Spring fair Newsletter
Spring Country Side Fair 2011 – Cannon Hill News
40 Years of Spring Festivals in Cannon Hill Park 1971- 2011
Many local families still remember the Tulips and the Dutch Windmill created for the 1970s Festival, and the creation of Birmingham Nature Centre shortly after the Midlands Arts Centre opened in Cannon Hill Park. * You’ll find the Spring Fair this year by the Nature Centre and new Natural Adventure Play area, and with lots of activities going on in the City Park and Country Side areas along the River Rea down to Stirchley. Plus ‘Reel Archive’ film showings of us then – back in the 50s, 60s and 70s.
*Storytelling Tent * Arts and Nature Discovery zone
Record your own live weather forecast, take part in exciting weather experiments, observe a professional weather station, and make a small storm tornado.
The OPAL Weather Roadshow is your chance to explore the exciting science of climate and weather. There are lots of activities and demonstrations to suit all ages and you’ll also be able to talk with professional meteorologists and OPAL scientists.
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The park's newest resident
The parks newest resident has just been spotted in the park. It is a small brown deer that was seen by a local resident (Helen) who was walking her dog. She watched it for 5 or so minutes while it was grazing in the area of former prefab housing, adjacent to the health centre on Dad’s Lane. Given the description it is likely to be Muntjac Deer. These are surprisingly common around the city, and all though not native, they do not cause a lot of damage. In high numbers they are a pest to woodlands though.
The probably species involved, Reeves Muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi), was introduced into the UK in Woburn Safari Park in 1926. It is now found everywhere and is thought to be the commonest species in England, recently extending its range up to the Scottish borders and into Wales. They are surprising confiding species and not too concerned by humans. Keep your eyes peeled.
A Muntjac deer (copyright Pratheepps) used under the Wiki-images license.
The probably species involved, Reeves Muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi), was introduced into the UK in Woburn Safari Park in 1926. It is now found everywhere and is thought to be the commonest species in England, recently extending its range up to the Scottish borders and into Wales. They are surprising confiding species and not too concerned by humans. Keep your eyes peeled.
A Muntjac deer (copyright Pratheepps) used under the Wiki-images license.
A flood Walk down the Rea
04/05/11 18:47
Last Sunday saw the Friends River Rea flood walk. Thanks to all those who attended and made it such as successful event!
Here are the notes and links distributed as part of the pack materials handed out by Tony:
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Here are the notes and links distributed as part of the pack materials handed out by Tony:
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Notes/Links for a ‘Flood River Walk along the Rea’
Cannon Hill – Selly Park – Moor Green – Stirchley
‘Mapping the Country Side of the Rea Linear Park’ is a local heritage project of Cannon Hill Park Neighbourhood Friends, OPAL and partners.
Contact for Project: Tony Fox, cannonhillfriend@aol.com 0121-449 6024
'A Lost Landscape' - Mathew Boulton's love of Birmingham Heath - between the growing town and his factory by Soho Pool in Handsworth. (written 2009 by Shena Mason, Val Loggie and Phillida Ballard)
http://www.birminghamheritage.org.uk/review.htm
'Sexing the Plants' - article by Jenny Uglow, in The Guardian 2002, with a reappraisal of Erasmus Darwin who brought Natural History science studies to Birmingham Lunar Society.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2002/sep/21/featuresreviews.guardianreview30
'Curlew Country' - Staffordshire Blog web site following Local Heritage Lottery Project about the Staffs Moorland habitat and this bird.
http://www.curlewcountry.org.uk/about/
Find Wild Flowers celebrated in different counties of England – and why the Foxglove is linked to Birmingham. But how many native flowers are we losing?
http://www.plantlife.org.uk/wild_plants/county_flowers/
Our beloved Cannon Hill Peoples Park web site - paths of local Discovery and Observation
www.cannonhillpeoplespark.net (including seasonal Wildlife Diary and blog 2008-2011 >
The beloved River Rea, with Rea Valley Interactive Map and Heritage Trail starting at Cannon Hill Park. See Resouces> Environmental plant archaeology from Longbridge to the Bull Ring.
www.riverreatrail.org.uk
OPAL Open Air natural Labs - with neighbourhood and national partners
www.opalexplorenature.org Big Lottery 2008-12 and www.opalwestmidlands.org Scientist projects including local Birds, Bees and Weather. See OPAL in Peoples Park 31 May–5 June.
iSpot - OPAL Biodiversity Survey: have you spotted? what other type of support is good for you, and seasonal observations? Feedback here and to our Peoples Wildlife website Blog -
www.iSpot.org.uk
Description of the new Park in Birkenhead (1840) designed by Joseph Paxton, with apprentice John Gibson, by Frederick Olmsted an American Farmer. Olmsted went on to design Central Park New York, while John Gibson designed Battersea Park(1860) & Cannon Hill Park (1873).
