Wildlife focus 114 winter

Well, rather than wasting your money onsomething they may not like and never use,how about buying them a gift membershipfor The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham andthe Black Country? Then they can feel, asyou do, that they are part of anorganisation doing great work to championwildlife and green spaces, caring for wildlife across the area.

You can sign someone up for a gift membership online: www.bbcwildlife.org.uk/membership or call 0121 4541199 andask us to send you out some information.Please ensure you get your gift

membership ordered by 12th December to avoid disappointment! n

A Gift for ChristmasWhat can you get for the friend or family member who has everything?

Creating a Living Landscape

WILDLIFEFOCUS

The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country

Wildlife Watch pages for Kids and Families - see pages 8 & 9Get involved in Nature Improvement Areas - see page 3

ISSUE 114 | WINTER2012

Ponds Come to LifeNew species appear afterponds are dug

Black & White AlertCaring for Badgers in Urban Areas and the Countryside

WILDLIFEFOCUS

Text 2DonateSupport your localwildlife today!

Simply text WILDLIFE to 82540 tomake a donation of £5.00* to TheWildlife Trust, or text BADGER to 82540, to make a donation of £1.50*.

Thank you*Standard network charges apply. The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham

& the Black Country will receive your donation

less a small processing fee.

A Robin

Photo: Len G

ill

Designed by www.uc4.co.ukCreating a Living Landscape

Securing the Legacy for Living LandscapesAccess to Supporting Nature Change and Impact funding success.

In the last issue, we reported on the endof the Black Country Living Landscapesproject, but now we are pleased toannounce that funding has been securedfor work to ensure that its legacy will live on.

It was always the intention that we wouldcreate some sustainable structures forcommunities to work independently forlong term environmental benefits. Accessto Nature is a scheme run by NaturalEngland and funded by the Big LotteryFund and we are delighted that with theirhelp we can now focus on doing this

through the following activities:

We are working to:• build the skills of individual community

groups to allow them to continue toflourish without our support.

• establish a network of communitygroups across the Black Country inorder to facilitate the sharing of bestpractice and resources.

• facilitate the engagement of communitygroups in strategic conservation andhelp them influence environmentaldecisions and enable them to engage in partnership working.

We also hope that by doing this we will be able tolink the groups in with thework of the NatureImprovement Area to

ensure work towards creating a livinglandscape continues. n

Pip Bradley, Education & LivingLandscapes.

Children playing in the woods

Photo: Jon H

awkins www.bbcwildlife.org.uk

www.facebook.com/wtbbc www.twitter.com/wtbbc

Photo: G

ary Roskell

MEMBERSMAGAZINE

2 WILDLIFEFOCUS Creating a Living Landscape 3

WILDLIFEFOCUS


Welcome

Dear Members,

You may not have noticed, you now havea “Local Nature Partnership”! No, thisisn’t a group of foxes, rabbits and otherwildlife, it is a body which brings togetherrepresentatives of councils, health bodies,business, government agencies, thevoluntary sector and others to agree howthey can best work together to protectwildlife in Birmingham and the BlackCountry. Approved by the EnvironmentMinister, Richard Benyon, in October, wehave high hopes the Local NaturePartnership will bring increasedawareness and support for the naturalworld from the area’s decision makers.

Many members have got in touch with usabout the trial of badger culling in someparts of England. It is heart breaking for afarmer to lose his entire herd of cattle as aresult of a tuberculosis outbreak, so it isunderstandable that farmers aredemanding action against a disease that has been steadily spreading fordecades. The tragedy is thatexperiments, carried out over manyyears, make it clear that killing badgers isnot going to solve the problem, and maymake it worse.

At last, there is good news - a few weeksago it was announced that there is now a test that can show the differencebetween inoculated cattle and those that have the disease.

The article later gives more detail, so tellyour local MP what you think - but don’t just criticise the cull, let them knowthe importance of getting cattlevaccination approved.

The downpours in August were miserablefor holidaymakers, but weren’t much funfor wildlife either. Butterflies, especially,had a hard time. But there is a silverlining, as it seems this autumn will be aspectacular one for fungi - mushroomsand toadstools. I have already foundsome beautiful ‘Lawyer’s Wig’ toadstoolsand some really strange looking earth-stars in the woods. Why not come along on our ‘Fungus Foray’ in a fewweeks’ time, and see what you candiscover about these strange andcolourful plants? n

Neil WyattChief Executive

Message from our Chief Executive.

If you have any comments, queries or suggestions regarding WILDLIFE FOCUS please call us or email [email protected] FOCUS is published by The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country.The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country is one of 47 local trusts working to make the United Kingdom a better place for people and wildlife. Collectively we have over 800,000 members and manage over 3,000 nature reserves. Locally we work to conserve biodiversity, improve the environment and raiseawareness and understanding of wildlife issues.

