Wild life The member magazine for Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust Issue 147, Autumn 2022
HeathlandHeavenWildlifetospotthisautumn
ANNUAL REPORT OUR HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2021-2022 WILD WALK WEEK 2022 TAKE THE CHALLENGE FOR NATURE'S RECOVERY GIFTS IN WILLS HELPING YOUR PASSION FOR NATURE LIVE ON
Additional contributions by: Andy Slater, David Green and James Benwell. Wherever you are in the UK, your Wildlife Trust is standing up for wildlife and wild places in your area and bringing people closer to nature. This Magazine is printed on FSC material and is fully recyclable. Chief Executive
Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust
1 Wild life | Autumn 2022
The Trust has been keen to support a green recovery from the pandemic to restore nature and tackle climate change, and the support of our local groups and volunteers has been crucial as we restarted many of our work programmes at our sites and across the region in 2021-2022. I do hope you will be able to join us at our AGM in October; this is the first one we will have held face to face since 2019! With thanks to sponsorship from partners Hogan Lovells, the Trust’s new Strategy was formally launched at the Library of Birmingham on 29 June 2022. A Wilder Birmingham and Black Country, outlines our ambitious plans to tackle the nature and climate crises and connect more people with local wild spaces. It was a pleasure to have our partners, funders and supporters, along with community leaders and Trust members at the event to help celebrate its launch. Our first ever Young Ambassador Shaan Dulay also gave a wonderful speech. As always, there are many different ways in which our members can get involved and support our ambitious strategy. In this magazine you will be able to find out about our plans for Wild Walk Week, as well as how you can leave the Trust a gift in you ThankWill.you for your continued support.
Welcome Sharing our successes and plans for the future
We are delighted to share with you highlights from our Annual Report ahead of our AGM in October. With the support of members, funders, partners and Trustees we have successfully navigated the challenges presented by the pandemic. We have been heartened by the renewed sense of the value of the natural environment and a greater appreciation for the green and wild spaces on people's doorsteps.
Wildlife is the membership magazine for Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust Email comms@bbcwildlife.org.uk Telephone 0121 523 0094 Address Centre of the Earth, 42 Norman Street, Birmingham, B18 7EP Registered charity number 513615 Website bbcwildlife.org.uk Facebook.com/WTBBC Twitter.com/WTBBC Youtube.com/BBCWildlifeTrust Instagram@bbcwildlifetrust
Editor Emma Thompson
2Wild life | Autumn 2022 Contents 3 Heathlands What to spot 5 Wild News The latest news and updates on our work 7 Wild Walk Week Register for our 4th annual fundraising challenge 9 Year in Numbers Our impact in 2021-2022 11 Highlights and Successes Sharing what we achieved in 2021-2022 13 2021-2022 Annual Report Extracts from our report 15 Staff Spotlight Introducing David Green 16 Site Spotlight Portway Hill 17 Gifts in Wills Leaving a legacy for wildlife in your memory 19 My Wild Life Volunteer Toqueer tells us about his experiences 21 Members Page Updates and dates for the diary 16 53 3 ways to help Shop Looking for a treat for yourself or a gift for a loved one? Browse the range on our online shop. bbcwildlife.org.uk/shop Recommend a Friend Get a free wildlife gardening book when you recommend membership to a friend. bbcwildlife.org.uk/joinus A gift in your Will Use our free will-writing service via Guardian Angel to leave a gift for nature's recovery for the future. bbcwildlife.org.uk/giftsinwills
Heathland support a wide range of specialist species, not found anywhere else including many rare plants, reptiles, birds and invertebrates, making them a particularly valuable habitat.
Lowland heathland is a habitat of open landscapes with poor fertility, dominated by acid-loving dwarf scrub species such as heathers and gorse along with grasses including wavy hair grass and sheep’s fescue.
3 Wild life | Autumn 2022
Heathland is considered to be a seminatural habitat which has existed for thousands of years in the UK. This habitat is thought to have been originally created as a result of the clearance of forests by humans, which began in the Neolithic period. Areas that had welldrained sandy or gravelly soil were difficult to cultivate and so instead were used for grazing and as a source of fuel,
What to Spot: Heathland BY ANDY SLATER, BIODIVERSITY INFORMATION OFFICER which both had the effect of preventing the regrowth of trees. The word given to these areas - heath - is derived from the old English word ‘hǣþ ’ meaning untilled land, and heathlands had long been regarded as wasteland, much to their detriment. In Birmingham and the Black Country, the well-drained geology of large parts of the area meant that there was once a large swathe of heathland which stretched all the way from Cannock Chase, through Brownhills and Aldridge and linking to Sutton Park. There were also numerous other heathlands located across our area, notably in places that now include the word ‘Heath’ in their modern day name. In the 18th Century a combination of an agricultural improvements and the enclosure of the commons meant that most heathland in Birmingham and the Black Country was converted to farmland, while other areas of heathland have been lost due to lack of grazing or appropriate management. Though it is now quite rare, you can still find heathland in a handful of locations in our area. Great sites to visit include Sutton Park, Rubery Hill and Rednal Hill in Birmingham; Brownhills Common, Pelsall North Common, Barr Beacon and Shire Oak Park in Walsall; Sandwell Valley and Gorse Farm Wood in Sandwell and Saltwells National Nature Reserve in Dudley. Sutton Park Flora EcoRecord are currently working with the Birmingham and Black Country Botanical Society on the final stages of a book about our best heathland site - Sutton Park. The book is due to be published in November and will feature a full atlas of the flowering plants found at the park, detail of the park’s bryophytes, fungi and lichens as well as an exploration of the archaeology and physical background of the park as well as changes in the flora since the 19th century. The book will be priced at £20 (plus postage), but there is still time to take advantage of our prepublication offer of £16.50 by emailing enquires@ecorecord.org.uk
The dazzling metallic Green Tiger Beetle is a ferocious and agile predator and is one of our fastest insects. It hunts spiders, ants and caterpillars on heaths, grasslands and sand dunes.
