by Rachel Westwood.
Local Nature in Autumn and Winter
Warwickshire Wildlife Trust has come up with a number of ideas for us to continue to enjoy nature and be a nature detective as the seasons change. One suggestion is to learn more about what animals are in the area by looking at spoors or scat (poo for the more direct amongst us) we can see when we’re out and about - it might be from a fox, a roe deer in some places or even an otter if you’re walking along a canal. You can find out more at https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife/how-identify/identify-poo - have fun!
The Wildlife Trust has also produced a report on habitats in Coventry, Solihull & Warwickshire. You can find out more at
State of Habitats | WarwickshireThe report shows the overall diversity of habitats, where different habitats are found and the total area of each type. This is vital information as there are competing pressures on limited land. Understanding which habitats are where, can help prioritise those that most urgently need protecting, the best areas for new habitat creation and where habitats can be joined up for wildlife to move around the landscape.
The Trust has committed to working for ‘30% of land in recovery, protected and connected for nature by 2030’. Approximately 34k hectares of habitat need to be created in the next 5 years to meet the target an area about three times the size of Coventry!
Heavy Rain and Flood Risks
With the forecast very heavy rain on Friday and the risk of flooding in around and Balsall Common, it may be helpful to check for local flooding at https://check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk - you can search by place or postcode.
Where are we Now? |
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We are proud to say that we have achieved the ‘Silver’ award level of the A’Rocha scheme. We intend to build on this and achieve Gold by recycling more, encouraging our church members and other churches to follow environmentally sensitive policies, and looking after our site (the churchyard) to promote ecological diversity and the wellbeing of the natural world. As part of this, we are thrilled to say that we were able to host the YCCN pilgrimage to the Glasgow Climate
Here’s our newly planted native (organic!) Yew hedge and our bee-friendly wildflower area which is showing good results!Summit!
| Recycling: |
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We have “recycling” boxes in the entrance to the Church and Hall where you can leave old mobile phones, stamps, spectacles and printer cartridges! These can often be sold to raise funds for the needy or passed to charities who can use them. We also can help with the recycling of many other things - contact us if you would like to help our Recycling efforts as we do need a new Coordinator!
We also try to feed the birds, encourage native wildflowers to grow in our grounds, and welcome people to use our space to relax - but please do so responsibly and do not leave litter! That’s what the bins and recycling boxes are for.