Author: Jane Edwards

Great turn out for Jasmin Fields Nature Reserve Litter Pick.

Jasmin Fields Nature Reserve lies just across Broad Lane from the Cemetery site and as a Friends Group we always try and work together. Today was no exception as they held a litter pick and 16 people worked all morning to clear everyday litter and also larger items resulting from recent dredging of the Cole brook which runs through the site.

Several  FBEC members are also members of the Friends of Jasmin Fields, which is a much smaller group than we are, so we were very pleased to see such a good turn out and such a lot of rubbish removed.

 

The Great British Spring Clean

Ten volunteers joined together today to carry out the usual quarterly ‘Litter Pick’ in Brandwood End Cemetery. This Spring we are yet again taking part in the Keep Britain Tidy campaign and their theme is ‘The Great British Spring Clean’

Between everyone- 22 bags of litter were collected ! The bag numbers were higher than usual as storm Dorris had managed to whip lots of flower paper across the site! We started at 10am and drew to a close at 11.30am when a Birmingham City Council bin lorry arrived (bang on time) to take all our collected rubbish away!

Our thanks to all our volunteers (even our tiny new member) for coming along to support this event. The sun shone throughout, so it was a lovely morning and enjoyed by everyone.

A sea of Croci (Crocuses?)

We never fail to be amazed at the areas of replanted Croci ……..replanted by squirrels from the main drive following a very hard day of FBEC ‘planting’ ! Stumbled on yet another small patch and another larger impressive outcrop whilst litter picking today.

42 Amazing Redwoods!

Every time I visit Brandwood End Cemetery, no matter the weather, I marvel at our magnificent avenue of Redwoods. Today, for the first time, I actually counted them! There are 23 on one side of the main drive and 19 on the other. I suspect that we have the most beautiful ‘avenue’ of  42 mature Redwoods in the Midlands? I know that the Friends of Kings Norton Park  are slowly developing their own ‘Redwood Avenue’ but suspect none of us will be about to see them reach the size of those in the Cemetery.

Storm Doris created some problems!

Storm Dorris swept through Brandwood End leaving a trail of felled tree branches behind. Luckily there were no injuries to people….but not so to monuments.  The recently celebrated ‘Alabaster’ grave came very close to being felled as a large branch fell from an adjacent conifer. You can see the damage to the grave behind it!

The larger branches that were obstructing paths have now been removed but evidence of large boughs still litter the site. A generally lucky escape as things could have been a lot worse.

 

 

 

 

 

New storage facility for Brandwood Ground staff

At last! Ground staff at Brandwood End have been waiting a very long time to have a new, purpose built, secure storage facility in their yard at the Cemetery. There have been  a few false hopes raised in the past…..but today, whilst on site, I notice that contractors have actually started.  Hurray for them as this is definitely needed!

Great British Spring Clean- Saturday 4th March 10-11.30am.

Keep Britain Tidy are again heading up a anti litter campaign this year, so we have decided to dedicate our MARCH 4th LITTER PICK to this cause.

Please come along and help us to keep the cemetery free of flower paper and blown litter following the recent storms. Meet at the Lodge on the main drive at 10am till 11.30 and enjoy a stroll around this beautiful green space whilst collecting litter to boost this Great British Spring Clean campaign.

We will provide litter pickers and bags but advise strong footwear and gloves. Under 16’s must be accompanied by an adult.

Adults- do you want a bit more detailed Hedgehog information?

FBEC have now enjoyed several family Hedgehog events, delivered on our behalf by Birmingham Park Ranger Service (Jan and Dean) and the Wildlife Trust (Emma). We are coming towards the end of this enormously enjoyable project that seems to have captured the imagination of local schools and residents.

On Monday the 20th March from 7-8pm at Park House in Kings Heath Park we will be holding an adults only event, to cover some of the more technical details relating to the  why the well loved Hedgehog is declining in most areas of the UK.

Places are  FREE but limited, so please reserve your place via this link.

Final Family Hedgehog event !

Today was the final Family Hedgehog Event in Brandwood End Cemetery as part of our ‘Help for Hedgehogs’ Heritage Lottery funded project. We still have plenty of activities planned but they will be aimed mainly at adults, to encourage them to understand more about the decline of Hedgehogs and what they can do to improve the environment within their gardens to attract them.

Today, despite the inclement weather, we were joined by between 30 and 40 ‘Hedgehog Heroes’ who undertook a number of activities. The more hardy amongst them joined Dean the Ranger and Emma from the Wildlife Trust on a walk through the cemetery to demonstrate how to create a log pile.  All the logs had been drilled with small holes to allow bugs to hid within them providing good food for waking Hedgehogs.

Inside activities included making ‘plate’ hedgehogs to take home and name pledge spikes for our large demonstration Hedgehog!

 

 

 

 

Today we have ‘Bug Life’ to thank for the supply of Bug Hotels which were taken home by visitors to deploy in their gardens. Our thanks again to SHED, based at Kings Heath Park, for making some more Hedgehog houses that were also snapped up by families eager to encourage our spiked friends. Follow this link to more photographs taken today.

By now the rain had started but it didn’t deter those keen for information!