a new habitat for urban wildlife * To enable ecologists to discover more about the nature of urban ecology * To offer city residents the chance to enjoy nature and learn through hands-on experience * To demonstrate the value of creative conservation - an ecological approach to the creation of new landscapes * To provide examples of best practice and key demonstration sites

Other activities

* The trust offer environmental design, creation and management services * Volunteer and work placement schemes * Environment skills training * Corporate team-building projects

References

External links