Mud, sweat but no tears at Bushy Park!

Here at the Royal Parks Foundation, we don't mind getting our hands dirty. In fact, we love it!

For the last few years, we've joined The Royal Parks Ecology team at the beautiful Brewhouse fields in Bushy Park twice a year, to don our waders and rubber gloves and venture into the Reed Beds to clear water channels and banks. Our aim, to help keep this vital, and rare, area of London habitat healthy and thriving with life.

On Thursday 1 March, led by Nigel Reeve, Head of Ecology, and his fantastic volunteers, we ventured into this protected area of Bushy Park, which is usually closed off from human visitors to help provide a safe haven for wildlife.

It was a misty morning which added to the atmosphere as Nigel explained our task, which included clearing reeds from the pond area. This has many benefits, including encouraging kingfishers to make the area their home and allowing water to flow more easily, which in turn helps the wildlife to thrive.

Inspired by our task, we got stuck in. Sally was particularly enthusiastic and enjoyed the satisfaction of pulling the first reed out with a yelp of triumph. And so the day began....

By lunchtime, the sky cleared and the sun came out. We were thrilled to be out in the Park, appreciating its beauty and the vital role it plays in caring for London's wildlife. Finding a 22-spot ladybird and spotting a kingfisher in flight really made our day.

Yes, it was hard work, we all got a bit wet and stuck in the mud, but that just added to the fun. Spending the day doing our bit and being inspired by the ecology experts was just brilliant!

The Royal Parks do such a fantastic job at keeping the Parks beautiful. As the charity for the Parks, we help support them to do this. You can get involved too:

• Support The Royal Parks
• Volunteer your time for The Royal Parks