Fulham Cemetery Friends
Fulham Cemetery is one of the most beautiful green spaces in southwest London, a calm urban oasis, with many species of trees, supporting a great variety of wildlife.
Starting a Fulham Cemetery volunteer group!
Many locals who visit the cemetery regularly are interested in helping to care for its monuments, trees, and wildlife. But there is currently no way for them to coordinate their efforts.
Please provide your email address if you are interested in joining a volunteer group.
The immediate need: watering young trees this summer
For years, the number of trees in the cemetery has been declining, with no new trees planted to replace losses. But this winter the council planted 36 new trees in the cemetery.
Read more: Trees in Fulham Cemetery
Young trees need regular watering during Spring and Summer, during the first 3 years after planting. This is not always done by the council. Regular watering by volunteers is critical if the trees are to survive.
A general rule is that a tree should receive at least 50 litres of water per week in May, June, July and August. (About five 2-gallon watering cans.)
If we coordinate our efforts, this makes the task manageable. For example, if we each "adopt" 6 trees, and commit to 1 watering can per tree, 2 days per week, then 12 volunteers can ensure 36 trees get 40 liters each per week.
What else can we do?
Coordinate with the council regarding maintenance, e.g. mowing or pruning
Work with the council to make the paths more accessible (repair potholes, etc.)
Plant additional trees (e.g. donated trees), in coordination with the council
Create a tree donation scheme or a bench donation scheme
Identify areas that may need tidying or weeding
Meet up and get to know like-minded people
Learn from each other regarding the cemetery's trees, wildlife, and history
Tree walks, bird walks, and local history walks with experts
Talks from invited experts on wildlife and local history
Please look to the Friends of Margravine Cemetery for ideas of what we could do in future. If there is interest, we could create a non-profit membership association, and membership fees could pay for trees, plants, and equipment for volunteer gardeners.