The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country 16 Greenfield Crescent, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 3AU. Tel: 0121 454 1199 Email: [email protected] Web: www.bbcwildlife.org.uk

Registered Charity no. 513615. Registered Company no. 1650938. © 2012 The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country.

Join the Action

Photo: C

hris Taylor

WILDLIFEFOCUS

Wildlife Watch pages for Kids and FamiliesSee pages 8 & 9

Nature Improvement Areas.

More than fifty partners were originallyinvolved in the successful bid forBirmingham and the Black Country tobecome one of the government’sdesignated Nature Improvement Areas(NIAs), but as lead partner, The Wildlife Trustis striving to get more involved all the time.

One way we can do this is through themedia, and we were successful in getting apiece on Midlands Today showing anexample of the things that can be done(with some wildflower meadow creation atMoseley Bog and Joy’s Wood) and a call formore people to engage. Even better is todo it through word of mouth and trustedlocal contacts, so we are looking for ourmembers to help in this.

We want as many communities as possibleto benefit from the amazing opportunitiesavailable to give nature a boost where theylive, so please talk to us about what we can do to help you make where you live abetter space for people and wildlife. Alsopass this information onto anyone else whomight be interested, too.

In simple terms, two things the NIA canoffer to partners are:

Provide funding• If a project fits with the priorities listed

on our website, there is some moneyavailable to make it happen, althoughthere are limits to how much. You cansee how much is available for each delivery theme per year in theapplication form notes (see link below).

Provide expertise• As Programme Manager, Simon

Atkinson has time allocated to workwith NIA partners to develop theirprojects and look at what kind of habitatwork would be suitable.

Examples: As well as the creation of wildflowermeadows and the introduction of abluebell-rich flora to planted woodland atMoseley Bog and Joy’s Wood, otherprojects that have applied for funding

through the NIA include:

• The creation of a new reed bed,grassland enhancements and theplanting of a new hedgerow at KingsNorton Nature Reserve, Birmingham.

• Naturalisation and improvements to thewildlife value of the Platt Brook close toLea Hall, Birmingham.

• The restoration of an historic avenue oftrees which link Merrion’s Wood toGreat Barr Hall in Walsall, and thediversification of the grassland verges.

• The introduction of a flower-rich flora to

the woodlands of Warley Woods, inSandwell.

Anyone can suggest ideas for natureimprovements in their area, so get in touch.All the information you need is on theNature Improvement Area websitewww.bbcnia.org.uk. If you are unable toaccess this and would like to read theinformation, please contact us and requestpaper copies to be sent. n

Simon Atkinson, Nature ImprovementArea Programme Manager.

Before improvements at Kings Norton Nature Reserve, Birmingham

After improvements with the creation of a new reed bed at KNNR

Photo: S

imon A

tkinson

TTand other

www.facebook.com/wtbbc www.twitter.com/wtbbc

The work which was carried out to create a new reedbed will help to improve water quality and wildlife habitatwhile maintaining the area’s increasingly importantfloodwater retention capacity. The area was previouslyovergrown and contained invasive species of plants.

Photo: S

imon A

tkinson

We first noticed the badger last springwhen he triggered the garden securitylights in his discovery of the nuts knocked off the bird table. We’d seenand, more often, heard foxes in thegarden before, but this was our first livewild badger - ever!

When he turned up again we decided thiswas a behaviour to be encouraged bydeliberately leaving enough food to keephim coming back, but not enough tomake him dependent on us. A scatteringof peanuts, left-over cat food and othersuitable scraps have done this throughoutsummer and now into autumn.

Badgers are becoming increasinglycommon in suburbia (see the excellentclip on the Wildlife Trust’s Facebookpages) and badgers do roam widely eachnight in their search for food. Our visitor islikely to be one of last year’s males

pushed out from his clan as part of theenforced dispersal of year-old boarscommon in these animals.

He is very tolerant of our proximity: we can watch him methodically lookingfor the scattered food through thewindow as long as we don’t make anyrapid movements. When we put out broken eggs, a fox

will immediately take them away to hide them for later consumption. The badger, however, will eat through theother food first, then take the eggs away - as a dessert.

The badger ignores the foxes unless theycome too close when a threatening lunge is enough to see the smalleranimals off. But foxes, of course, areknown for what in humans we would call’cunning’. When the badger has found aparticularly desirable titbit, a fox willsometimes approach from behind and nipthe badger’s tail before running off downthe garden.

