Welcome to the City of London!

Let’s take a look around!

London is getting on a bit! It’s one of the world’s oldest cities and has been around for nearly two millennia. Over hundreds of years distinct settlements and villages have come together to form the sprawling metropolis we know today. From the square mile which is officially the City of London and the financial district, to the green suburbs housing beautiful parks and herds of wild deer. London really does have something for everyone!

Greater London is home to almost 9 million people with the huge River Thames flowing through the city. At over 200 miles long and partly tidal, the Thames is an integral part of London, especially as Londoner’s get over 2/3rds of their drinking water from it! 50 years ago it was considered biologically extinct due to how polluted it was. Thankfully legislation helped to turn this around and wildlife has returned again. In fact it’s becoming more common to see seals and even dolphins meandering along.

5 cool facts

1. Ciao, ہیلو, hola, yo!

London is very culturally diverse and their 8 million residents speak over 100 languages.

2. Spread your wings and stay!

It is said that if the ravens leave the Tower of London, London will fall! They always have a spare raven handy in case they all fly away!

3. Feeding frenzy

Tourists are banned from feeding pigeons in Trafalgar Square in central London due to large numbers of them causing havoc and a lot of bird mess!

4. Forest fun

London is technically a forest! It has 8.4 million trees, almost one for every person and it falls under the UN definition of a forest.

5. A river runs through it

London is built on a huge system of subterranean rivers. These make up the tributaries of the Thames.

5 wildlife residents of the City of London

1. Are you kidding me?

Rats do love a good laugh. They show they are happy with high pitched chirps!

2. Foxy times

There are more foxes in London than double decker buses. 50% of an urban fox’s diet is discarded food waste and rubbish. Learn more about Frankie the Fox!

3. Genius pigeons

Scientists have discovered that pigeons are highly intelligent. Not only can they learn the alphabet but they can distinguish between different artworks. They also pass the mirror test where they can recognise themselves. This self awareness is only shown in a small handful of species.

4. Flashes of tropical colour

Greater London is home to thousands of green parakeets who have made their home in several London parks. Their numbers have grown to over 30,000!

5. Oh Deer me

Living in Bushy Park and Richmond Park, South West London, there are several large herds of Red and Fallow Deer. Adult males roar incredibly loudly during the breeding season!

A tourist on the London Underground asked me how to get to Heathrow via Barking.

So I pointed at a map and woofed...

What issues face the City of London?

Pollution

Stare out over the City of London on a hot summer’s day and you’ll see a shimmering haze. Tall buildings and still air contribute to pollution build up. Most of the air pollution in London is caused by cars, buses and taxis. They release toxic air pollutants that are causing over 9,000 premature deaths a year and contributing towards asthma, heart disease and dementia. Worse for the poorest Londoners as they are more likely to live in areas the worse impacted by toxic air. This could be equivalent to smoking 150 cigarettes a year.

It’s not just the air that is polluted however. The River Thames has recorded some of the highest levels of microplastics for rivers in the world. At any point, there could be up to 94,000 microplastics per second flowing down a section of the river. Plastic is being found not only in stomachs of fish and crustaceans but also tangled around wildlife.

Littering

You can’t walk far in London without stumbling across someone’s discarded rubbish. Be that a cigarette butt tossed onto the floor, a takeaway container or even fly tipping of mattresses and other large rubbish. Councils have to pay millions of pounds a year to try and stay on top of the issue. But with around 40% of people admitting to dropping litter at some point, they are facing a huge uphill battle.

Not only is it costly, an eyesore and a health hazard but it also has lasting impacts on wildlife. Each year several deer are put down as they have consumed large quantities of plastic and rubbish; often sports gels that are carelessly thrown aside.

Rubbish dropped near the River Thames will often find its way into this large waterway and travel towards the sea. Take a read of our poem about Just One Plastic Bottle.

Positive News

1. How low can you go?

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan introduced the world’s first Ultra Low Emission Zone to reduce toxic air pollution. The scheme was launched in 2019 and helped to reduce roadside concentrations of nitrogen oxide in the central zone by nearly half. This zone is set to be expanded which will benefit millions of Londoners.

2. From small acorns...

There is a tree programme in place in London to increase tree canopy cover by 10% by 2050. This will help to improve London’s green spaces and protect and manage the trees and woodland in London. You can find out more here.

What can you do to help?

1. Do your own litter pick or take part in an organised one. 

Check out Keep Britain Tidy or Surfers Against Sewage.

2. Take a look at London Wildlife TrustLondon Wildlife Trust

If you live in London you can volunteer to help nature thrive.

3. Walk and cycle more! Leave that car at home where you can!

Positive impacts with Earth Cubs

1. FREE APP! Play our app and teach your kids to love our amazing planet
2. TEACHING RESOURCES! Extensive curriculum linked resources supporting teachers and schools to bring sustainability into the classroom.