The larvae live in burrows up to 30cm deep which they excavate themselves. Bell Heather (Erica cinerea)
Cross-leaved heath has large pink, bellshaped flowers clustered on one side of long, branched stems. Its leaves are narrow and grey-green and sit in whorls of four, which gives the species its name.
Cross-leaved Heath (Erica tetralix)
The Trust are currently working with Natural England on a partnership Nature Recovery Area project, called Purple Horizons. The project aims to restore and connect fragmented heathlands between Cannock Chase and Sutton Park to create a mosaic of reptiles,long-termgrassland,heathland-wetland-woodland-vitalfortherecoveryandresilienceofthearea’sbirdsandpollinators.
4Wild life | Autumn 2022 Here’s a few heathland-specialist species you might spot:
This species is found in dry heathland, and is still quite abundant in Brownhills Common, but appears to be increasingly rare elsewhere.
Bell heather has dark purple-pink, bellshaped flowers, which form clusters up the stem, and its short, dark green, needle-like leaves sit in whorls of three.
This species is found in wet heathland and in our area can be found at Sutton Park, Brownhills Common and Pelsall North Common.Wewould love to hear about any wildlife you spot at our heathland sites. Please submit your wildlife photos via iNaturalist or by Tweeting @EcoRecordingthem
Though it is a solitary bee, the females often form large nesting aggregations in bare or sparsely vegetated sandy soil.
The adults appear in July and may still be seen as late as October.
Common Heather (Calluna vulgaris)
WHAT TO SPOT: HEATHLAND
Heather Colletes (Colletes succinctus)
It is similar to Cross-leaved Heath, but its flowers are smaller and do not cluster on one side of the stem.
Purple Horizons
This bee is smaller than a honey bee, and is a dry heathland specialist where its main pollen and nectar source are the flowers of Common Heather though it may also visit other flowers such as other heathers and occasionally ragworts and thistles.
Green Tiger Beetle (Cicindela campestris)
Common Heather (also known as Ling) is a low shrub with coarse woody stems. Its delicate pink flowers grow loosely up the stem. As its name suggests, this is the most common heather species in our area. It is the characteristic dominant species of heathland, which often appears to turn purple between July to September when heather is in flower.
Our team has been hard at work this summer enhancing and creating new wildflower meadows at sites across Birmingham and the Black Country! By baling hay from exisiting speciesrich meadows and spreading it
We've been Making Meadows!
• Work with local partners to open up a dialogue with all our young people about the environmental issues where they live.
5 Wild life | Autumn WILD2022 NEWS
Following almost four years of research, the Birmingham and Black Country Botanical Society, supported by EcoRecord, have been compiling a new book which will highlight the amazing array of flora to be found at Sutton Park. The book will detail the site’s flowering plants, ferns, mosses, fungi, lichen and archaeology, as well as being lavishly at locations including Stourbridge, Castle Vale, Moseley, Halesowen and Wolverhampton, we hope to see an abundance of new native wildflowers in years to come! Thank you to all the volunteers who came out to help us!
• Set-up a youth forum to ensure that young people’s voices are heard in decision making forums within the Trust and at local and regional levels, and help them engage with political and business leaders.
illustrated, including aerial drone images specially photographed by Andy Purcell. The book is expected to be published in November 2022 and will cost £20.00, although subscribers to EcoRecord’s mailing list will be able to purchase the book for the special price of £16.50.
• Create a programme of training, mentoring and networking opportunities that includes a mix of online events, in-person training and networking sessions, workshops, walks and talks.
Email enquiries@ecorecord.org.uk for further information. Flora of Sutton Park
A New
• Work with young people to empower them to develop and deliver their own environmental projects.
Every one of us can make a difference to bring back nature and tackle climate change by taking small actions that add up to big changes. We're excited to support communities to do just this with the launch of Nextdoor Nature!
We're extremely excited to introduce Nextdoor Nature, a programme designed to bring communities together to help nature flourish where they live and Thankswork! to £5 million funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Nextdoor Nature will provide people across the UK, including those from some of the most disadvantaged areas, with the advice and support they need to help nature on their doorstep, and leave a lasting natural legacy in honour of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. In Birmingham and the Black Country, this will allow us to:
Nature!NextdoorIntroducing
The University of Birmingham is using radar technology to explore the skies above the city as part of the EPSRCfunded Mapping and Enabling Future Airspace (MEFA) project. New research from the project has highlighted the impacts of fireworks on bird movements in the city. Using a radar overlooking a 5 km area across Birmingham, results show that birds take to the skies in large numbers on days when fireworks are discharged compared with baseline days when the skies are not illuminated by fireworks. These night-time flights are when birds would otherwise be resting, so this is likely to have a detrimental impact on their health. With bird numbers declining globally, this is more evidence of humans’ adverse impacts on wildlife. As the firework season approaches, you can help mitigate the impact on birds by attending community-led events to reduce the number of locations with fireworks as well as the overall number. By attending such events you also help to reduce noise and light pollution and alleviate stress on other wild and domestic animals.