The annoyed badger will then chase thefox. The fox, though, accelerates morerapidly and, while the badger can movequickly, the fox is quicker. Ten or sometres down the garden, the fox turnsround and, giving the badger a wideberth, returns to the food to snatch it up before the badger has been able toturn round.

The foxes have a den at the bottom ofthe garden, but where the badger sleepsis a mystery, and where he will overwinter is a concern. But at least,meanwhile, he shouldn’t starve. n

Peter Jarvis, Trustee.

Standing up forBadgers & Farmers

The situation became more urgent afterOwen Paterson was appointed Secretaryof State for Environment, Food and RuralAffairs: one of his first actions was toapprove the start of culling in trial areas.After revealing the rather surprising newsthat as a child he had kept two badgersas pets, he went on to profess hisenthusiasm for badger culling:

"We will start culling in two pilot areas toprove that it can bear down on thedisease.”

Asked if he thought the first pilot cullinglicence was a positive first step towards amore widespread cull in England, MrPaterson said, "I very much hope so".

He has also accused opponents of thecull of being out of touch: “We can’t livein Wind in the Willows sentimentality – wehave to live in the real world”.

Yet the scientific evidence for cullingbadgers simply doesn’t stack up. SimonKing, President of The Wildlife Trusts, hasbeen prominent in the media, saying "It isin the interest of both farming andconservationists to eradicate Bovine TB inthe British Isles. The way forward isundoubtedly vaccination for both cattleand wildlife. Culling is not an answer.

“They should be looking at husbandrymethods, vaccination, regional variantsand livestock movement andmanagement before looking for aninnocent scapegoat to kill.”

There was an announcement on 23rdOctober that the cull was to bepostponed. MPs then voted by 147 to 28in favour of a vaccination programme forbadgers and cattle, along with improvedtesting and biosecurity, but this is non-binding so it means we still need to workto ensure the cull is dropped completely.


WILDLIFEFOCUS


A badger on the lawnA pile of peanuts is clearly a feast foran animal whosecustomary idea of a good meal is atangle of worms.

For over a year, all The Wildlife Trusts have opposed governmentplans for a badger cull on the grounds that they will not beeffective in tackling bovine TB and may make matters worse.

Fox cub in a Leeds garden

A badger in the gardenP

hoto: Margaret H

olland

Photo: Tessa A

ndrews

Photo: N

eil Aldridge

SImon King, President of The WIldlife TrustsOwen Paterson MP

A badger emerges from its set

• Write to your MP to ask them to call forthe cull to be stopped.

• Write to your MEP to ask them to pressfor the EU ban on a cattle vaccine to belifted. EU rules currently prevent it frombeing tested and used in this country.

• The e-petition forced a debate inparliament; look out for any others tokeep up the pressure.

We will continue to do everything we canto ensure plans to kill badgers areabandoned and that farmers are helpedto combat Bovine TB, but we need your help. This is a fast-moving situation, so see our website for the latest news. n

Joe Peacock, Communications Officer.

What can you do to help?

In one of fifteen pilotinitiatives beingprepared nationallyfor DEFRA and the EnvironmentAgency, The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country isworking with its partner trusts inWarwickshire, Leicestershire andStaffordshire to prepare a CatchmentManagement Plan (CMP) for the largestriver in the West Midlands, runningthrough a diversity of urban and rural landscapes.

The aim of the CMP will be to ensure that local knowledge is used to plan forand manage the catchment. Fourworkshops have been held acrossdifferent parts of the catchment withattendance from over 100 people,representing a range of organisations.

They have inputted local information andviews about the water environment.Thoughts about a vision for the catchmenthave been captured, along with viewsabout the issues and opportunities, andoptions and actions.

Thanks to those who have already completed the ‘water environment attitude’online survey at www.bbcwildlife.org.uk/water_survey.

We are still looking for more responses,so if you haven’t made your views knownyet, please do so! A draft version of theCMP will be made available for furthercomment later in 2012. If you would likemore information about the River TameCatchment Plan, or would like to pass onany relevant views, please send an emailto [email protected] n

Chris Parry, Principle Ecologist.


WILDLIFEFOCUS


Tame waits for no manWork on producinga CatchmentManagement Planfor the River Tameand its tributariesis progressing well.

The River Tame

In 2005, Dr Ellen Pisolkar produced atechnical report to support publication ofPeter Shirley’s The Endless VillageRevisited. Ellen’s thirty-year reviewidentified many changes in the nature ofour region’s waterways.

Over 850km of rivers and streams arefound in Birmingham and the BlackCountry. Located on the watershed ofEngland, the central and eastern parts ofthe region drain into the Rea, Cole andTame. Dudley; West Sandwell andWolverhampton drain into the Stour. Mostwatercourses have been poor in waterand habitat quality, but reversal of both ofthese is in progress.

