News archive: 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | Current
BTCV wins award!
Saturday, 5 July 2008
Ed Green from BTCV in Bedfordshire writes: On Thursday evening, John Anderson (a long serving volunteer), Tom Flood and I went to the Natural History Museum for the Network Rail Environment Awards Ceremony. Our Weekday Conservation Team (in partnership with Natural England) and Network Rail was short listed for the Biodiversity Protection category for our work on the Great Stukeley SSSI Enhancement Project. I am delighted to tell you that we won!
Thank you to all the volunteers - too numerous to name, though John was a more than deserving representative. Thanks too, to our excellent paid and voluntary staff their valuable support both regionally and at a national level.
Be part of this success on a BTCV weekend this summer.
Choose between 18-20 July or 8-10 August
From Portugal
Friday, 4 July 2008
News flash from the BTCV holiday project in Alvao National Park, Portugal:
"We are very busy and its dificult send news. Today radio and news papers visit volunteers at work. It was fine. Lots of publicity for BTCV. Steffi makes the best leader!!! Volunteers also great. Some photos...
Firmedly, Henrique and Albertina"
Eco-dating returns
Wednesday, 2 July 2008
Eco-dating is back and this time it’s bigger and better than ever! BTCV in York is running a summer Eco-dating event – speed-dating with a difference – for anyone who wants to meet like-minded environmental people.
The world’s first Eco-dating hedge planting event held over last Valentines Day weekend was a great success and at least one couple (and the trees) are still going strong!
The second Eco-Dating event is to take place along part of York's cycle path network improving its habitat corridors over the weekend of 26 and 27 July 2008.
Norwich SWAT
Tuesday, 1 July 2008
Catton Park in Norwich hosted the BBC Springwatch Action Team [SWAT] last month. The BTCV SWAT team completed a pathway around the unusual brick lined pond, while Radio Norfolk broadcast during the event.
Volunteer Deanna Allison commented, "I really enjoyed it, I learned how to build a hoggin path which I've never done before. Sunday was my favourite day, because there was a lovely atmosphere and the sun came out. I really enjoyed driving the motorised barrow, with every load I could see the path growing."
"It was a big challenge, especially as it rained all day on Saturday, but the volunteers worked really hard and it was great to see the results by the end of the weekend", added Tanya Fletcher, BTCV Norwich Project Officer.
BTCV Photocompetition
Friday, 27 June 2008
Massive thanks to all contributors. The 2007 entries have been shortlisted from a record 1298 images to a bite-sized 64, and posted online. You can have the final say on which picture wins the £500 top prize.
Enter this year's competition here.
Countryside Days
Thursday, 26 June 2008
In York, BTCV worked with more than 100 school children over two days as part of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society's annual Countryside Days event. The children took the chance to experience rural life and try their hand at both traditional and modern countryside skills. BTCV staff talked about the life cycle of dragonflies from nymphs to beautiful creatures and made colourful dragonfly hats to take home. The groups also created this mini wildlife pond (right) with the schools who attended. Well done and thank you to everyone who came along.
Find out more about BTCV in York.
Strange but TRUE
Wednesday, 25 June 2008
Here's a first! A wild pyramidal orchid growing at Stave Hill Ecology Park in Rotherhithe. Thirty years ago this area was derelict docklands but with quite a lot of determination, patience and volunteering the place teems with wildlife - against all odds with the blistering pace of regeneration in the area.
Site manager Rebeka reckons this must be the ONLY wild-growing plant of its kind in central London*.
The 5.2 acre urban oasis is crammed with special habitat features and hosts regular community volunteering days as well as providing opportunities for 16-25 year olds as MySpace?OurSpace! volunteers.
The site is one of a handful of wildlife-friendly and people-focused jewels managed by TRUE, and part of BTCV Group.
The ecology park is open to the public. How to get there
(*Unless of course, you know otherwise...tell us)
Green Heroes honoured
Wednesday, 25 June 2008
Matt Davies, Norwich Fringe Project Officer received a BTCV Regional Green Hero Partnership Award in the presence of his Advisory Panel at Cary's Meadow Local Nature Reserve in Norwich. The project was nominated by Tanya Fletcher, who runs the Norwich Environmental Action Teams. "Matt and Paula are so appreciative of the volunteers, so thoughtful, it's great working with the Fringe."
Presenting the award, BTCV's local operational manager Marya Parker, said, "This was a truly productive and effective partnership, with both organisations working together to benefit local community sites, volunteers and wildlife. Together we make the best use of the scarce resources we have, we make them go further."
The Nearly Heaths
Monday, 23 June 2008
Nicholas and Tammy think BTCV does a fantastic and important job; Tammy can vouch for this, having spent a week in wellies building a stone wall along a river in the Cotswolds! They are getting married in September and invite anyone to make a donation as a wedding gift through their justgiving.com page.
