The Wren Conservation Group

The Wren Conservation Group organises wildlife walks, does practical work and keeps records of the wildlife in the South of Epping Forest.

Based in Wanstead Park, the Group has a 35 year-old history, and a relatively small and local membership.

At present the Group is involved in the following activities:

Outings and Events:

The Group has a programme of events during the year.   There was a visit to the deer sanctuary near Epping on 2nd July 2009, bat walks in 2009 & 2010, Tricia Moxey led walks recording fungi in Bushwood, E11 in October 2009 and 2010. Regular surveys of water birds and migrants bird species were carried out  2009-2011. Please go to "PROGRAMME" in the main menu for details of forthcoming events.

Practical Work:

Generally our practical work events take place during the winter when there is less disturbance to wildlife. A programme of Practical Work tasks, led by Peter Williams, is now listed under "Programme" in the main menu. It would be good to have new faces to help on these tasks which generally last just a couple of hours or so.

Skylark Survey:

During May, June and July of 2010 the Group - under Tim Harris' lead -conducted a survey of the Skylark population of Wanstead Flats. A well-known feature of the Flats, perhaps it is only now that we have really begun to understand what a  significant population of larks we have here, and how important it is that they continues to flourish.

In conducting the survey, a number of questions have been raised: Is the resident population increased by winter visitors?; Where do each year's breeding successes disperse to?; What other Skylark populations are there nearby?; Are the Skylarks of Wanstead Flats "urbanised" so that they can cope with the amount of disturbance that they have to endure? See Stuart Monro's film "The Skylarks of Wanstead Flats" on YouTube.

Membership is open to all, and details may be found under MEMBERSHIP 

For more details about the Group, click HERE