Festive Greetings from the Heath
As Christmas fast approaches, we’d like to reflect on the past year and thank everyone who’s been involved in Heath Hands’ activities throughout 2025.
This includes our incredible volunteers out on our green spaces and those who have joined our Friends membership, or who have donated to our Hedgerow Heroes appeal this year. Thanks also go to the staff at our partner organisations and those at local community organisations who all strive to make the Heath better for wildlife and people and to support community participation in nature-based activities. It’s been a fantastic year, and we look forward to more of the same in 2026!
An iced up Viaduct Pond back in January
We’ve carried out some amazing conservation projects during 2025, such as hedge planting and creating a new wildlife pond near the Hive at Parliament Hill. Behind the scenes we also built a new greenhouse to help with propagation and growing plants and wildflowers for the different sites we work at, which will help us develop our work next year.
A group of volunteers hedge planting
Youth volunteers hedge planting
From Highgate Wood, to Golders Hill Park, from up at Kenwood Estate to down at Parliament Hill the Rangers and volunteers have been working hard in all weather to conserve the green spaces and deliver wonderful public events and activities. The Heath has hosted Kite Festivals, concerts and Conker Championships, alongside races and all manner of sports. In the background our Wildlife Monitors were out surveying the wildlife, and our Interpreters were engaging visors and families about nature on our wonderful green spaces.
Sometimes this time of year is not always easy, as the nights are long and regular activities often take a break (including our own practical sessions!). However, the Heath is a fantastic place to visit in winter and getting out and about in nature is hugely beneficial. for health and wellbeing Our wonderful volunteer Walk Leaders will be continuing our three weekly health walks throughout the festive period (excluding bank holidays), so there will be walks on 22nd and 29th December and then on 5th and 8th January to get you out working off that festive food.
Getting out on our Health Walks is a great start to January
If you feel like a post-festivity boost in early January, and some motivation to get out and about, head over to our what’s on page, for details about upcoming Forest Bathing (nature mindfulness) and Nature Journaling workshops, as well as bird watching activities in the run up to the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch from 23-25 January.
And finally, on behalf of everyone at Heath Hands, our mascot Ollie wishes you a very Merry Christmas, and all the best for 2026!
