Welcome to Paradise!
October 2023 saw the successful release of a family of Eurasian beavers into the Ealing Beaver Project's state of the art enclosure at Paradise Fields in Greenford, Ealing!
The 10 hectare site (8 of which are now enclosed and home to the beavers) is a magical mosaic of mixed habitats including wet woodlands and waterways, meadows dotted with ancient oak standards and large areas of untamed scrubland - practically perfect for wildlife!
As a founding partner organisation with the Ealing Beaver Project, we at Citizen Zoo are delighted to welcome you to a practical rewilding day at a site in that heart of urban Greenford that truly lives up to its name.
As a volunteer you will be learning and undertaking traditional and wildlife friendly management techniques to enhance, manage and monitor the site and encourage wildlife-friendly behaviour by the public.
There are plenty of opportunities to get involved, meet new people and learn skills on the day. This will include observing the amazing impacts that beavers have already made and will continue to make on the site, with their ecosystem engineering delivering potentially profound and positive effects for wildlife and the flow of the Coston's Brook, which crosses the site.
We have secured funding to continue running the site for wildlife and people throughout 2025 and we would love you to join us at Paradise Fields.
Where to meet
We will meet at the beaver mural underpass entrance in the carpark of Westway Cross Retail Park (behind the McDonald's). There is ample free parking for up to four hours in the main carpark, with no limits at the carpark immediately beside the McDonald's (please check this on the day and park at your own risk). See the map for details.
Westway Cross is relatively easy to get to. The nearest point accessible by public transport is Greenford Underground Station (on the Central Line), which is roughly 8 minutes' away on foot. From Sudbury Hill Station (Piccadilly Line) in the north it's a 25 minute walk along the Greenford Road.
What to bring:
- OLD CLOTHES – that you don’t mind getting dirty - preferably long sleeves and trousers.
- COAT & LAYERS - you never know when it might rain
- SUN CREAM - with temperatures high, this is important
- WELLIES OR BOOTS – this site is often very wet and muddy!
- WATER - again, with temperatures high, this is important
- LUNCH - this will not be provided
Timings:
- 10:00 - 10:15 – Arrive on Site & Welcome
- 10:15 - 10:20 – Brief on tasks & safety brief
- 10:20 - 12:00 – Practical rewilding
- 12:00 - 12:40 – Break
- 12:40 - 13:50 – Practical rewilding
- 13:50 - 14:00 – Clean up, thank you and finish
Regular volunteer days in 2025
Throughout 2025 we will be running regular, bi-weekly volunteer days at our different rewilding sites across London. Keep an eye on our Eventbrite and Volunteer pages for relevant details, and sign up to our volunteer newsletter here.