Our New Strategy Launched WILD NEWS
AWilder Birmingham and Black Country: Our Strategyfor 2022-2030 bbcwildlife.org.uk | Page across Birmingham andthe Black Country Nature is playing acentral and valued role inhelping to address localand global problems 3 By 2030we want to see By 2030we want to see By 2030weforaim 30% of Birmingham andthe Black landscapeCountry’smanaged for the benefitof wildlife. least 1 in 4 people BlackBirminghamacrossandtheCountrytakingactionfornature. 500 hectares of land to beimproved to providenature-based solutionsto the ecological andclimate crises. We will work to protect, restore andconnect wilder landscapes wherewildlife and people can thrive. We will inspire and engage people totake action for wildlife and enablecommunities to develop a positiveand meaningful connection withtheir local natural environment. We will help nature to help us by restoringand creating habitats that can draw downcarbon from the atmosphere, reduce localflooding and pollution, whilst promotingnature-based solutions to help improveour physical and mental wellbeing.
A Wilder Birmingham and Black Country: Our Strategy for 2022-2030 Working for nature’s recovery 6Wild life | Autumn 2022 In June, we were joined at the Library of Birmingham by partners, funders, supporters and members for the launch of ‘A Wilder Birmingham and Black County ’, our strategy for nature’s recovery 2022-2030. A huge thank you must go to Hogan Lovells, our business partner since
You can read more about the research here
Bright lights and the big city January 2020, for their kind sponsorship of the event, as well as a special mention to our 10-year-old Young Ambassador, Shaan Dulay, who gave an inspiring speech which served as a rousing reminder as to why our work for a wilder future is so important.
Tuesday 25th October 10 am: Dudley – Learn about fungus with local naturalist Lukas Large Wednesday 26th October 11 am: Walsall – Learn about plant galls and autumn insects with PhD Student and former trainee Aaron Bhambra
Thursday 27th October 11 am: Cradley Heath – A walk along the River Stour with River Engagement Officer Kasia Kordybacha Friday 28th October 11 am: Sandwell – A bird identification walk with Head of Fundraising and Communication Emma Thompson Saturday 29 October 11 am: Sutton Coldfield - Orienteering Challenge in partnership with City Of Birmingham Orienteering Club Tickets are £5 per person and count towards your fundraising total if you decide to seek sponsorship. Places are strictly limited so book now at bbcwildlife.org.uk/events
We also have six guided walks for you to join our expert team and learn about autumn wildlife including fungi, birds and insects.
Take a Walk on the Wild Side
Monday 24th October 11 am: Wolverhampton - Learn about the reserve and our Love Your River Stour project with River Engagement Officer Kasia Kordybacha
We'll be finishing the week with a special Orienteering event in Sutton Coldfield, organised in conjunction with City of Birmingham Orienteering Club (COBOC) on Saturday 29th October from 11am. Tickets are £8.00 for adults and £5.00 for children and count towards your fundraising total if you decide to seek sponsorship. Book your tickets at bbcwildlife.org.uk/events
Sponsored by 7 Wild life |
4:30 pm: Moseley - Look for signs of autumn with Senior Reserves Officer Jacob Williams
It’s back, and this year, it’s bigger than ever. Register today at bbcwildlife.org.uk/WildWalkWeek to receive your fundraising pack
Autumn 2022
Our fourth annual Wild Walk Week runs from Saturday 23rd October to Sunday 30th October and you can get involved by setting up your own sponsored walk, booking tickets to our guided walks or joining our orienteering challenge.
Join in with our annual fundraising event and help raise money for nature’s recovery whilst getting some fresh air and spending time in nature. In 2021, you helped us raise £1,055 and this year we want to double that!
T&Cs to claim a Wild Walk Week Goody Bag: 1. Register at bbcwildlife.org.uk/wildwalkweek for your fundraising pack
3 Challenges to Try
Located in the Midlands, IM Properties is one of the UK’s largest privately owned property companies owned by the IM Group, focused on a sustainable future in the sectors it invests and develops in including offices, logistics, manufacturing and new homes.
5. The fundraising team will verify your donations and contact the first 30 fundraisers to receive their special goody bags!
WILD WALK WEEK 2022
2. Book tickets to our orienteering challenge, guided walks or plan your own walk(s)
2. The Fox Challenge By walking 8km (5 miles), you will be matching the average nightly roaming area of a fox as it searches for food and water.
When you register, we’ll send you a fundraising pack including sponsorship form and stickers plus a guide to some wonderful green spaces across Birmingham and the Black Country which you can explore.
Huge thanks to IM Properties for generously sponsoring Wild Walk Week 2022 to help make it bigger than ever.
