Barnes Common faces threats from …

The rubbish dumpers Not just the casual droppers of litter, but people who see this glorious green space as somewhere convenient to dump builders' rubble and all kinds of unwanted objects. Even garden waste harms the environment by degrading the acid grassland. Friends of Barnes Common adopt a favourite patch, pick up litter regularly as they walk it, and report any dumping for the Council to clear away. In spring we organise a grand common cleanup, when over 50 people will haul out several vanloads of rubbish.

The car parkers Given a chance, commuters and local residents (who should know better!) use the common verges as a car park. This not only churns up the edges but leads people to think of common land as their private property. The Friends keep an eye on this, and press the Council to protect vulnerable areas with posts, ditches or even cut-down tree trunks put to a new use as a barrier.

The travellers In several recent years, travellers' camps have brought caravans and cars, plus the associated rubbish and hygiene problems, to Barnes Common. When they depart, the Council is left with a costly cleanup job. Access points have been blocked up, but it is vital we report an invasion to the police while it is actually happening. So the Friends have to keep vigilant.

The urbanisers Criss-crossed by roads and a railway line, Barnes Common must fight to retain its rural quality. So the Friends find themselves taking up planning issues, even appearing at public inquiries. Of recent years we have opposed developments planned for the Old Goodsyard site (currently unused and once part of the common), and pressed for less damaging routes for cycle tracks across the common.

So why be a Friend? As managers of a local nature reserve, Richmond Council must act on a management plan and, if misdirected, this could easily turn Barnes Common into a tidied-up urban park. This has happened with other London open spaces, but happily there is little danger of it happening here, because Council officers set enlightened policies, guided by the local expertise brought together in the Friends of Barnes Common.

With a much-loved area like our common, there are naturally people out walking it day by day, observing it through every season. Some are true experts on its wildflowers, its bird life, its rarities and its unwanted intruders (yes, we plot the patches of Japanese knotweed!) Through the Friends, the Council can draw on all this local knowledge, and by becoming a member you reinforce this image of a solid body of informed opinion.

With our newsletter On the Common we keep you informed, not only on the management work but on our own initiatives to bring even more diversity to the common. Thus we are planning to create a reedbed habitat beside Beverley Brook, and experimenting to see if we can bring heather back to heathland areas. Recent articles have also looked at aspects of history and ownership, and given amazing insights into the bee, wasp and ant population, and the rare spiders that live on the common.

As a member you can also join in our regular work parties. A Sunday morning spent in good company, tackling scrub encroachment on the open grassland or creating a sunny woodland glade, gives you the feeling you are helping to make the common even more enjoyable for everyone.

For membership details, please email info@barnescommmon.org.uk