Two New Year Wild Flower Hunts, both led by Roy Vickery, and both starting at 11 a.m., and continuing for c.90 minutes:

Saturday 1 January:  Brockwell Park, London Borough of Lambeth; organised jointly by the Friends of Brockwell Park and the South London Botanical Institute.  Fully booked.

Report:  About 20 people turned up to spend a pleasant 90 minutes walking around the park and recording 32 species of wild plants in flower (up from 26 in 2019; we were unable to hold a hunt in 2020).  The weather was exceptionally mild, so instead of wanting to rush off home, or to find hot drinks, people lingered and chatted afterwards:  ‘It was really enjoyable.’

Sunday 2 January: Tooting Common, London Borough of Wandsworth; organised by the Friends of Tooting Common.

Report:  About 12 people turned up on a fine, mild morning, and spent almost two hours strolling around part of the Common.  37 species were recorded in flower, down from 38 in 2021.  25 species were recorded as flowering in both years.  It was particularly pleasing to find Asian bittercress, Cardamine occulta, again; this species was first recorded in Britain, in Coventry, in 2014, and first recorded on the Common on 1 January 2021 (see image).

Image of Roy Vickery on Tooting Common, © Carlos Bruzon, October 2021