8
3. The Redwing Challenge
3. Get sponsored using your sponsorship form or your JustGiving page 4. When you’ve raised £100 fundraising@bbcwildlife.org.ukemail
Get a group together and collectively walk 500 miles over the course of the week (for a group of 10, this is just over 6 miles each, every day), to reflect the redwing’s migration to the UK each winter.
1. The Hedgehog Challenge By walking 3km (just under 2 miles), you will cover the estimated nightly wanderings of a typical hedgehog as it roams, looking for food and a mate.
do some great work and we hope that this year's Wild Walk Week will be bigger than ever with schools, families and businesses connecting with nature for their 4th annual fundraising challenge. We all have a part to play in helping to look after our planet and as a major developer in the region, this event aligns perfectly with our own Sustainable Futures strategy to support local stakeholders and organisations who help promote and support the local environment.
Kerry Amory, social value manager for IM PropertiesWe’resaid:really pleased to be once WildlifeandsupportingagainBirminghamBlackCountryTrust.They
Thanks to our sponsors, this year we have an exciting offer for the first 30 supporters who raise £100 during Wild Walk Week. 30 organic cotton shopper bags filled with goodies to help you stay wild, including wild flower seedballs, a Wildlife Trust note book, a bag of wild bird seed and a Wildlife in the Garden book are up for grabs for our top fundraisers.
Collaborating with its supply chain and local stakeholders the company is committed to becoming Net Zero Carbon by 2030 and its Sustainable Futures strategy sets out its future growth centred on People, Place and Planet, to create both long-term social and economic value to the communities it operates in. IM Properties also supported our Dawberry Fields Reptile project with a £1,000 donation back in spring 2021. Wild life | Autumn 2022
2021 – 2022 in Numbers 1,131 hectares Area of land worked on or where we provided EducationYoung3,534advicepeoplebenefitedfromourandEngagementservices£22,000over Over 300 donors raised more than £11,000 for infrastructure improvements at Moseley Bog & Joy’s Wood Nature Reserve 9 Wild life | Autumn 2022
1 , 211 Speciesrecordedfor C ityNatureChall 71 respondedreviewedapplicationsPlanningandto 140 people joined us at Wild Experience Days 177peopleregistered£1,055raisingforWildWalkWeek 10Wild life | Autumn 2022
Through the Nature Friendly Schools programme funded by Defra, we worked with a further 12 primary schools in disadvantaged areas, supporting teachers to embed outdoor learning across the curriculum, increasing their pupils' access to local wild spaces and improving school grounds to make them better places for wildlife.
Goal 2: Everyone is connected to nature
OFFICERS SALLY AND DAVID COLLEAGUES ATTENDING GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION WALK FOR COP26
11 Wild life | Autumn 2022 Goal 1: Space for nature is protected, restored, created and valued nature
In June we secured a grant of £249,700 from the government’s Green Recovery Challenge Fund for our Love Your River Stour project. The recovery of the River Stour catchment is a long-term strategic priority for the Wildlife Trust, and the project builds on our Salmon in the Stour work which we have been delivering since 2017.
The Friends of Moseley Bog and Joy’s Wood Nature Reserve worked with the Wildlife Trust to run a fundraising campaign for the site which raised over £23,000 from public donations and grants. These funds have enabled the construction of new paths, repairs to the boardwalks, the design and installation of new interpretation signs, and resurfacing of the car park. Working with our group of dedicated volunteers much of this activity has begun and will be completed in 2022-23.
Love Your River Stour has enabled the recruitment of a new team of five staff and trainees, and will see the ecological enhancement of four areas of local green space, as well as a range of engagement and education activities including regular volunteering opportunities, family events, Level 1 training for young people, ‘Stour Rangers’ sessions with local schools and ‘Wild Experience Days’ with local businesses.
At Glebe Farm Recreational Ground in east Birmingham we continued our
RIVER
Our third cohort of five Natural Prospects trainees completed their Level 2 Diplomas, alongside four from the Love Your River Cole project – funded respectively by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Green Recovery Challenge Fund. With funding from the Green Recovery Challenge Fund, National Express and Cadent Foundations, we delivered 10 RESTORATION
The enhanced habitats will provide foraging and breeding sites for a range of birds and invertebrates associated with wetland and marshy grassland habitats in river corridors, whilst the construction of a new 230 metre path and installation of a new interpretation board has made it possible for local residents to benefit from their improved local wildlife.
2021 – 2022 Successes & Highlights work to restore another important river corridor, the River Cole. As part of the Love Your River Cole project two new wetland areas were created and planted by volunteers with a diverse mix of native wetland plant species, whilst 3.7 hectares of grassland was enhanced through the seeding of wildflower species including Ragged Robin, Great Burnet, Field Scabious and Yellow Rattle.
A total of 177 people took part in Wild Walk Week in October 2021 alongside our colleague-led walks and raised £1,055. Colleagues Jake Williams and Gareth Morgan took on an epic 90km triathlon challenge and thanks to donations from supporters, family and friends raised Businesses£1,050. generated over £29,000 income from Wild Experience Days, business membership and business partnerships. As social distancing restrictions eased, we saw a return to businesses booking Wild Experience Days with 140 people from five businesses joining us on Poly Roger urban canal safaris and supporting with habitat creation projects at our Nature Reserves and project sites. Bronze business members Wienerberger renewed their membership for a third year, Schofield Lothian renewed their Silver business membership for a second year and SCC re-joined as Bronze business members. We were also joined by Kennedys Law as Bronze business members. Partners included Hogan Lovells who raised over £15,000 in the second year of a three-year partnership, birdseed producer Vine House Farm who donated over £2,600, Fleming Verandas who donated over £500 and Severn Trent whose £2,000 sponsorship supported our Wild Walk Week fundraiser.
