About Wanstead Wildlife
The website is designed to provide information about some of the wildlife to be found in and around Wanstead, which is in the south of Epping Forest and about 7 miles east of the City of London.
It takes into account not just the Forest itself - which although one of the more intensively studied areas of Britain, has not been well studied in its southern reaches - but also adjacent areas such as the City of London Cemetery and even to some extent the streets and gardens around. The range of wildlife covered comprises just about anything (and even includes some deliberately planted and introduced species that can't really be considered "wild"), but lack of knowledge and lack of time means that inevitably, some groups are much better represented than others.
What I hope will become clear is that even in a semi-urban area, even in a back garden or in the street outside your house, wildlife is to be found.
Some notes about the site:
• Most of the information has been written and the photographs taken by myself. Where this is not the case, acknowledgements are given.
• Some of the information - particularly regarding history etc. - has been gleaned from a variety of sources. Not all of these have been acknowledged (a lot of it is in my head) - but no infringement of copyright is intended.
• Identifications of species are not guaranteed accurate. In some cases an indication - such as a question mark - may be given where there may be doubt or there may be similar species.
• The lists are primarily those of species that I have found or seen myself, although in some cases I have appended records from other sources or that have been reported to me.
• Identification is carried out in the field, at home or by photographs. I do not like to kill, harm or unduly disturb plants or animals, so - particularly with the latter identification method - there are obvious restrictions
• Any views expressed - unless otherwise noted - are my own and do not relate to any other group or organisation.
• You can use the information fairly freely, including the photographs; but please be sure to acknowledge appropriately.
• If you want to know a bit about me, then that's available here
In designing this website, I have come across a number of problems and questions. These include:
• What comprises Wanstead?
• What constitutes wild life?
• Why is the wildlife here?
• How do I present the findings?
• Where and when do I stop?
I shall not attempt to answer these in any order, or possibly not at all - but I will start with looking at Wanstead - where it is, what it is, and what do I mean by "in and around Wanstead". For that - see here.
Paul Ferris, 7th March 2007