LINKS AND RESOURCES
ResourcesPlanning practical conservation projects – information and advice for groups that organise practical activities involving volunteers Fundraising – details of grant-making bodies and advice on fundraising "How to" guides – from setting up a volunteer group to practical conservation advice Legal & Policy – helping you to keep within the law when working with volunteers Training – short and long courses in environmental and conservation skills Photo gallery – showing conservation in action and the biodiversity of the borough |
Links to useful websites
While we have endeavoured to provided links to sites that we believe to be of value, REN is not responsible for the content of these external sites, and we should not be assumed to endorse the content or services that these sites offer. Please report any broken links to us via our Contact Us page.
Biodiversity Action Plan Environmental/conservation organisations (local) Environmental/conservation organisations (national/regional) Environmental training courses Environmental Jobs Government agencies involved in the environment Local information Sustainability and community development Other sites of interest Green Energy Ethical JunctionWe have now established a separate page for our support to schools, which can be found by clicking here.
Biodiversity Action Plan: London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
Visit the Richmond Biodiversity Group page to see how you can get involved. If you are having trouble contacting the relevant action plan lead, go to http://www.kew.org/richmondbio/cont.html to send a message that can be passed on.
- Habitat action plans
- Acid grasslands – lead: Mike Hildesley, Friends of Barnes Common
- Ancient parkland and veteran trees – lead: Nigel Reeve, Royal Parks
- Broad-leaved woodland – leads: Ollie Whaley or Peter Edwards, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
- Reedbeds – lead: Tasha Hunter, London's Arcadia
- Tidal Thames – lead: Rob Gray, Friends of the River Crane Environment
- Species action plans
- Bats – lead: Mike Waite (Richmond also has a Bat Group)
- Mistletoe – lead: Tyrell Marris, Friends of Bushy & Home Parks
- Song thrush – lead: Alison Fure
- Stag beetle – lead: John Hatto
- Tower mustard – lead: Charlotte Williams
- Water vole – lead: Ian McKinnon, London Wildlife Trust: Crane Park Island
Environmental/conservation organisations (local)
- See the Groups Database page for local voluntary groups
- London Wetland Centre, Barnes
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
- Royal Parks Bushy and Richmond
Environmental/conservation organisations (national/regional)
- BTCV – supporting volunteering opportunities throughout the UK and across the globe
- Earthwatch Institute – promoting the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment
- English Nature – championing the conservation of wildlife and geology throughout England
- Friends of Conservation – working with local communities to protect their surrounding wildlife and habitats
- Friends of the Earth – campaigning on climate change and promoting solutions to environmental problems
- Greenpeace – an independent, campaigning organisation exposing global environmental problems
- Green Space – a national organisation supporting parks based and friends of groups
- GreenStat – gives local residents an opportunity to comment on the quality of their open spaces
- National Trust – preserving places of historic interest or natural beauty
- Open Spaces Society – working to protect common land and public rights of way
- Royal Horticultural Society – dedicated to advancing horticulture and promoting good gardening
- Soil Association – promoting sustainable, organic farming and championing human health
- People’s Trust for Endangered Species – protection for endangered species
- Wildfowl & Wetland Trust – promoting the conservation of wetlands, focusing on rare wetland birds
- Wildlife Trusts – leading conservation charity exclusively dedicated to wildlife
- WWF – global conservation, research, environmental advocacy, and restoration organisation
Environmental training courses
- Birkbeck College, University of London – offers a range of certificated short and long courses in ecology
- BTCV – a comprehensive selection of basic environmental and ecology courses
- Capel Manor – certificated courses in horticulture, conservation, and environmental management
- Field Studies Council – comprehensive range of environmental courses
- Open University – certificated environmental courses
- Countryside Jobs Link – useful reading before looking at the others
- Countryside Jobs
- Edie
- Environmentjob
- Environmentjobs
- Environmental job listings (Word document)
Government agencies involved in the environment
- Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
- Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) – encourages volunteering
- Cleaner Safer Greener Communities
- Environment Agency
- Health & Safety Executive
- Natural England
- Sustainable Development Unit
- Greater London Authority
- Council, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
- Allotments in the borough
- Community Plan 2007–2017
- Councillors
- InfoRich – searchable database of voluntary and community groups in the borough of Richmond
- Parks and open spaces owned or managed by the council
- Recycling
