Our trainees and volunteers have done some brilliant work removing the Himalayan balsam at Babbs Mill and Cole End Park. The river banks were completely overgrown with this invasive species, needing a lot of work to pull it out.
Here’s Freya with a mountain of the removed balsam.
At Castle Bromwich Parkland, there’s been lots of work carried out by volunteers to improve the woodland pathways which were becoming overgrown, by clearing some of the low branches and brambles from sections of the paths.
A number of biodiversity surveys have also been carried out at Castle Bromwich Parkland to find out about the different species existing in the parkland.
Among many other species, the group found some beautiful pyramidal orchids.
An acid grassland restoration at the Parkland is also underway. The work will create important habitats for many different plants and insects, which is great for the biodiversity of the area.
The grass cuttings and topsoil left over from the restoration work were used to make further habitats for small mammals, insects and reptiles.
Our trainees have also been running community events such as Wild Wednesdays, during which activities such as den building, minibeast crafts and nature clay art help children connect with nature and learn about their local flora and fauna.