News & Events
Find out what's happening at and around Gillespie Park. Scroll down for upcoming events, regular weekly activities and more. Please email us if you would like us to add an event to this page.
Spring Intergenerational Event
Saturday 26 April 2025, 10:30am - 1pm, Islington Ecology Centre, 191 Drayton Park, N5 1PH
Come and meet new people, enjoy local nature and craft activities with The Garden Classroom, listen to our presentation about butterflies and enjoy animal encounters with Zoolab. Plus, free refreshments and drinks! Event will be both indoors & outdoors so please dress for the weather. This is a free event for Islington residents. For more information, please contact: brightstartcentral@islington.gov.uk 02075278465
Islington Gardeners Annual Plant Sale
Sunday 27 April 2025, 2 - 4pm, Olden Garden, Whistler Street, N5 1NJ
Everybody welcome - Entrance free. Plants (all kinds!) and refreshments (tea and cakes!) for sale. Card or cash payments accepted. Free planting activity for children, as well as free plants and seeds to plant in tree pits on your road. Find out how to enter the Islington in Bloom competition. Supporting the Alzheimer's Society and Elizabeth House Community Centre. @izzygardeners www.islingtongardeners.org.uk
Parkland Walk Biodiversity Survey
Help us document the incredible biodiversity of Parkland Walk, London's longest linear nature reserve! This project records all wildlife observations (plants, animals, fungi, etc.) along the entire Parkland Walk, building a comprehensive picture of its ecology. Join us in exploring and contributing to this valuable urban nature reserve! This citizen science project complements the formal flora survey and welcomes observations from everyone, from casual walkers to experienced naturalists.
Here is where you can contribute to the Parkland Walk Biodiversity Survey via the iNaturalist website/app:
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/parkland-walk-biodiversity-survey
We are also going to use the iNaturalist app in 26th of April for a competition called ‘City Nature Challenge’. More info to come!
The Mid-Summer Celebration 2025 is coming!
Date TBC (June 2025), 12-4pm, at the Islington Ecology Centre
Check back soon for more information about our big event in June! We'll have nature arts and crafts, live music from local bands, stalls selling local wares and bee hive visits! Entry and activities are all free but you will need cash to buy from the stalls or the cafe. Don't forget to bring your wheels for a bike check-up.
Weekly activities
At Islington Ecology Centre, 191 Drayton Park, N5 1PH
Monday 4.45pm: Ballet and Tap with Nightingale School of Dance. For ages 4 - 10
Wednesday 7pm - 8.30pm: Tai Chi with Chris
Thursday 10am - 3.15pm: Weekly Volunteering at the Nature Reserves. More information here.
Friday 10am, On the first Friday of every month: Health and Nature Walk. Everyone welcome but those living with Dementia are especially welcome. More details in the poster below:
Hiring the Ecology Centre
You can hire the Ecology Centre at the weekends for kids parties or during the week for meetings, conferences and training courses. You can also hire the centre on weekday evenings for regular classes like yoga.
For more information about this contact Islington Ecology Centre
ecologycentre@islington.gov.uk
Previous events
Islington Ecology Centre run many events throughout the year. In past years they have pond dipped, searched for creatures in the meadows, held numerous guided walks for different groups, ran a cyanotype printing workshop and much much more. They advertise their events on posters around the park and in the Ecology Centre. We also share information about their events on this page. Please get in touch with them to find out about upcoming events.
2022 saw the return of Apple Day, a fantastic yearly community event we run with Islington Ecology Centre. We juiced hundreds of delicious apples grown in Kent, enjoyed live music from brilliant local bands and invited local artists to sell their homemade products. And the mayor came along to join the fun too! Here are a few photos from that day.
Hopefully we'll see you at Apple Day in the coming years!