12Wild life | Autumn 2022
Goal 4: We are an organisationeffective
COLLEAGUES FROM HOGAN LOVELLS MAKING FESTIVE WREATHS
Level 1 training courses in Tools Use and Surveying as an Open College Network West Midlands training centre. 94 participants, the majority aged 16-25, successfully completed these courses. Colleagues and supporters joined us and other environmental charities on 6th November 2021 for a Global Day of Action during COP26, with a peaceful walk through Birmingham City Centre calling for nature to play a role in the climate crisis. We led Birmingham and the Black Country's second annual entry in the global citizen science challenge, City Nature Challenge. Despite fewer participants than in 2020, over 200 individuals made 12,687 wildlife observations of 1,211 different species over a four day period in Birmingham and the Black Country! Overall, for the number of observations, Birmingham and the Black Country ranked 1st in UK, 4th in Europe and 31st in the world.
ECORECORD'S 30TH BIRTHDAY Goal 3: The decision-makingplanning,atenvironmentnaturalistheheartofpolicyand
Our work to influence where and how new homes are built is critical to our vision of a future Birmingham and the Black Country which has more wildlife, more wild spaces and more people with a strong connection to the natural world. We believe that strategic planning must be informed by evidence which identifies where the most valuable sites for wildlife are, and in 2021-22 we provided the four Black Country local authorities further evidence to inform the Black Country Plan. Our Draft Black Country Local Nature Recovery Map and Strategy Approach report demonstrates to planners where the most valuable sites and landscapes for wildlife are, and is being used to inform where new housing and employment land will be allocated. EcoRecord - the Local Environmental Records Centre for Birmingham and the Black Country - turned 30 during 2021. Established in 1991 with the aim to collate, store and make available information on all aspects of wildlife and habitats in Birmingham and the Black Country, EcoRecord has been and remains critical in helping to protect wildlife, informing our understanding of the landscape and in targeting where work for nature’s recovery will have the most impact.
13 Wild life | Autumn 2022 The full 2021-2022 Annual Report is available to download and read at bbcwildlife.org.uk/publications Statement of Financial Activities 2022 2021 Unrestricted Restricted Total Total funds funds funds funds Notes £ £ £ £ INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM Donations and legacies 2 312,022 312,022 281,571 Charitable activities Conservation, Engagement and Influence 3 305,878 1,117,718 1,423,596 973,916 Other income 2,915 2,915 76,695 Total 620,815 1,117,718 1,738,533 1,332,182 EXPENDITURE ON Raising funds 4 29,605 29,605 24,324 Charitable activities Conservation, Engagement and Influence 5 487,066 777,317 1,264,383 1,024,761 Total 487,066 806,922 1,293,988 1,049,085 NET INCOME 133,749 310,796 444,545 283,097 Transfers between funds 17 £219,264 (219,264) Net movement in funds 353,013 91,532 444,545 283,097 RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS Total funds brought forward 1,075,296 344,902 1,420,198 1,137,101 TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD 1,428,309 436,434 1,864,743 1,420,198
14Wild life | Autumn 2022 Community Groups Deers Leap Residents Association Friends of Deer's Leap Wood Friends of Dawberry Fields Friends of Hill Hook Friends of Moseley Bog & Joy's Wood Friends of Rowley Hills Schools Barcroft Primary School Chivenor Primary School Conway Primary School Corpus Christi Primary School North Walsall Academy Oasis Academy Barford Oasis Academy Foundry Oasis Academy Woodview Rookery Primary School Somerville Primary School St Giles Primary School Timberley Primary School Selly Oak Trust School Chandos Primary School St Patricks Primary School Fairway Primary School Chandos Primary School Hawbush Primary School Bantock Primary School St Edmunds Primary School Our Lady & St Rose of Lima Primary School Fallings Park Primary School Hillstone Primary School Chilwell Croft Primary School St Mary’s Primary School Nelson Mandela Primary School Active Donation Box Venues Paul's Florist, West Bromwich EcoManiax, Stourbridge Bantock Park Tea Room, Wolverhampton Project Partners The Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts Birmingham City Council Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council City of Wolverhampton Council Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council Natural SanctusDynamicJBAWetlandNationalEnvironmentRiversideEnglandHouseAgencyHighwaysEngineeringConsultingRivers Staffordshire Wildlife Trust Warwickshire Wildlife Trust University of Birmingham Sandyfields Ltd. Esmee Fairbairn Foundation Staffordshire Ecological Record Parkview Clinic Heart of Birmingham Vocational College Princes BirminghamBirminghamSAMPADTrustSettlementCityofNature Alliance TheFootstepsActive Well-being Society Tandem LucasMcCarthysConsultingArchitects Business Members SCC International (Bronze) Wienerberger (Bronze) Schofield Lothian (Silver) Kennedys Law (Bronze) Thank you We couldn’t have done it without you Our work for nature's recovery is possible thanks to our wonderful members, donors, volunteers, funders and businesses partners - Thank you for all your support - you are all wildlife heroes! Business Supporters Nick Groves Vine House Farm Hogan CadentVeganUniversityArupWSPSevernFlemingLovellsVerandasTrentWaterofBirminghamSocietyGas Leaflovers IM Properties Funders Esmée Fairbairn Foundation National Lottery Heritage Fund Cadent NationalNationalGreenerCooperativeNationalRoughleySaintburyRoyalPeople'sFoundationPostcodeLotterySocietyofWildlifeTrustsCharitableTrustCharitableTrustExpressFoundationFoundationRecoveryChallengeFundLotteryCommunityFundLotteryReachingCommunities Fund Veolia Environmental Fund High Speed Two Community and Environmental Fund Joyce Farley Education Trust 29th May 1961 Trust Patrick Trust CB & HH Taylor 1984 Trust Cole Charitable Trust Secombe Trust Charles Brotherton Trust Arts EdwardCounciland Dorothy Cadbury Trust GJW LimogesTurnerCharitable Trust Neighbourly - Seeds of Change Significant thanks to our major funders
