Wildlife plan is next step in Haringey's greenest borough bid (From Haringey Independent)

Wildlife plan is next step in Haringey's greenest borough bid

4:43pm Thursday 11th March 2010 in

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COLDFALL Wood and The Paddock could become nature reserves by 2014 under new plans to boost wildlife in Haringey.

The leafy areas in Muswell Hill and Tottenham, respectively, have been earmarked as having all the right elements to come the borough's latest local nature reserves (LNRs) under Haringey Council's biodiversity action plan.

The nature reserves are typically places with strong wildlife or geological features that are of special interest and offer opportunities to learn about nature or, simply, to enjoy it.

Currently cyclists' favourite Parkland Walk, which stretches from Muswell Hill to Finsbury Park, the Railyway Fields and Queen's Wood, near Highgate, already enjoy LNR status.

But the action plan would also form part of an ambitious cross-council programme to include more meadows, ponds and woodlands as well as planting new trees and installing bird and bat boxes to help wildlife in Haringey thrive.

Talks and exhibitions would also be an integral part of the plan, council bosses said.

Councillor Dhiren Basu (Labour/Seven Sisters), cabinet member for leisure, culture and lifelong learning, said: "We want to encourage wildlife across the borough, ranging from public and private land to housing estates.

"Residents will play an important part in this strategy by making their homes and gardens more eco-friendly.

"The plan is a key part of our ambition to be the greenest borough in London."

The council will also work with Natural England, the Alexandra Palace Charitable Trust and the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority to look into the possibility of declaring Alexandra Palace nature reserve and Tottenham Marshes as LNRs.

Haringey Parks Friends' groups and environment enthusiasts worked with the council to draw up the plans, coinciding with the UN's International Year of Biodeversity, following extensive consultation.