On Saturday June 25th Harrow Nature Conservation Forum will celebrate the opening of Harrow’s latest public wild open space. Wood Farm is 24 hectares of meadow, ponds, scrub and woodland in the north of Stanmore, close to the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Shree Swaminarayan Temple – Dharma Bhakti Manor and the Husseini Islamic Centre. The views over London are remarkable, and with the help of the board at the site you can pick out nearby landmarks such as Alexandra Palace and Wembley Arena, all the familiar London landmarks, and the more distant hills of Crystal Palace and Box Hill. It is the best site in Harrow for breeding warblers, while on warm days the wild flowers are busy with butterflies and bees.
The opening event on June 25th will have something for everyone. The Appreciating Animals petting zoo will be free for children and accompanying adults. Children will also enjoy storytelling by Pippa Reid and Vivien Keiles, as well as pond dipping, building bug houses, and a collection of animal skulls and snake skins to handle. For adults we’ll have guided tours of the site, telescopes to look over London, and a wide range of stalls and exhibitors.
The event, which is free to all, will begin at 12 noon and run to 5 PM. The entrance is on Wood Lane, Stanmore, post code HA7 4LG. Car parking is available at Shree Swaminarayan Temple – Dharma Bhakti Manor next door. Alternatively, take the 142 bus to the Little Common stop and Wood Farm is a ten minute walk away along Wood Lane.
For more details see the web page at http://www.harrowncf.org/SCP_home.html