Site Spotlight
16Wild life | Autumn 2022
Portway Hill BY JAMES BENWELL, CONTENT AND COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER
Backed by spectacular rock exposures, carpeted in wildflowers and providing stunning views looking out over Birmingham, Sandwell and Dudley, our Portway Hill nature reserve is a joy to visit throughout the year. Part of the Rowley Hills, there are scarce plants to be found here, including bee orchids and hare’s-foot clover, and butterflies and day-flying moths fill the air during the summer months. The reserve boasts a large and growing colony of beautiful marbled white butterflies, not recorded in our region before 1992, but whose range is now expanding. The site provides excellent opportunities for bird watching, with birds of prey such as peregrines and kestrels to be seen, and other notable species include stonechats, tree pipets and ravens. There is geology of international importance to be found here, with the Rowley Hills being one of over 40 geosites which make up the Black Country UNESCO Global Geopark. The hills are made of rocks which were once
molten deep inside the Earth around 307 million years ago and unusual “onion skin” weathering can be seen on exposed rockface at Portway Hill. We run regular volunteer days at the reserve, held every fourth Friday of the month and every second Saturday bi-monthly, from 10am until 3pm. We’re extremely grateful for all the hard work our volunteers put into managing this beautiful site. Head to bbcwildlife.org.uk/Volunteer if you’d like to join us!
SITE SPOTLIGHT
Providing for family and friends once we are gone is naturally the primary drive for writing a Will, but you can also use this important document to ensure that your passion for nature lives on. We know things are tough right now, but leaving just 1% of the value of your estate can make a huge difference; here are some examples: £250 could fund a portable moth trap to collect data on our nocturnal pollinators £1000 could help us build a small pond so we can improve aquatic diversity £2,500 could cover the annual running costs of our recycled plastic litter picking boat £4,000 could help us create a small woodland £23,000+ could fund a nature reserve officer for a year
54%1 of adults in the UK and 60%2 of parents with children under 18 don’t have a Will.
Any gift left to charity in your Will, no matter the value, is hugely valuable. By choosing the Trust as a benefactor in your Will, you will enable us to continue to protect wildlife and habitats across Birmingham and the Black Country, and educate the next generation of conservationists beyond your lifetime. “No-one will protect what they don't care about, and no one will care about what they have never experienced,” so said Sir David Attenborough.
FBC Manby Bowdler, with offices across Birmingham and the Black Country and beyond, can guide you through the process, and are committed to delivering an uncomplicated, professional service with support from a named specialist. Contact the New Enquiries team by calling 0345 512 0057 or emailing NewEnquiries@fbcmb.co.uk quoting ’ Wildlife Trust 21'. 1. Which?, 2018. 2. Royal London, 2018.
The Gift that lasts more than a lifetime
BY DAVID GREEN, INDIVIDUAL GIVING MANAGER
17 Wild life | Autumn 2022
Choosing a charity that is close to your heart is important when writing your Will, and we were grateful that a local supporter chose to leave us in excess of £160,000 in 2020. This generous gift contributed towards the development of our new classroom at EcoPark in Small Heath, providing opportunities for local communities to experience and value nature on their doorstep.
MARSHALLTOM©
Whilst we cannot offer specific legal advice, we are in partnership with two organisations who can provide you with help and support to write your Will. Guardian Angel provide a simple online Will-writing service to help you create a basic Will. As a supporter of Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust, you can write your Will, using this service free of charge (normally £90) by visiting gawill.uk/bbcwt and quoting the discount code BBCWTFREE For a more traditional service, or for larger/ more complex Wills, you might want to consider a specialist solicitor.
No, a simple Will, distributing your Estate to your family and friends, can take as little as 15 minutes if done online. Anything more complicated can take a little longer, but a good Will-writing service will hold your hand every step of the way.
Isn’t writing a Will expensive?
Is it difficult to write a Will?
No, anyone can, and should, have a Will, particularly if you have children under 18 or own your own home. Major life events such as weddings, should also prompt an update to your Will. Should you die without a Will, someone else will be deciding what happens to your money and assets when you are gone, and these might not be distributed as you would wish.
What I can give won’t make a difference, surely?