Water qualityIn 1975 water quality throughout the Tamewas given the worst category of ‘bad’ andthe Rea was classed as ‘doubtful’. In the1960s, the Tame was virtually lifeless, but in 1987 the fish fauna included Carp,Tench, Pike, Roach, Gudgeon and Perch.Indeed by 2000 fish numbers had increased to a level sufficient to attract Otters which were found at four sites.

Surveys of the Rea and Cole have shownconsiderable improvements in quality. A biological survey of the Rea in 1986compared with one in 1978 showed adramatic improvement, with good quality in its upper and middle reaches. A numberof freshwater invertebrates sensitive toorganic pollution such as MayflyEphemerella ignita were recorded.However, the culverted section through theCity remained virtually sterile. The Cole hasshown a similar improvement in its upperreaches and in 2004 adult Brown Trout and Bullhead were found, the latter speciesrequiring high oxygen levels to survive.

Habitat qualityMajor anti-flooding habitat modification,particularly on the Tame, has resulted in a deepened and straightened channelwith a uniform cross-section and acorresponding reduction in habitat quality.This is partly offset by the creation ofbalancing lakes to take flood waters,valuable wildlife habitats, particularly forbirds. There have been moves to improvehabitat quality through restoration ofnatural river features, for example ProjectKingfisher on the Cole to enhance an11km section.

A major international project (Sustainable Management of UrbanRivers and Floodplains) was based inBirmingham. A demonstration site inPerry Hall Playing Fields involved creating a meander, widening part of the river channel, making a shallower slope, creation of a wildflower meadow, tree planting and involvement of the local community. At Sandwell Valley, protective gabionswere removed so that natural deposition and erosion created river cliffs that could prove attractive nestingsites for Kingfishers.

Local interestOpening river valleys to recreational useand encouraging natural habitat hastaken place in many parts of Birmingham and the Black Country,including Project Kingfisher on the River Cole, and walkways along the riversRea, Tame and Stour, as well as alongnumerous tributaries. n

Sara Carvalho, EcoRecord Manager(Based on The Endless Village Revisited technical report by Dr. EllenPisolkar, 2005).

Better rivers and streams?A look at what haschanged in ourregion’s waterways.

The River Cole

Wild flowers on the bank of the River Tame

Photo: C

hris Wishart

Photo: Tessa A

ndrews

Local Nature PartnershipBirmingham & Black Country update.

Great news for Birmingham and the BlackCountry! Members may already be awareof the work this year to support thedevelopment of a Local NaturePartnership (LNP) along the lines set outby the government. In June, this resultedin an application to DEFRA for LNPstatus. After providing further informationfollowing the application, LNP status wasconfirmed in September. A ministerialletter formally confirming this status hasnow been received. An introductoryevent, organised by DEFRA, took place in London on 5th October forrepresentatives of the 48 LNPs who have

been given formal status to meet oneanother and key contacts in DEFRA.

This is just the beginning as DEFRA havesaid that most partnerships (includingours) still have work to do to develop theirpartnership further. Ministers plan tomeet all LNPs later this financial year andwill be keen to discuss progress. It ishoped that the first meeting of theBirmingham and Black Country LNP willtake place before Christmas. Alan Cutler(Biodiversity - Geodiversity PartnershipChair) and myself would like to thank allthose who have supported and

encouraged the LNP initiative this far, andlook forward to making further progressover the coming months. n


Potentilla erecta

Creating a Living Landscape 9

WILDLIFEFOCUS


8 WILDLIFEFOCUS

1.Find out what’s going on atyour local nature reserve andget involved. You could make

your own Christmas wreath and roll your own festive candle at Moseley Bog.

Or in the New Year try your hand at makinga nest box at Bumblehole. There are lots of things happening over winter: grab a ‘What’s On’ or have a look at our websiteand join in! n

2.Go for a walk and spot thesigns of winter! Take along abag or bucket and collect

interesting things like pine cones or colourful leaves. Iftake a camera youyou can bring home reminders of the things you can’t collect, like animal tracks or fungi. n

3.Make a bird feeder. Feedingbirds in winter helps them outwhen food is scarce.

Ingredients: • String. • Pine cone.• Bird seed, old

cheese, old muesli (use whatever you can get your hands on).

• Vegetable suet.

Photo:

Mick

Five things to do this winter!

How to makea simplehedgehoghouse...

Welcome to yourWildlife Watchpage. Here you’ll findlots of ways forchildren, youngpeople and familiesto get involved withthe Wildlife Trust.

Method:• Tie your string around the top, stalk end

of your cone. Make sure you leave a big tail of string as you will need this totie it up outside.