- Local Agenda 21 – activities now managed by Richmond Environment Network
- Freecycle – an international movement with local branches, where people can exchange goods
- Furniture Scheme (Richmond upon Thames)
- Green Parents network (Richmond & Twickenham)
- Maps
- Borough map (PDF)
- Bus routes in the area
- Wildlife sites in London, produced by WildWeb
- Online Communities – volunteer-run Web portals for local information around the borough
- Richmond Council for Voluntary Service (CVS)
- ICT Centre – computing, website, and print support, with training and access to online funding information
- Volunteer Centre
- Scheduled river boat services from Kew to Hampton Court, provided by Turks and Westminster Passenger Service Association, in association with Transport for London
- St Margarets Community Website - help foster a stronger community identity in St Margarets
- Thames tides from the BBC
- Tidal Thames navigation
Sustainability and community development
- Academy of Sustainable Communities – centre of excellence for the skills and knowledge needed to create communities fit for the 21st century
- Community Development Exchange – community-based approach to tackle inequality and achieve social justice
- Community Development Foundation – ensuring effective participation of people in decisions that affect their lives
- Community Planning & Involvement leaflet (PDF document) from Planning Aid for London
- Creative Environmental Networks – provides information on efficient and renewable energy use
- Funding advice from CEN for people who want to convert to renewable energy
- Directory of Social Change – information and training for the voluntary sector
- Encyclopedia of Sustainable Development – a one-stop source of information on sustainable development
- Energy Saving Trust – energy saving and renewable energy options for home, business and travel
- Green Construction – a collection of abstracts of newspaper and periodical articles relevant to green building in the UK
- London 21 – a network of support for sustainability
- Green Map – search for environmental and healthy activities in your area
- London Sustainability Exchange – bringing people together to make London a more sustainable city
- Million Voices – campaign to get a million people to comment on their local parks
- Neighbourhoods Green – aims to highlight the importance of green spaces for the residents of social housing
- Sustainable Workplace – advice from the TUC
- Sustrans – provides information on sustainable means of travel: walking, cycling and public transport
- The Yellow House – tells the story of how to turned an 1930s ex-council house into an environmental dream home
- The Nag - a website to help you make the right lifestyle choices for an greener life, with e-mail reminders
- Ethical Junction – brings together businesses and consumers who share a commitment to ethical values
- 4ecotips.com – eco news and information site
- BBC Science & Nature
- Buying a new car? – check out its CO2 emissions
- Community Kit – free websites for UK charities, non-profit organisations and volunteer-led groups
- Clean Green Cars – advice about choosing and using cars in a more environmentally considerate way
- Eco Foot Print – measure your impact on the world
- Ecologist Magazine – ecology/green issues magazine
- Ecotopia – supplies a great range of eco friendly, ethical, sustainable and natural products
- Ecozine – online eco news site
- Earth Huggers – online retailer of eco products
- Ethical Consumer – researching ethical aspects of a product from its environmental impact to the behaviour of the company behind it
- Ethical Superstore – online retailer of an ethical nature
- Green & Easy – consumer products rates according to their environmental crudentials
- Green Electronics guide – consumer product manufacturers by Greenpeace
- Green Moves – for people buying and selling environmentally friendly, energy-efficient homes
- Green Shopping – ethical consumer products
- Just Green – catalogue of natural garden pest solutions
- London Cycling Campaign – making London a world-class cycling city
- Living Ethically – shopping and information portal on organic, ecological and ethical living
- Natural Collection – ethical shopping
- New Consumer – fair trade and ethical lifestyle magazine
- One Green Earth – global directory of green resources
- Pesticide Action Network – information on health effects of pesticides, news, campaigns and projects
- Information about Slugs - the gardeners favourite
- Talk Action – a useful directory of various environmental resources including speakers and events
- The Good Wood Guide - a guide from the Independent
- Trolley Dolly - Say goodbye to plastic bags. This handy pack from a Richmond company contains 22 bags in one! 2 shoulder bags, 8 carrier bags, 2 bottle bags, 10 net bags, just 1 bag, just 1 planet !
- Why you should switch suppliers (PDF), with kind permission from the Rich & Twick Green Party
- Electricityinfo.org – provides figures of percentage supply from renewable sources
- Moneysupermaket – independent guide to green energy tariffs
- Shared Energy – a small group of people who support each other and others outside to make the changes we all need to make in our lives to cope with steeply rising energy prices and to lessen the risks of climate change
And lastly, something light-hearted
- Grinning Planet – cartoons about the environment
