Along with other parks and nature reserves in the borough that are already designated, Forster Park has recently achieved national ‘Green Flag’ status.
This is in recognition of the quality and management of its space, community involvement, recreational use and of measures to boost biodiversity including within the ancient woodland.
Forster Park has also been recognised with a Gold in the London in Bloom awards for a large park, which celebrates and recognises volunteer and community efforts to make the Capital greener, increase biodiversity and enhance neighbourhood communities.
We are very proud of these achievements and we hope you are too!
We’re especially grateful to our incredible volunteers, the Council’s Parks team and Glendale who manage the park on behalf of the Council, the Frothy Coffee Hut team, all the community partners involved in the park – and our amazing sensory garden team, who won over the judges with our wonderful community space that so many of us enjoy being in.
During the day we held a couple ‘taste and touch guided tours’ in the sensory garden with adults and children.
To taste: several thymes, sage, tarragon, parsley and fennel seeds.
To smell: The uplifting scent of the geranium (kind donation from Liz Gill). The surprising aroma of the curry plant.
To feel: The soft lambs ear leaves and feathery achillea leaves, the silky artemisia powis castle.
We admired the stature and seeds of the sunflowers.
Wild food guided tour with safety guidelines
We walked across the field and observed dandelions (Taraxacum officinale) and plantain (Plantago major) along the pathway.
We continued to the woodland edge and discussed the difference between deadly Hemlock (not found in this park) and the delicious cow parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris), which is prevalent and with low growing foliage during the cooler time of the year. Garlic mustard / Jack by the hedge (Alliaria petiolata), hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), chickweed (Stellaris media) were also studied.
In the woods we saw stinging nettles (Urticae dioica) and burdock (Arctium).
At the end by Glendale’s entrance, we observed young Shaggy Inkcap mushrooms (Coprinuscomatus) growing in the grass, which when older yield a black ink-like liquid, suitable for painting!
Plus a Ganoderma fungus close to the old tea hut building.
Ganoderma fungus
We completed our day with a / Our day culminated / in a wild food feast made and prepared by Effat Batul, who set up our ‘sofre’ picnic style tablecloth on the grass to sit around.
Wild food feast
Forest feast gourmet salad menu
Buckwheat, sunflower seed and chickweed pâté served with Beetroot, marrow and tomato salad. Date, apple and ginger and apple dessert with Fresh Rose hip jelly was Served on avocado tree leaves and eaten with wooden cutlery.
Forest feast gourmet salad menu
Art: Our colourful, striped stems from the Tree Spinach plant found new delight used in decorative mobiles.
colourful, striped stems from the Tree Spinach plant
We are looking forward to organising a new winter session for more visitors to enjoy the garden.