• In a bowl place two handfuls of veggy suet and two of your seed mix.

• Scrunch up the seed and suet. Squish it through your fingers till it’s mushy and completely mixed up.

• Push the messy seed mix into the gapsin- the cone.

• Hang it up outside, somewhere out of the way of cats and foxes.

• Keep your eyes peeled and watch to see who visitsyour feeder! n

4.Create your own golden crown.On a winter walk, gather lots ofdifferent-coloured leaves. Using

cardboard from an old box, cut a length longenough to go all the way round yourhead. Tape it together so it fits you. Stick your leaves all around until you have made your very own leaf crown. n

Let us knowhow you’ve got on with these activities, or any other nature things you get up to this winter. If you write to us or take a photograph we may evenpublish it next time or put it on our web site! Send it in to [email protected] n

Pip Bradley, Education & LivingLandscapes Officer.

5.Make a simple hedgehog house. Hedgehogs need a warm dry house to survive winter: 1. Get a big thick cardboard box, aplastic bag and a pair of scissors. 2. Cut some holes in the side (get a grown up to help) - drawing around a small ruler will give youthe right shape and size. 3. Remember to cut a door in the front, about 15cm tall and 15cm wide. 4. Cover the box with an

opened up old carrier bag to keep it dry. 5. Put some shredded old newspaper inside to make it cosy. 6. Tuck your box under a hedge andput some dry leaves on top. 7. Try and point the door to the direction the sun comes up in your garden. Remember not to disturb the house and keep your distance, but keep your eyes peeled - signs of disturbance will tell you that you have a hedgehog living there. n

The nights are drawing in and there may be a chill in the air, but there are still plenty of things thatyou can do outside in your green spaces and to help wildlife. Why not try some of these!

Help a hedgehog - see how to make a house below Go for a walk and spot the signs of winter Put on your wellies and check out your Local Nature Reserve

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Photo: G

illian Day

Forest Schools arebased on aScandinavian ideaabout embracingwoodlands andthe outdoors as a

learning environment. Steven Hodgkinsonfrom the Wildlife Trust said, "Getting backto nature is what it is all about thissummer, we want to get kids back intothe woods and greenspaces and let themtry out the things that we used to do inthe woods. We can show them ropes,fires and dens - what more can you ask for!"

Every day throughout August, qualifiedForest Schools Leaders from the WildlifeTrust led young people through a range ofactivities from the woodland ‘base camp’created at the Bumblehole reserve. Kidslearned how to build dens and shelters,make woodland furniture, and create allsorts of artistic and creative things fromnatural materials found in the woodland.

A highlight of each day was cooking onthe campfire. The kids learned to light thefire using traditional methods like flint-and-strike, skills needing lots of patience!Everyone joined in to find dry wood and

sort it into kindling and suitable sizes forgetting a fire going safely. They learnedabout constructing safe fire boundariesand locating the fire so as not to damageanything growing.

At the end of each cooking session,everyone got involved in making sure thefire was extinguished properly and that notraces of the fire were left. Worth all thework, to cook marshmallows on a stickthey had whittled themselves, andcooking popcorn in the wild certainly gotan explosive response!

Children who have the chance toparticipate in Forest Schools activitiesbenefit in many ways, including selfconfidence and self-esteem, team work,motivation, skills and knowledge, andpride in, and understanding of, theirsurrounding environment. I hope that thekids who joined in our Forest Schoolactivities this summer will take all of thosethings forward with them, but mostimportantly will now have a real sense ofpride, protection and understanding oftheir green spaces. n

Pip Bradley, Education & LivingLandscapes Officer.


WILDLIFEFOCUS


Free forest fun! A dramatic new welcome

Visitors to the Moseley Bog and Joy’s WoodNature Reserve coming from Yardley WoodRoad previously had only an old woodengate and stile to welcome them. Now thereis a striking new entrance incorporating alockable vehicle gate, height barrier, disabledparking bays and a pedestrian access gate.

The gates and height barrier were designedby nationally acclaimed artist AdrianMoakes, who encouraged local people tosketch plants, roots and larger tree formsthat have captured their interest. Thesesketches were then translated into simplesculptures using green garden wire andpliers, and then developed further to feedinto the final design.

The main plant to feature in the artwork isWood Horsetail (Equisetum sylvaticum), anancient species that still grows in the reserve,though on a much smaller scale today.

Other plants putting in an appearance areHedge Garlic (Alliara petiolata), the spiralforms of early spring fern croziers and thenumerous examples of climbers, creepersand root systems, as well as woodlandgrasses/soft rushes and Crack Willows.

Reserve Officer Francesca Jarvis-Rousesays: “The combination of the entrancefeature and community-focused activities canonly emphasise the importance of thenature reserve and help to protect it into the future.”