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=moa;cc=moa;idno=ajq8991.0001.001;view=image;seq=77;size=75;page=root
Kings Norton and Northfield Urban District History - prior to Bham Boundary Extension 1911 three quarters of Cannon Hill Park land was in Worcestershire.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King's_Norton_and_Northfield_Urban_District
History of Cannon Hill Fields, and Map of 1921 showing Moor Green Mill and Mill Race coming off the river Rea
http://billdargue.jimdo.com/placenames-gazetteer-a-to-y/places-c/cannon-hill/
Moor Green Forge and Mill from Tudor times, also known as Farmons Mill
http://billdargue.jimdo.com/placenames-gazetteer-a-to-y/places-f/farmons/
Floods in Selly Park South and Pebble Mill Fields - taken by Residents Flood Action Group
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jcweatherman/sets/72157607172937378/
Youtube Video of Floods in Stirchley, 6 Sept 2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riosZ3V8_48
Edible Foraging Youtube video with Alys Fowler along Moor Green and Selly Park river banks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdc9NaPeaI4
Style of Prefab Houses erected beside the Rea in Moor Green and Hazelwell 1944
www.flickr.com/photos/speedtree/4970804958/
Learning more about Birmingham Prefab houses and building science -
http://www.listen-to-english.com/index.php?id=433#
Vimeo of Mapping the Country Side Project, Jan 2011, with residents interviews
http://www.vimeo.com/19364131
Dogpool and Ten Acres History
http://billdargue.jimdo.com/placenames-gazetteer-a-to-y/places-t/ten-acres/
Hogweed, invasive plant
http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/organicweeds/weed_information/weed.php?id=126
Wild Angelika, grown on local allotments
http://www.plantpress.com/wildlife/o858-wildangelica.php
Bumblebee Conservation, a Heritage Lottery funded Community Project. (see also OPAL Buzz)
http://www.hlf.org.uk/ourproject/Pages/Bumblebee_Conservation.aspx
Media Archive for Central England, MACE holds local history movies –
* Shows of local films archive at Spring Country Side Fair 4-5 June, Cannon Hill Peoples Park
http://www.macearchive.org/
Univ of Birmingham VISTA Research – GIS Projects including Climate Change
Friends of Hazelwell Park, Birds Survey Jan 2011 and Fruit Tree Planting
Research ongoing – with your support and involvement.
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Three new park videos
Check out these videos of the hedgerow laying event, time to get moving and the Bells Farm autumn festival.
Autumn Hedgerow Weekend:
Time to Get Moving:
Bells Farm Heritage Alive -,Autumn Festival:
Autumn Hedgerow Weekend:
Time to Get Moving:
Bells Farm Heritage Alive -,Autumn Festival:
The Big Nature Debate
Follow the big nature debate that the Natural History Museum, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Zoological Society of London and International Year of Biodiversity-UK are running. You can blog (only 250-500 words) on one or more of the topics listed below – or indeed feel free to propose a biodiversity topic of your own. We need a flow of new blogs, and contributions to the debate, up to the live streaming of the Big Debate itself on 7 October.
The Big Nature Debate site is a focus for discussion on the issues around biodiversity in the weeks leading up to Nagoya. The area will act as a portal directing visitors to relevant content and will have forums in which visitors can participate and exchange views with experts in the field. The Big Nature Blog is central to the site, where we are asking people with expert knowledge to contribute blog posts that will help to share their views and opinions with an interested audience with varying levels of knowledge. The posts will offer fact and opinion from a personal view point, widening the horizons of those who read them, while remaining clear and easy to follow.
