Cool Oak

Since the first phase of the north marsh restoration was completed just before the end of 2025, we have seen an uptick in visiting birds already. 7 Russian White-fronted Geese turned up at the end of December, and this year has seen Little Egret, Green Sandpiper and a prospecting Little Ringed Plover. Yesterday, a pair of Northern Pintail (pictured) dropped in at 1.45pm, the first sighting at Brent for over three years. It will be 2-3 years before the site reaches its optimum potential but the signs are already promising. Thanks to @crtlondonandsoutheast #wetlands #urban #birdwatching

Sand martins checking out possible nest site in the dam wall at Wembley Sailing Club this morning. Great to have these summer visitors back at Brent Reservoir.

Brent Reservoir - The biggest habitat restoration project in 40 years is taking shape on the north marsh. New islands, canals, wildflowers, boardwalk and bird hide. In October last year, Ebsford contractors working for Canal and River Trust stripped a huge area of colonised vegetation from the north-west corner of the north marsh, and re-instated and created islands and channels not seen in the area since the 1980s. Following a two-month break, hydroseeding (a wildflower meadow mix) will take place on the embankment and vehicle track before end of April. And new tern rafts will go in on the northern arm of the reservoir. The building of a new bird screen and boardwalk are due later in the year, followed by the shingling of the northern-most island and the addition of stock fencing that will ultimately shield much of the site from casual intrusion. Looking ahead, major dredging is planned for both east and north marsh next winter, to remove decades of toxic silt build-up. Funding is in the works. That will be followed by extensive habitat restoration and invasives removal including the stripping and reshingling of Bermuda Island. We are very much in the middle of the biggest habitat restoration at Brent Reservoir since the 1980s. It is an exciting period. We are proud of Cool Oak’s involvement in it all. Salute to Ben Macmillan at CRT who is driving this through. And to Ebsford for the great work so far. #wetland #conservation #environment @canalrivertrust @crtlondonandsoutheast @ebsford_environmental

It is with great sadness I am letting you know about the death of Leo Batten last week. Leo was an inspiration and became a friend. His work orchestrating the restoration of my local Brent Reservoir (Welsh Harp) in the late 80s was a monumental success story. It acted as the inspiration for Cool Oak - the pressure group I started in 2021 to revive the reservoir once again after too many years of neglect. Leo stepped up and joined us immediately in spite of advancing years. He co-founded the Welsh Harp Conservation Group in 1972 and was also a nationally-recognised ornithologist, conservationist and author who worked for English Nature before setting up his own independent independent biodiversity consultancy. I learnt so much from him. Funny, modest and compassionate, he carried his knowledge and achievements so lightly. I will miss him a lot 💚 Ben Watt

Pinch yourself! When we started Cool Oak in 2021, this was all a dream. Seems @canalrivertrust and @ebsford_environmental are excelling themselves today 💚🏞️🤘#wetlands #environment #sssi

Exciting to see the first few days work on the new north-west wetlands restoration at Brent Reservoir SSSI. Decades-worth of colonised vegetation has been cleared along the edge of the marsh, revealing one of the old canals to be revived in the £500k project 💚 @canalrivertrust @crtlondonandsoutheast #wetlands #SSSI

Excited to announce a major new £500k restoration of the north western corner of the north marsh at Brent Reservoir starting next month. Following a proposal by Cool Oak in 2022, Canal and River Trust will overhaul silted-up canals originally made in the 1980s, clear selected areas of wet woodland, revive the reed bed, create a shingle scrape, add a boardwalk to a new birdwatching screen, and install extra tern and grebe rafts plus sand martin and kingfisher banks. The area will be fenced off to deter vandalism and funding is baked in for future annual maintenance. The site is approximately the size of two football pitches and effectively runs from the north marsh viewing platform along the bottom of the embankment (below the path to the dump), as far as the bowling green. The footprint is outside the area earmarked for the controversial Silk Stream Bridge. It is proof that the will is there for restoring the neglected backlands of the north marsh, and will add pressure on Barnet Council and Barratt Homes to re-think the bridge project which - if built - will damage the north eastern side of the marsh. The work is being undertaken by Ebsford Environmental, experienced contractors in wetland creation, and overseen by CRT ecologist Ben Macmillan. Cool Oak is very proud to have kickstarted this wetland revival | @canalrivertrust @crtlondonandsoutheast @ebsford_environmental #wetlands #sssi