Come along to the launch on Sunday 9thDecember 12pm-3pm and meet Adrian Moakes. It’ll be a great day out for all the familywith winter activities, including wreath making,candle rolling and green wood working. n

Francesca Jarvis-Rouse, Moseley BogReserve Officer.

Nature reserve gets an entrance worthy of somewhere special.This August, withsupport and fundingfrom Awards for All, the Friends ofBumbleholeConservation Groupand The WildlifeTrust for Birminghamand the BlackCountry hosted freeforest play activitiesfor local families.

“We’ve had a wonderfulmonth here at Bumbleholewith Pip and Steve and therest of the guys at TheBirmingham and BlackCountry Wildlife Trust. Theyhave done an absolutelyfantastic job delivering ourForest Schools activities. Idon’t know who’s enjoyed itmore, the children or theparents. Everyone has hada whale of a time andeverything has been doneprofessionally and verysafely. It’s been fantastic, sothank you everyone!”Sue GoodyearSecretary, the Friends ofBumblehole Conservation Group.

Park Hall ponds come to lifeAn update on the National wetlandrestoration and flood alleviationprogramme from last issue.

New ponds and scrapes have beencreated across the site both in and outsideof the flood plain in order to maximise thediversity of the aquatic habitats and niches. Surveys undertaken this summerhave had some surprising results. In pondsonly created in the spring of 2012, there is already a remarkable variety of life,including several notable (and nationallyscarce) aquatic beetles.

Hydroglyphus pusillus, Rhantus suturalis,Hygrotus nigrolineatus were amongst the diving beetles found. All are considereduncommon since they require newly-created ponds as their preferred habitat,

or they are relatively new species arrivingfrom the European mainland. We alsofound the impressive Great Diving Beetle(Dytiscus marginalis) and many otheraquatic invertebrates taking advantage ofnewly available habitat.

In the older restored ponds and ditches,we found evidence of healthy populationsof amphibians. The early autumn dry spellsaw large numbers of dragonfliesvigorously defending ponds as part of theirbreeding behaviour, including BroadBodied Chaser, Brown Hawkers, RuddyDarters, Southern Hawkers and our firstever Aeshna mixta - Migrant hawker.

As winter approaches, we begin the task ofremoving aquatic vegetation from some ofthe ponds and ditches, so the cycle ofrecolonisation can begin again. Thanks toEllen Pisolkar for her identification ofspecies and invaluable advice on allmatters relating to ponds. n

Chris Wishart, Park Hall Reserve Officer.

Migrant Hawker Dragonfly

Entrance featue at Moseley Bog

Building a camp fire at Bumblehole

Photo: P

ip Bradley P

hoto: Francesca Jarvis-Rouse

Photo: G

ary Roskell

The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and theBlack Country began life in 1980 as theUrban Wildlife Group (UWG). In order forthe fledgling organisation to take itspioneering nature conservation workforward in the conurbation, UWG exploitedgovernment training and employmentschemes, such as the Manpower ServicesCommission scheme.

Between 1980 and 1988, UWG sponsoreda scheme which helped to further natureconservation in Birmingham and the BlackCountry by employing staff to protect,survey, plan for, manage, educate andcampaign for the natural environment.

In 1984, there were 60 full - or part-timeposts, and by 1987 this had grown to 130.Staff stayed for periods of between 6 and12 months and so many people passedthrough the doors of UWG, a good number beginning their working careersand many finding a direction and inspirationfor their future.

In Spring 2012, Richard (Russ) Andrewsgot in touch with us to ask if it would be agood idea to get ex-CommunityProgramme staff together again for areunion as it was 25 years since he hadworked for UWG. He did not realise thatone survivor of that period was stillemployed at the Wildlife Trust, me, asPrincipal Ecologist. Over the Spring andSummer, Richard and I liaised,endeavouring to track down and contactformer members of staff and plan a reunion event.

After much detective work and carefulplanning, this took place on Saturday 22ndSeptember at the Trust’s education centrein Winson Green, the Centre of the Earth.About forty former members of staffattended on the day bringing with themhusbands, wives, partners, children and adog to renew friendships, re-visit fondmemories and re-live important moments

in the work of UWG. I gave a presentationabout the work of the Wildlife Trust today,Mark Jeffreys wrote a special song for theoccasion, opportunities for sharing contactdetails were given and former staff leftmessages for the Trust.

The day was complete with a walk to theCity Centre along the Birmingham -Wolverhampton Main Line Canal, followedby a celebratory meal. CommunityProgramme staff between 1981 - 1988were the foundation of the Wildlife Trust aswe know it today and a significant debt ofgratitude is owed to these pioneers.Without their enthusiasm, commitment and belief, it is difficult to see where we would be today.

