Trust for Urban Ecology

The Trust for Urban Ecology (TRUE) is a London-based ecological organisation and is part of The Conservation Volunteers (formerly BTCV) since April 2012. The Trust for Urban Ecology was founded in 1976 when ecologist Max Nicholson and a group of like-minded conservationists set up Britain's first urban ecology park.^[1]

History

Max Nicholson, the trust's founder, was also instrumental in setting up the World Wildlife Fund and became the 2nd Director General of the Nature Conservancy Council.^[2]

The trust's first site, the William Curtis Ecological Park, was created on the site of a derelict lorry park near London's Tower Bridge. The William Curtis Ecological Park was always intended to be temporary and in 1985 the land was returned to its owners.^[3] By this time the trust had already created two new nature parks and it would later acquire another two.

Current sites

• Stave Hill Ecological Park^[4]
• Lavender Pond
• Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park^[5]
• Dulwich Upper Wood

Aims

• To provide a new habitat for urban wildlife
• To enable ecologists to discover more about the nature of urban ecology
• To offer city residents the chance to enjoy nature and learn through hands-on experience
• To demonstrate the value of creative conservation - an ecological approach to the creation of new landscapes
• To provide examples of best practice and key demonstration sites

Other activities

• The trust offer environmental design, creation and management services
• Volunteer and work placement schemes
• Environment skills training
• Corporate team-building projects

See also

• Urban Ecology
• The Conservation Volunteers