As owners publish their ambitious new vision for the future of Brent Reservoir (Welsh Harp), Cool Oak founder Ben Watt has written a stinging take on what's going wrong behind the scenes at this famous protected wetlands. READ IN FULL | LINK IN PROFILE @barnetcouncil @barrattlondon_ @canalrivertrust @brentcouncil @crtlondonandsoutheast @thames21 @sian_berry @tonyjuniper @friendsofthewelshharp @londonwildlifetrust @phoenixoutdoorcentre #environment #ecology #conservation #brentreservoir #savewelshharp #cleantheharp #wetlands #marshes #fen #SSSI #wildlife #birding #birdwatching #flora

It is amazing how nature takes over if left unchecked. In 1984, volunteers from our campaign partners, Welsh Harp Conservation Group began orchestrating the re-profiling of the wetlands at Brent Reservoir, including the construction of this elegant canal (on the left) linking the two bird hides on the east marsh. : Forty years later, in 2023, after decades of dwindling funding and stewardship, a new generation of volunteers is beginning to restore it, cutting back the self-seeded willow, re-instating the banks, and eventually replanting some of the wild flora that has long since disappeared in the march of colonisation. It will bring greater biodiversity and mixed habitat. : If you live in north-west London and want to join in and help improve Brent Reservoir - one of the capital’s great green spaces and oldest SSSI’s - contact us through our website. : 👊🌿 : #environment #ecology #conservation #brentreservoir #savewelshharp #cleantheharp #wetlands #marshes #fen #SSSI #wildlife #birding #birdwatching #flora

🏞 It’s been a great campaign year for Cool Oak at Brent Reservoir (Welsh Harp). We took this pic of the low winter sun over the east marsh this month and can look back on a string of improvements. : After we alerted @naturalengland in 2021 to falling numbers in key bird species and widespread habitat degradation, reservoir owner @canalrivertrust responded and raised over £150k in funding for several different initiatives that bore fruit this year. : We have seen self-seeded tree clearance to improve reed habitats; the scanning of the entire reservoir to get up-to-date bathymetric data; the arrival of four floating ecosystems to encourage an increase in the breeding numbers of one the Welsh Harp’s signature species - the great crested grebe; and in December two further days of plastics and debris removal. : Our campaign has also stimulated a new strategic partnership between @canalrivertrust and the owners of the surrounding green space, Barnet Council and Brent Council. The upshot has been the commissioning of a major new future-facing plan to propose improvements not just for habitat and climate resilience, but for recreational facilities and public involvement at this flagship green space. We are excited by its imminent publication. : For all their involvement this year, we’d like to thank Neil Earnshaw, Richard Parry, Tim Mulligan, Tom Oliver, Gareth Royall and Ros Daniels at @canalrivertrust ; the effervescent @friendsofthewelshharp ; Barnet Council’s new biodiversity officer, Harriet Duffield; @thames21 , @sian_berry , @tonyjuniper , @crtlondonandsoutheast , Matthew Frith at @londonwildlifetrust ; the Welsh Harp Conservation Group, Friends of the Silk Stream, Lewis Elmes and Neale Hider at the EA; Phil at @phoenixoutdoorcentre , @colindalecommunitygarden , our supporters on the Welsh Harp Joint Consultative Committee, and all the councillors and green space teams working on the new vision for the Welsh Harp. : Seasonal salute to all 😍 Cool Oak continues to campaign for Brent Reservoir ✊🌿🦢 : #environment #ecology #conservation #brentreservoir #savewelshharp #cleantheharp #wetlands #marshes #fen #SSSI #wildlife #birding #birdwatching #flora

Heron Hide at Brent Reservoir is overgrown and out of action, but on Dec 31, from 9am-2pm, @canalrivertrust and Cool Oak are clearing reeds to bring it back to life for 2023. : Want to help? Volunteers welcome. Drop us a line at cooloakgroup.com/contact

Such a potentially transformative day for Brent Reservoir (Welsh Harp). : We urge Barnet Labour to (1) declare a climate emergency for the borough (2) install a biodiversity officer and warden for the Welsh Harp (3) call in Silk Stream bridge for review (4) stop the wetlands from becoming an ornamental pond for waterside developers (5) help fix misconnections and outfall into River Brent and Silk Stream (6) address fly-tipping on riverbanks not just roads (7) rescind plans for artificial pitches next to a Local Nature Reserve (8) improve parks anti-littering strategy (9) take on unlawful angling (10) inspire love for Brent Reservoir - one of London’s great green spaces 🌿 : #environment #ecology #conservation #brentreservoir #savewelshharp #cleantheharp #wetlands #marshes #fen #SSSI #wildlife #birds #birding #birdwatching #flora | @canalrivertrust @barnetcouncil @brentcouncil @naturalengland @friendsofthewelshharp @thames21