With acknowledgement to Peter Shirley in Wildlife in Trust edited by Tim Sands (2012). n


WILDLIFEFOCUS



Urban Wildlfife Group Manpower Services staff reunion

Land Care AssociatesLand Care Associates is subsidiary of The WildlifeTrust for Birmingham and the Black Country.

Land Care Associates (LCA) is a not-for-profit company that providesecological, landscape architectural andarboricultural services throughout theWest Midlands and beyond.

As well as providing a comprehensiverange of ecological services, Land CareAssociates offer full landscape designservices for both professional and private customers. As well as designsfor hospital and school grounds, not to mention the new accessible landscape at Moseley Bog, their portfolio of recent work includes garden designs for homeowners throughout the region. And as well as designing, they can

also manage the construction of yourproject from start to finish.

All of LCA’s profits are donated to The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the BlackCountry, so by choosing LCA for your next project you are also supporting thewildlife on your doorstep. n

Adam Atkins, Landscape Architect at LCA.

Fond memoriesUrban Wildlife Group Manpower Services Commission staff reunion.

New StaffWe are delighted to welcome three new members of staff to the team.

Left to right: Joe Peacock Michael Shiner and Gary Roskell

Joe Peacock is our new Membership and

Communications Officer and joins us from

Birmingham Friends of the Earth where

he has been working for the last three

years. He says he is looking forward to

getting to know a lot more of our members

and helping The Wildlife Trust promote its

work through social media and more

traditional means.

Gary Roskell is the new Development

Manager and comes with a wealth of

experience working in the Third Sector

locally. Most recently he has spent six years

running an educational charity, using drama

as a means of engaging young people

and communities across Birmingham and

the Black Country.

Michael Shiner has taken over as Finance

Officer. He is a qualified accountant with

many years’ experience in the commercial

sector and is delighted to work in an

organisation that helps protect the

greenbelt, which is one of his passions. n

A viewing platform at Moseley Bog

Some messages to theWildlife Trust Participants:

“Working at the UrbanWildlife Group was aformative experience, it hada spirit I’ve been trying tofind / recapture ever since.”

“Wildlife Trust - you were myinspiration, my start in the bigwide world of environmentaleducation, promotion andimprovement. We had suchjoy in 1986/7 - thank you forthat experience.”

“It’s great to see the wayUWG has developed and toknow that in some smallway we made a contributionto something worthwhile.You are doing us proud.” A plan view of Moseley BogOur first newsletter logo

BIRMINGHAM

& BLACK

COUNTRY

HEREFORDSHIRE

SHROPSHIRE

STAFFORDSHIRE

WORCESTERSHIRE

WARWICKSHIRE

Photo: ©

Alban W

incott

WorcestershireWith funding from the People’s Trust forEndangered Species, we’ve beenresearching the behaviour of rareBechstein’s bats during the summer.Working with experts Johnny Birks and Eric Palmer and volunteers fromlocal bat groups, we attached radio-tagsto bats at our Grafton Wood naturereserve. Worcestershire is believed to havethe most northern population of these raremammals and the research will help usand other organisations to work out howbest to manage our woodlands for them.More information can be heard on Episode 2 of Radio 4’s Saving Species on the BBC iPlayer. n

Gloucestershire This autumn, Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust and local organic cheese maker,Simon Weaver, have teamed up to producea special wildlife friendly cheese! Newlylaunched by BBC Countryfile’s AdamHenson and his father Joe Henson at theMoreton-in-Marsh Show, Greystones SingleGloucester Cheese is a ProtectedDesignated Origin product. The PDOmeans it has to be produced in

Gloucestershire and the makers have to have rare breed Gloucester cattle withintheir herd.

The cattle spends it’s time grazing onGreystones Farm nature reserve helping maintain the site by producing aunique pattern of grazed land that only sympathetically managed cattle can make.

A percentage from each sale will bedonated to Gloucestershire Wildlife Trustto plough back into Greystones Farmnature reserve and help create sustain thenature reserve over the long term in an ecologically and, importantly, economicallysustainable way. More information at www.gloucestershirewildlifetrust.co.uk/cheese. n

ShropshireBadger vaccination has successfully beencarried out on two nature reserves alongthe Shropshire/Cheshire border, in a jointproject by these Wildlife Trusts. This is the first stage of a five-year projectwhich has attracted significant interest,both from the media and local farmers.

