Today, Canary Wharf held its second Green Canary Day – a series of events, interactive displays and exhibition stands in and around the estate offering information on what Canary Wharf and related organisations do to help the environment, as well as advice on what people can do individually to help create a greener working place. This year’s event focussed on the themes of recycling and ecology.

Green Canary Day, an initiative by Canary Wharf Group, aims to encourage everyone to become more environmentally aware in the workplace. As well as the Canary Wharf stand, over 20 exhibitors set up stalls in the retail areas. These included a number of companies and organisations who work with Canary Wharf in providing services, material and resources specialising in energy efficiency, recycling and waste management as well as community involvement and social responsibility. Canary Wharf tenants were also present such as Barclays, whose new headquarters will be completed at Canary Wharf in 2004.

Last year’s Green Canary Day was so popular that the 2003 version was expanded to include initiatives encompassing the local community. Canary Wharf Group has become involved in Tower Hamlets’ Action Against Waste campaign which involves local schools and aims to educate about waste minimisation. A local school in Tower Hamlets exhibited some of their nature photography in the retail malls (this will be on show until the end of the month). CWG donated sponsorship to the project and after September the photographs will be on show to the public at Victoria Park.

Crowds turned up to see the various events throughout the Canary Wharf Estate including a demonstration by a team of falcons and hawks whose handler discussed the work they do to deter pigeons from the estate. This was set in the dramatic surroundings of Jubilee Park, the recently completed jewel in the crown of Canary Wharf’s landscaped areas.

Various stands were interactive with visitors able to view spiders indigenous to the Docklands area under a microscope, examine a ‘square of sedum’ and even experiment in a mobile laboratory as well as take part in competitions and giveaways. The spiders on display included species that are only found in Canary Wharf being the first recorded in the South East of England. Gyongyver Kadas brought in the spiders which form part of her PhD on ‘The Green Roofs & Biodoversity of Canary Wharf’ which has been sponsored by Canary Wharf Group.

There was also information available on recycling and examples of plants that are used specifically to attract particular types of insects and birds to the estate. As part of the recycling section, bins were on hand for people to recycle their old mobile phones as part of the recently launched Phones4Trees campaign. For each phone that is handed in a sapling tree will be planted in a new forest in Scotland, thus balancing carbon dioxide levels.

Guided walks around the estate were conducted throughout the day, taking in the landscaped areas as well as the ecology of the estate. The walk highlighted Canary Wharf’s water and garden habitats as well as its more unusual locations for flora and fauna. The walks incorporated a talk about ecology on the estate and the various programmes that are currently underway such as the green roof programme (The roof-tops of some buildings are planted with sedum. They offer valuable environmental benefits as well as providing an undisturbed habitat and food for wildlife including one of Britain’s rarest birds, the black redstart www.blackredstarts.org.uk.). An additional fauna box was “opened” by Tony Partington, Managing Director of Canary Wharf Management Ltd, to add to the ones that already exist on top of One Canada Square and Westferry Circus.

Tony Partington, said:

“ Since the inception of the Canary Wharf development, we have been aware of our environmental and social responsibilities and have sought to achieve high levels of performance in these areas. Green Canary Day is an opportunity for us to share information and ideas for people - whether individually or as part of a company – to get involved in helping to create a more environmentally sustainable way of living and working. The initiative last year was so successful that this year we have attracted even more exhibitors and events to Green Canary Day II and it has proved to be a very popular, enjoyable and educational day.”

Canary Wharf runs a number of schemes for recycling glass, paper products and even fluorescent light bulbs and the development’s energy-efficient building designs have been ranked as some of the highest for environmental performance. A host of Green Canaries handed out information leaflets on the day.

Green Canary Day is a free event.