Lambeth has just announced it will delay the phasing out of glyphosate spraying on our streets until October 2021. The reason given is that the COVID-19 pandemic has meant that they have had to delay the procurement work related to this service by six months.

Lambeth are therefore extending their opt-out scheme for those who are happy to weed their own street. The deadline to do this is midnight on Sunday 9 August, find out how here: www.lambeth.gov.uk/parking-transport-and-streets/streets-and-roads/opt-out-of-glyphosate-weed-spraying-on-your-street

Have you ever wondered what a weed really is? We highly recommend the More Than Weeds project run by Sophie Leguil: morethanweeds.co.uk/. More Than Weeds is a project aimed at changing our perception of urban plants growing on walls, pavement or tree pits.

Inspired by the “Sauvages de ma rue” (“Wild plants of my street”) initiative created in France in 2001 by the French Natural History Museum and the botanical organisation Telabotanica, More Than Weeds encourage the recording of urban flora through guided walks, social media and other communications, exhibitions and the publication of identification guides.

And of course, don’t forget the South London Botanical Institute right on our doorstep. We have sadly just missed their most recent Pavement Prowl www.slbi.org.uk/event/summer-plant-walks-balham-pavement-prowl/, a guided walk studying plants that live on our city streets, usually pavements and gutters, but the SLBI is planning similar walks with Roy, most weeks through the summer, and most will be looking at our common plants, either on pavements or places like churchyards (small plants on pavements bring a slight social distancing problem!). The next one on 31 July is full but there is still space on 7 August. For all walks and our other events, visit: www.slbi.org.uk/events/. To keep up with the latest news, sign up to their monthly e-news (via website) and don't forget to follow them on social media.

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but visit their Events page for all their upcoming events (link here).