Through our trusted partners at Guardian Angel, you can create a simple Will, completely free of charge, saving £90. This offer extends to a telephone appointment at a time that’s convenient to you, just in case you don’t feel comfortable using the Internet.
A more complicated Will can be more expensive, and a traditional service from a solicitor may be more appropriate.
A Gifts in Wills Event
18Wild life | Autumn 2022 To discuss leaving a gift in your Will, or for a free copy of our Gifts in Wills brochure, please contact the Fundraising Team on 0121 523 0064 , or email fundraising@bbcwildlife.org.uk If now is the right time for you to be thinking about writing or changing your Will, and you would like to include a gift to us, you will need all of the following information, which will help your Executor fulfil your wishes: Charity Name: The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and Black Country Limited Registered Charity Number: 513615 Our Address: Centre of the Earth, 42 Norman Birmingham,Street,B187EP Telephone: 0121 523 0094 Our Gifts in Wills Promise • We recognise your loved ones come first in your Will. • We will treat you fairly and we won’t intrude on your privacy. • We understand that circumstances change and there may be a time where you need to take the us out of your Will. • We promise to use your gift wisely, in line with your wishes.
Will Mythbusting
It really will! After looking after your friends and family, a gift of just 1% of your estate can make a real difference. We promise to use gifts left in Wills carefully, to make a lasting difference to wildlife across Birmingham and the Black Country.
On Saturday 20th August, we hosted an event at Moseley Bog & Joy’s Wood Local Nature Reserve for our supporters who had consented to receiving information from us about leaving a gift in their Will. It was attended by wonderful individuals, some of whom have already pledged a gift. If you would like a conversation about leaving a gift in your Will please visit bbcwildlife.org.uk/giftsinwills or call us on 0121 523 0094
Isn’t a Will only for the very wealthy?
GIFTS IN WILLS
Toqueer Quyyam
BY JAMES BENWELL,
Toqueer Quyyam is a passionate advocate for the natural world. He dedicates his time and skills to speaking up and taking action for nature, whether that be with the Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust, Birmingham Friends of the Earth, Footsteps, Grand Union, or assisting with Small Footsteps’ interfaith green activities at EcoPark. For his outreach work over a number of years, we were delighted to ask Toqueer to cut the ribbon at the grand opening of our new environmental centre at EcoPark in May.
MY WILD LIFE
CONTENT AND COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER 19 Wild life | Autumn 2022
My passion began at a very young age and I have always loved ladybirds! I was fascinated by their colours and markings, and through looking at them, I began to notice other insects. Growing up in Walsall, I found a real connection with the natural world whenever I was in it, whether that be at the green space play area at school, playing football with my friends or enjoying the climbing frame and water features at Walsall Arboretum! I was the kind of child that would go to a park and look around; I took notice of the trees, the birds and other animals. My favourite bird has always been the robin, especially during the winter time when they perch amongst the holly trees. What are the benefits to volunteering and being a champion for the natural world?
What advice would you give to other people who may not yet have discovered the benefits of the natural world?
Do you have any favourite places to spend time amongst nature in Birmingham and the Black Country? I really love Edgbaston Reservoir, it’s a wonderful place. It’s great for walking, for relaxing and it’s nice to see so many people enjoying it, from families to cyclists. There’s always something happening and there’s a wonderful breeze which blows across the water. It’s free and open to the public so please go and visit it!
I’m very passionate about making sure that nobody is excluded from engaging with nature. Recently I joined the mass trespass at Kinder Scout, to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the first trespass which took place to ensure everyone has a right to roam in the countryside. It’s inspired me to set up a walking group focussed in the West Midlands which will engage marginalised and minority communities to get out and discover new places. The area has so much to offer, beautiful places such as Warley Woods and Moseley Bog. I feel there are many people who haven’t yet discovered these places, and with my passion and commitment to inclusion, I feel that I can make a difference to local communities by engaging them with the natural world around them.
20Wild life | Autumn 2022
What are your hopes for the future – both for yourself and the natural world?
I hope to continue my passion for supporting the natural world and the environment. I’d like to pursue a career in this industry. I want other people to have the opportunities I’ve had and to have the same experiences as me, from new friendships I’ve made, to connecting with nature. I’ve recently set up a blog which you can read where I will showcase my own green adventures throughout the region. It’ll have videos and articles about all things nature related, and green actions you can take for nature! You can read my blog resourcespeacefully,worldMytoqueergreenblog.wordpress.com.at:hopeforthefutureofthenaturalisthathumanitycancoexistshareourlimitednaturalandmakesurewetakecare of the world around us. We have to ensure the natural world is healthy. A healthy natural world is a healthy community, and a better place for us all to live in. You can follow updates on Toqueer’s green journey at toqueergreenblog.wordpress.com
My hope for the future of the natural world is that humanity can coexist peacefully, share our limited natural resources and make sure we take care of the world around us. We have to ensure the natural world is healthy.
OUR WILDLIFE CHAMPIONS
I think the most important benefit is the sense of wellbeing that nature can bring, and feeling good about yourself. It also gives me a sense of purpose in the things that I do. I’m very much a person that enjoys learning new things, and the natural world is a place of wonder and amazement. Nature isn’t just for young people, it’s for everyone - and you’re never too old to stop learning!