Two landowners in the project area haveasked us to vaccinate badgers on their land next summer, which will help tocreate a firewall against the disease in thisarea. “I’m very happy with how theproject has gone,” said Helen Trotman,People & Wildlife Manager. “We’vedemonstrated that vaccination is apractical method of tackling the diseaseand raised awareness of the problemsassociated with culling.” n


WILDLIFEFOCUS


Geodiversity Work DayBeacon Quarry, Walsall. Thursday 22 November, 1.00pm - 2.00pm.Come and help protect the Geological interest at this site. Your help is needed to cut back encroaching vegetation to keep the quarry rock faces.Contact: Paul Stephenson, Senior Ecologist on 07975 540954 for further details.

Meteor Watch on Barr BeaconSaturday 17 November, 9pm - 11pm.No booking required, but if weather is cloudy, check http://whatsonwalsall.co.uk/ after 1pm.

Tree Week Leaf Rubbing WalkMoseley Bog. Thursday 22 November, 1.00pm - 2.00pm.A nice family walk, particularly for young children. Booking required.Contact: Paula Riley on 0121 454 1199.

Natural Christmas Wreath MakingThe Collingwood Centre, Walsall.Saturday 8 December, 10am - 12 noon. Booking required.Contact: Martin Harrison on 077910 70929.

Wildlife What’s On?A round-up of wildlife and conservation events in Birminghamand the Black Country in the coming months.

Rowley Hills WalkFriday 22nd February 2013, 11am.A two part walk (the second to be arranged for June/July) to see the workcarried out so far at the newly acquired Rowley Hills Nature Reserve. Seethe site for yourself and hear what plans the Wildlife Trust has for the site.Meet at the bottom of the track leading onto the hillside near Kentucky FriedChicken on the Wolverhampton Road A4123 at 11am. Stout footwearrecommended. Steep paths which could be slippery. Booking required. Contact: Paula Riley on 0121 454 1199.

These events are particularly well suited to children and families.

Meteor Watch on Barr BeaconFriday 14th December, 9pm – 11pm.No booking required, but if weather is cloudy, checkhttp://whatsonwalsall.co.uk/ after 1pm.

Pre-Christmas walk in Birmingham’s EastsideFriday 7 December, 10.30am.Join us for a pre-Christmas walk around the rapidly changing Eastsideand learn about the history and Natural History of this fascinating area.A circular walk of approximately 2.5 miles starting and ending at Moor Street Station.Contact: Paula Riley on 0121 454 1199.

Candle & Wreath MakingMoseley Bog. Sunday 9 December, 12:30pm - 3:30pm.Come and make a decorative Christmas wreath with holy and ivy collectedfrom the reserve & hand roll your own candles. All material supplied,booking is preferred as events can be cancelled due to the weather but ifyou want to risk it on the day come along.Contact: Paula Riley on 0121 454 1199.

Daffodil WalkMerritt’s Brook. Wednesday 13th March 2013, 10.30am.Are there any truly Wild Daffodils growing in Birmingham? Come along and make up your own mind. A walk of approximately 2 milesalong Merritt’s Brook to Manor Farm Park and back. Meet just insideWhitehill Lane off Bell Hill, Northfield at 10.30am. Stout footwearrecommended. Relatively flat but banks can be slippery. Booking required.Contact: Paula Riley on 0121 454 1199.

Regional HighlightsNews from around the region

The launch of wildlife friendly cheeseA Bechstein Bat

Photo: Jon B

owen

Winter BudsThimblemill Library. Wednesday 16th January 2013, 10am.Come along and learn how to identify trees from their winter buds. No more than one mile of easy walking on the level along hard and grassy surfaces. Meet at Thimblemill Library, Thimblemill Road,Smethwick at 10am.Contact the library on: 0121 429 2039.

GetInvolvedwith LocalWildlifeIf you’d like to find out more about anyof the followingregular activity days then please contactthe appropriatemember of the team.Please note that youwill need to pre-bookto join in:

• Tuesdays (fortnightly)Practical conservationmanagement at Moseley Bog& Joy’s Wood NatureReserve in south Birmingham. Contact: Francesca Jarvis-Roueson [email protected] /0121 454 1199.

• Tuesdays (weekly)Working alongside our GreenerFutures volunteers on a varietyof gardening and conservationmanagement projects based at our EcoParkeducation centre inBirmingham, but also at our other nature reserves and educationcentres. Contact: Paul Stephenson on [email protected] / 0121 454 1199.

• Wednesdays (weekly)Practical conservation management of Park Hall NatureReserve in east Birmingham.Contact: Chris Wisharton [email protected] / 0121 454 1199.

• Sundays (third of the month)Practical conservationmanagement at Moseley Bog& Joy’s Wood NatureReserve in south Birmingham. Contact: Francesca Jarvis-Roueson [email protected] /0121 454 1199. n

A Badger

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