Lesley Wertheimer is based in Peckham. She has been a Ranger since the first year of the programme in 2020. Her volunteer work takes her across a number of locations including Stave Hill Ecological Park (TCV) in SE London.
Q1
what inspired you to become a ranger?
I’ve been involved in London National Park City for ages, from before we declared. And I used to do the events with Steve Pocock, who was with us originally, going round London to tell people about this crazy idea that founder and British geographer Daniel Raven-Ellison had and then a few people said ‘You are going to apply to be Ranger aren’t you?’. So I did!. During the launch at City Hall in October 2019, it reminded me of Margaret Mead’s quote on my fridge: ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.’
Q2
How are you making London greener, healthier, and wilder?
The Orchard Project has two arms: one is to find, restore, and reach out to local communities to learn how to look after veteran orchards, and the other is to plant new orchards with local communities. Luckily I was accepted as an Orchard Project mentor and dived all over London, and even outside the capital, to prune at National Trust properties and other places. I took the Certificate in Community Orcharding and to my surprise was awarded the Acorn Award 2019 – which recognises an individual member of the public who has made a particular contribution to promoting or conserving trees. I was trained as a Beekeeper (2011) and my hives are in a chalk wildflower meadow created for them at Stave Hill Ecology Park. In 2021 I studied for the Award in Forest Gardening. I have been able to share these skills with other Rangers.
Q3
What do you think has the single most positive impact of the environmental initiatives you’ve been part of?
Bringing together a really diverse group of people to work together and combine skills. In orchard groups, I have never met anybody unpleasant. Everybody’s always lovely and nice to work with. We wouldn’t have met each other if it wasn’t for planting a tree together. Having an orchard isn’t just about planting a tree; it’s about building a community and collaboration.
Q4
What have you gained from being part of the LNPC Community?
Meeting more like-minded groups across London and getting involved with their projects. For example, last year, I spent a lot of time in North London working with another Ranger, Vanessa, to bring something about in their area. I also did a work day with Ranger Paula, who does a lot for forest schools.
Q5
Describe your proudest moment as a ranger
Encountering people I wouldn’t normally meet. At our first Wassail at a newly planted Rouel Community Orchard in 2021, Rangers Vanessa, Paula, Chris, Divya and Patrick (London National Park City researcher-in-residence) came to help. Our experienced Green Man pointed out that Chris would make a great Green Man. He stepped up and was magnificent in the role. It’s also great seeing younger people with a passion for the environment.These interactions are priceless and wouldn’t happen without the Ranger programme.
Q6
Describe your most challenging moment as a Ranger and how you overcame it
I’m very much someone who takes challenges head-on. If someone says, “You can’t,” I do my best to prove them wrong. There have been times when people said we couldn’t do something, but instead of stopping, we did 50% or 80% of it. It’s about overcoming stumbling blocks and pushing forward.
Q7
What’s next for you as a ranger?
We are de-paving people’s gardens to stop them from turning into car parks. Locally, we’ve got Trees for Bermondsey, part of the orchard group, and they have de-paved an area – the corner of a street – to create a community garden. We also insist on using expert nurseries like Keeper’s nursery in Kent – a specialist in fruit trees – for our trees.
Q8
What continues to motivate you on your Ranger journey?
Every year, we get a new cohort, and meeting new people with new projects keeps it interesting. It’s exciting to see the growth and development of the community and projects over time. I look forward to seeing where we are in another five years. I suggested an idea at our Ranger 5th year meeting and several Rangers agreed so watch out for 2025.
Q9
What has been your most memorable encounter with nature in London?
Having a great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) visit for three days part of Stave Hill Ecology Park Russia Dock Woodlands. Additionally, I was impressed with the Natural History Museum’s event at Calthorpe Community Gardens with their DNA of insects project.
Q10
How can we encourage more people to ‘Do London Differently’?
It’s about listening to what people want and need. Many projects have rigid schedules, but flexibility is key. People have different availability and can contribute in various ways. For example, an insomniac in our orchard project waters the orchard at 4am. Everyone has something valuable to contribute, and we need to be flexible to include them.
Q11
It’s 2029…as a community, what do you hope LNPC would have achieved by our 10th anniversary? And what might London look like as a result?
If it were up to me, we wouldn’t have any more glass and steel edifices. Buildings would be designed to support plant growth, following models like Singapore and Japan, where skyscrapers have massive green elements. I’d love to see London embrace urban farming, with residents growing their own food, much like Havana did when it achieved 80% food self-sufficiency in one year. Even if it’s just a cucumber plant on a balcony, every bit helps.
Read more Ranger Stories here.
Learn more about the work that Lesley is doing by joining our dedicated online community. Find out more about London National Park City by visiting https://nationalparkcity.london/
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Together, we can make London greener, healthier, and wilder..
