WERA has been worked hard over the years to improve the Merton Park Green Walks with the objective of attracting a greater variety of wildlife and to create a beautiful place to visit.

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In May 2011 a grant of £10,000 was raised from the Lottery Fund and £1,050 from Segro (who owned the adjoining Nelson Trade Park) for improving the Green Walks. The Green Walks path runs along the north side of Abbey Recreation Ground and Nursery Road Playing Fields, from Morden Road to Rutlish Road.

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Little had been spent in the past to improve this area. Overgrown vegetation was cleared, a seasonal pond created and coxwell gravel added to a 40 metre section of the footpath. With considerable help from Microbee, a local pest control and environmental services management company, nest boxes for birds, bats, bees and hedgehogs were installed.

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In addition, the nearby areas in front of the garages, as well as smaller areas along the Green Walks, were sown with wildflower seeds. A hedge, consisting of 120 young trees, was planted in front of the garages to screen them.

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Following the success of the previous project, WERA applied to The Lottery Fund for an additional grant of £3,500. This was awarded at the end of 2012 and work began immediately. An overgrown area of land that had previously been a wildflower meadow was scraped with a mechanical digger. This was then raked and sown with wildflower seeds which quickly transformed the area back into a wildflower meadow.

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A partial hedge was extended with native British tree whips in December 2012 with further whips being added at various times. Our hope is that the hedge will have grown before the old, damaged wooden fence finally collapses.

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After years of campaigning by WERA the entire length of the Green Walks path was resurfaced in August 2020. The surface of the path had gradually been worn and washed away, and was often muddy during the winter months. The path was constructed with timber edging and a self binding gravel to maintain a natural appearance fitting for the area. 

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The pond built in 2011 did not hold water for long enough to allow amphibian spawn to fully develop and so it was reconstructed and enlarged in November 2021. Funding for materials was provided by idverde and the work was carried out by a Community Payback team. 

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