Tag: wildlife

Half Term….and it’s Hedgehog Time again !

Schools out, so its about time we made sure our Brandwood End Hedgehogs have plenty of food when they finally emerge.  Not too long to wait now!!

Join us on Wednesday 22nd February at 10am for a couple of hours of making log piles and bug houses to ensure plenty of juicy food for our prickly friends!

(Unless you are over 16 I am afraid you will have to bring an adult!)

Meet at the Lodge on the main drive of Brandwood End Cemetery 10am.

Young film makers show their skills.

Our final ‘Hedgehog’ related event for 2016 !. Pupils from St Albans RC Primary have been training with our Community Film Maker and spent time at Jasmin Fields Nature Reserve putting their knowledge into practice. They will be making a short film for FBEC about our whole Hedgehog project. Don’t they look professional?

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unspecifiedPupils proudly display their bug hotel.  They had been set the task of making some pallets into an appealing hotel for ‘bugs and beasties’ to become a larder for visiting hedgehogs.

I think we can call their efforts a success? They have also placed their own Hedgehog house in the school grounds.

Rain didn’t stop play!

We were all watching the rain filled skies with trepidation this afternoon as we held our launch event for our Heritage Lottery funded ‘Help for Hedgehogs’ project.

Jan, the Ranger and Gareth from Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust set up their displays but we did not hold out too much hope as the rain got heavier and heavier but we were all in for a surprise!

Even before we had set everything up the rain eased and families began to arrive !

20160910_141209Jan chatted to everyone about Hedgehogs before leading them off on a trail to find interesting ‘Hedgehog’ facts and then everyone collected suitable twigs and cones to make their very own Hedgehog.

I think you can tell from the faces below how the ‘make your own Hedgehog’ activity went!!

 

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Our thanks to the 30+ people who disregarded the awful weather and we hope you will all come back (with your friends!) to our next event on October 25th in Half Term.

Sunny day for RHS visit

When we all got up to heavy rain this morning we wondered if the visit of the RHS Heart of England in Bloom judges to Brandwood End might be a wash out, but by lunch time the sun was shining and Brandwood End was looking at its best.

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Volunteers work within Brandwood End all year round doing all sorts of activities. Their work ranges from litter picks, gardening, historical research, environmental projects,  to carrying out surveys, attending meetings and making grant applications.  You probably don’t see us, but we hope you see the effect we have in the cemetery.

The Friends of Brandwood End work with Bereavement Services staff and horticultural contractors to try and improve the ‘visitor’ experience in the cemetery. You may be visiting the grave of a loved one, or walking through as a short cut, carrying out grave research or just enjoying the peace and quiet. Whatever your reason, we hope it creates a pleasant interlude in your day.

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Today we found a local family enjoying their snacks in the Civilian Garden of Remembrance. We are so glad to see people relaxing in this beautiful, peaceful area.

 

Could this mean Spring is on the way!

Beautiful day today in the Cemetery. Sunshine, snowdrops(mainly leaves!) and the Woodpecker hammering away. Everywhere you look the daffodils are blooming and blossom trees are in bud.  Muntjac are calling…….maybe all a bit early in the year?

Litter pick March 2014 (16) (800x600)spotted woodpecker20160219_095224Every few days one of our committee strolls (or drives) around the cemetery to see what has been happening. The Tree Officer tells us that, despite loosing one large aged conifer at the far end of the cemetery, we escaped severe damage in Brandwood End.  A number of fallen branches were also reported to him by Bereavement Services and they have also been dealt with.

Family Hedgehog Event

Half term is nearly here and the Friends of Brandwood End, supported by Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust and the Park Ranger Service and holding a Hedgehog Day during Wild About Gardens week at Brandwood Pool on Tuesday the 27th October from 2-4pm (The pool lies at the bottom of the cemetery site or access via Whittington Close B14 6JW)

hedgehogCome and discover more about these favourite creatures and how to make your garden Hedgehog friendly. Fun for all the family with bug hunting,crafts and lots more!

We also want your views on our proposed project to survey the Cemetery and create improved habitats for Hedgehogs.

Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.

Future Project

The Friends are in discussions with Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust to be the linchpin of a community Hedgehog survey in Brandwood. The project would hopefully involve the training of local residents to recognise Hedgehog activity, improve habitat, encourage ‘Hedgehog friendly gardens’ and generally raise the profile and understanding of wildlife within the cemetery and beyond.

hedgehogThe Hedgehog used to be a common sight in many peoples gardens and within Brandwood End Cemetery……but when did you last see one? With help, we hope to discover if they are still thriving in this area and if not, why not- and what could residents do to encourage a growth in the numbers of this endangered species.