Pond clearance project at Boleyn Garden in Chelmsford

Volunteering our time at Boleyn Gardens Ponds

Here at Fisk Group, we’re not just passionate about fire safety and security. We’re also keen to do whatever we can to offer our support to help protect and preserve our local green spaces.

That’s why we volunteer our time, whenever we can, to Chelmsford City Council’s ‘Love Your Chelmsford’ initiative.

Love Your Chelmsford brings together volunteers from the community to improve local parks and nature reserves, both for the people who visit and the nature that thrives within them.

Our next adventure is on Thursday 22nd of September, when Tel, James, and Greg will be donning their wellies to help tidy and maintain the ponds at Boleyn Gardens.

Why Boleyn Gardens?

Well, if you haven’t been to Boleyn Gardens before, it’s located just off White Lane and the gardens themselves are named after Anne Boleyn, who is believed to have stayed at New Hall. Her husband, Henry VIII, is also thought to have visited the area.

It’s a beautiful open green space for families to visit and is home to a wide variety of creatures, both big and small. There’s an extensive footpath, cycle path, play area, wildlife meadows, and two lovingly maintained ponds.

Why is pond work so important?

Ponds can and do take a lot of maintenance to continue providing a great habitat for fish, insects, reptiles, and amphibians. They’re also an important water source for animals in the park and are home to hundreds of plants and shrubs.

We’ve got to say, it’s surprising what you learn about nature in the process. You get to know your soft rush and water mint from your reedmace and pendulous sedge. But, most importantly, you discover just what’s needed to maintain a hospitable environment.

To keep the ponds open, vegetation and logs must be removed, overhanging trees cut, and the water must be checked and emptied of any rubbish.

A few times a year, volunteers come together to do just this – not just at Boleyn Gardens, but throughout Chelmsford and the surrounding area. Without this support, our parks and nature reserves would most definitely suffer.

We’re just pleased we’re able to do our bit to help.

Find out more about volunteering

If you’re also interested in volunteering, we encourage you to visit the volunteer page on Love Your Chelmsford’s website. If you don’t fancy pond work, there are many other ways you can get involved, from planting trees to managing habitats, surveying wildlife, litter picking, and helping with small construction works.