My advice is to get out there and get involved! I’m very much an advocate for the Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust. During my visits to their EcoPark site in Small Heath, which is a wonderland, I was made to feel so welcome by Holly, their Community Engagement Officer. I was even honoured and humbled to be asked to cut the ribbon at the grand opening of their new environmental centre! I know the importance of education and just how much this new building will benefit the local community to engage with nature. EcoPark is not just a place for wildlife, it’s a place for rest, a place for families. It’s a place with something for everyone, so my advice is for people to come and have the experiences that I’ve had!
How did your passion for the natural world begin?
Send us your questions, photos, stories or exciting wildlife encounters and we’ll share our favourites! Email comms@bbcwildlife.org.uk
We hope you can join us at some of our events this autumn!
MondayWildflowerWonderfulWalk!19thSeptember:
Head to bbcwildlife.org.uk/Events
Saturday 15th October: Annual General Meeting at Brownhills Common Saturday 15th October: Wildflower Walk at Brownhills Common Monday 17th October: Nature Tots at Centre of the Earth
Wednesday 26th October: Wild Walk Week walk to discover plant galls and autumn insects Wednesday 26th October: Walk Walk Week autumnal walk
Saturday 29th October: Wild Walk Week orienteering event
Thursday 27th October: Wild Walk Week walk along the River Stour
Saturday 24th September: Great Big Green Week community litter pick and planting Monday 26th September: Nature Tots at Centre of the Earth Monday 10th October: Nature Tots at Centre of the Earth
Nature Tots at Centre of the Earth
Tuesday 25th October: Wild Walk Week fungus identification walk
21 Wild life | Autumn 2022 Members Page
Friday 28th October: Walk Walk Week bird identification walk
Thank you to all those who joined us for an exclusive members-only wildflower walk across the magnificent meadows at Illey Pastures led by our Head of Conservation, Simon Atkinson! The site is one of the richest grassland floras in the West Midlands and there was much to see and learn for all attendees, who did not let a sprinkling of rain dampen their We’respirits!pleased to say that we will be offering more members-only events in the future, including a guided walk across Brownhills Common on Saturday 15th October, details of which can be found below!
A
to book your places.Monday 24th October: Wild Walk Week walk along the River Stour
Annual General Meeting 2022
We hope you’ll enjoy completing the first ever Wildlife magazine crossword! Just for fun and packed with all manner of nature-themed answers. Email your answers to comms@bbcwildlife.org.uk and we'll publish the names of the first 10 members to successfully complete the crossword in the next edition!
3. Which continent would you be in if you were wildlife-spotting in the Serengeti?
6. Species of mushroom commonly associated with fairy tales, and whose colours are said to have inspired the imagery of Santa Claus. 8. Woodpecker known as the “Yaffle” for the laughing sound it makes. 9. Harvest and Yellow-Necked are types of? 10. Variety of tree with nuts known as “mast”. 12. A word to describe countryside which is green with grass or other rich vegetation. 15. A species of Tit which would be no bigger than a golf ball, were it not for one extended feature.
We’re delighted to be able to invite you to our first in-person Annual General Meeting since 2019! Taking place from 10.30am – 12.00pm on Saturday 15th October at Brownhills Community Association, this will be an opportunity for you to meet staff and Trustees, and hear about our successes and plans for the future. Following the formalities, you then have the opportunity join us for lunch and a guided walk across Brownhills Common, led by Head of Conservation Simon Atkinson. The walk costs £3.00 per person and will commence at 12.45pm. It will be a fantastic opportunity to discover a site which is rich in wildlife and home to species from deer to lizards! Please note that you do not have to attend the Annual General Meeting in order to join us on the walk, but places are strictly limited. To book your place at our AGM, reserve your packed lunch and/or attend our guided walk, head to bbcwildlife.org.uk/AGM Please note that bookings for the guided walk are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. We look forward to seeing you there for a cuppa and a slice of cake!
18. “Bull”, “Green” and “Haw” belong to which family of birds. 19. A bandit-like bird which is our only species to be able to climb both up and down treetrunks. 23. The home of bears, hyenas and raccoons (not at the same time, hopefully).
24. The noun to describe the animals of a particular region, habitat or geological period. 25. The study of insects is known as?
22Wild life | AutumnMEMBERS2022 PAGE Wildlife Crossword #1
13. Smooth and Great Crested are types of? 14. “And then my heart with pleasure fills, and dances with the ___” – which plant inspired Wordsworth to write these words?
16. Common Spotted and Early Purple are types of? 17. Species of owl famous for their “twit twoo” calls. 20. How many species of snake are native to the UK? 21. Bufo Bufo is the Latin name of this amphibian. 22. A young deer in its first year. Across 5. This worm can light up the dark.
Down 1. Famous flower which carpets woodland floors each spring. 2. The queen is said to own all of this species of waterfowl.
4. Noctule and Pipistrelle are types of…? 7. “Gold” and “Fire” - the UK’s smallest birds. 9. Collective noun for a group of crows. 11. Peacock is male, pea___ is female.
Sponsored by Take a Walk on the Wild Side Saturday 22nd - Sunday 30th October Our annual fundraiser returns, featuring guided walks and orienteering! Register Now! bbcwildlife.org.uk/WildWalkWeek