Blog and forum topics
1. What is biodiversity and why is it important?
2. What do you see as the main threats to biodiversity?
3. What, do you see as the single biggest threat facing biodiversity today?
4. What’s the importance of now? Is biodiversity in crisis? How can we tell?
5. How is biodiversity linked to the way we live? And what can we do to reduce the impact of our lifestyles?
6. What actions do you think are needed now to stem global biodiversity loss?
7. What’s the bigger priority, the economic situation or protecting biodiversity?
8. Should governments subsidise business and food production to protect biodiversity?
9. Is overfishing a problem, and if so, what should be done about it?
10. What should be done to promote the awareness of the importance of biodiversity?
11. How far do you think local and national government should include biodiversity in their plans?
12. What role do forests, woodlands and other ecosystems play in supporting biodiversity?
13. What is the impact of climate change on biodiversity?
14. What is genetic diversity and do we need it?
15. How do you think GM crops might affect our futures?
16. How important is it to protect traditional knowledge and practices in farming?
17. What do you think the world might look like in 2050?
18. What can we as individuals do to influence governments to take action?
19. What can we do as individuals to support biodiversity?
20. What would you like to see happen at Nagoya?
21. What do you think can be achieved after Nagoya?
We will be blogging on this shortly but in the meantime get Twittering and remember to use the hashtag #naturedb8.
The Big Nature Debate site is a focus for discussion on the issues around biodiversity in the weeks leading up to Nagoya. The area will act as a portal directing visitors to relevant content and will have forums in which visitors can participate and exchange views with experts in the field. The Big Nature Blog is central to the site, where we are asking people with expert knowledge to contribute blog posts that will help to share their views and opinions with an interested audience with varying levels of knowledge. The posts will offer fact and opinion from a personal view point, widening the horizons of those who read them, while remaining clear and easy to follow.
Blog and forum topics
1. What is biodiversity and why is it important?
2. What do you see as the main threats to biodiversity?
3. What, do you see as the single biggest threat facing biodiversity today?
4. What’s the importance of now? Is biodiversity in crisis? How can we tell?
5. How is biodiversity linked to the way we live? And what can we do to reduce the impact of our lifestyles?
6. What actions do you think are needed now to stem global biodiversity loss?
7. What’s the bigger priority, the economic situation or protecting biodiversity?
8. Should governments subsidise business and food production to protect biodiversity?
9. Is overfishing a problem, and if so, what should be done about it?
10. What should be done to promote the awareness of the importance of biodiversity?
11. How far do you think local and national government should include biodiversity in their plans?
12. What role do forests, woodlands and other ecosystems play in supporting biodiversity?
13. What is the impact of climate change on biodiversity?
14. What is genetic diversity and do we need it?
15. How do you think GM crops might affect our futures?
16. How important is it to protect traditional knowledge and practices in farming?
17. What do you think the world might look like in 2050?
18. What can we as individuals do to influence governments to take action?
19. What can we do as individuals to support biodiversity?
20. What would you like to see happen at Nagoya?
21. What do you think can be achieved after Nagoya?
We will be blogging on this shortly but in the meantime get Twittering and remember to use the hashtag #naturedb8.
Artsfest and British Science festival adventures
18/09/10 19:31 Filed in: Kaleidoscopia | British Science Festival | OPAL | Lights and Science | Podcasts
Tony has been busy creating the OPAL Nature of Birmingham Science by Light project. This is an arts-science partnership sponsored by the Natural History Museum’s Centre for Biodiversity and the Birmingham Botanical Buds social enterprise for British Science Festival. The project’s Kaleidoscopia software is available online as well as the Gallery of local biodiversity images created by communities participating. See the podcasts of the events on our new podcasts pages.
New Wildlife blog and free nature resources for download
We have added a new blog to wildlife pages and draw your attention to the Woodland Trust’s wildlife initiatives for exploring nature and photography:
Use their nature exploration packs for natural play around Cannon Hill and River Rea Linear Parks: Over a thousand free activity sheets to use in woods and at home. Guaranteed fun for young people and families throughout the year. Or why not take out the camera and join in with their volunteer photography scheme? With dappled sunlight and fresh morning dew, Cannon Hill and River Rea Linear Parks have great places to take pictures. Add your thoughts and photos and help us inspire everyone about woodland, wild life, wildflower plants, gardens, rivers and pools.
Lastly, there are a suite of new identification guides for download for the National OPAL website. These are very useful guides to a range of wildlife. Oh and don’t forget iSpot!
Use their nature exploration packs for natural play around Cannon Hill and River Rea Linear Parks: Over a thousand free activity sheets to use in woods and at home. Guaranteed fun for young people and families throughout the year. Or why not take out the camera and join in with their volunteer photography scheme? With dappled sunlight and fresh morning dew, Cannon Hill and River Rea Linear Parks have great places to take pictures. Add your thoughts and photos and help us inspire everyone about woodland, wild life, wildflower plants, gardens, rivers and pools.
Lastly, there are a suite of new identification guides for download for the National OPAL website. These are very useful guides to a range of wildlife. Oh and don’t forget iSpot!