Thanks Nicholas and Tammy, we wish you well!
Thumbs up for Playtrail
Monday, 23 June 2008
Belmont House and Foyleview are schools for children with learning difficulties. As part of an Extended School Programme, children, staff and parents have worked with Conservation Volunteers Northern Ireland in a range of environmental workshops: building a willow dome, planting wildflowers, path creation, building a fence, nest boxes making and how to be friendly to wildlife.
This has all taken place in the Playtrail within the school grounds - which had more than 36,000 visitors in 2007. The work focused on improving the environment of the Playtrail and nearby woodland. It is an enjoyable way to learn and achieve goals according to each child's abilities ...and they were overjoyed with their Spring into Action T-shirts!
Pedal power
Monday, 23 June 2008
Staff and volunteers at Skelton Grange Environment Centre have been celebrating Bike Week 2008 in style, with a group cycle to work followed by a slap up breakfast. The environmental education centre in South Leeds encourages staff and volunteers to cycle as much as possible to reduce their impact on the environment.
The Centre provides free helmets and hi-vis jackets to staff and even has a folding bike, tandem and bike trailer available, all thanks to an Aire Valley Leeds Sustainable Travel Grant. Volunteers can also claim cycle mileage, and a handy bike shed keeps everyone's bikes safe and dry.
"Cycling is a great way of getting to work - it's usually faster than driving in the Leeds rush hour, and it keeps you fit at the same time" said Centre Manager Caroline Crossley. "Because so many of us regularly cycle to work we're reducing the number of cars on the road, and that really helps the environment - locally and globally."
Singleton Environment Centre
Friday, 20 June 2008
BTCV has taken over management of a brand new £1.9million eco-friendly environment and community centre.
The partnership with Ashford Borough Council, long-term supporters of BTCV’s local team, has been recognised with a regional BTCV Green Heroes award.
Singleton Environment Centre has been designed for the local community, by the local community providing facilities for arts and entertainment, alternative fitness classes and learning about the natural world.
Its green credentials are impressive – as well as being home to BTCV in Kent, it was built with environment-friendly materials and uses energy efficient and sustainable water, heating and ventilation systems. Lights are controlled automatically to come on when it gets dark – but only when there is movement in the room.
Second-hand shipping containers and tree trunks form the internal structure with reclaimed or natural earth bricks and untreated wood for cladding. The roof is made from recycled aluminium cans, and with BTCV running the centre, office waste is being recycled or composted as much as possible.
Derry's double SWAT
Friday, 20 June 2008
Conservation Volunteers Northern Ireland's L'Derry Conservation Action Team had a marathon day to creating breathing places during BBC Springwatch. These SWAT events aimed to transform uninspiring patches of grass on two different locations. BBC Radio Foyle covered both events:
Strathfoyle Housing Estate was first up and their unseen patch was transformed into a wildlife-friendly breathing place of colour and greenery in the shape of a butterfly. Nest-boxes were erected and local children brought wildflower seedlings to plant in the new garden.
Kilfennan Valley Park was given a new entrance and two areas got a new planting scheme to attract wildlife and biodiversity back to the park in the shape of a grinning face and rays of the sun. There was even a special SWAT cake baked for the occasion to bring some well needed energy for the hard working team.
The L'Derry team would like to say a big thank you to all volunteers, members from participating partners, community groups, schools and members of the public – all of who made this enormous task possible.
SWAT comes to Malton
Thursday, 19 June 2008
The Castle Gardens in Malton is undergoing major change. BTCV's at the heart of the practical action along with BBC Radio York's SWAT (Springwatch Action Team).
Watch the BBC News story here.
Derry Bronze
Wednesday, 18 June 2008
A garden Make Room for Wildlife, designed by CVNI and Derry City Council, built by DCC, CVNI and Sow & Grow, was honoured with a Bronze Award at The Garden Show Ireland that took place 6-8 June at Hillsborough Castle. CVNI wish to thank all the volunteers, staff from Derry City Council and Sow & Grow for a job well done! Watch the short video from the show:
Bank staff take action
Tuesday, 17 June 2008
Employees from The Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) took hands on action to help improve the environment working alongside BTCV near Reading on 5 June - World Environment Day.
200 staff spent a day constructing fences, removing silver birch and clearing laurel and rhododendron from woods owned by the Forestry Commission. Collette May from RBS, said: "This was a fantastic opportunity for all of us to do something worthwhile for the environment." Ben Mullen, Recreation Ranger for the Forestry Commission explained: "With so many RBS employees working all day on a range of tasks, they helped us achieve more in one day than a typical volunteer group could achieve in a year." Paul Forrest Jameson, BTCV Area Manager added: "This event showed a fantastic commitment by RBS employees. Their hard work also helped make the connection between global environmental concerns and what you can do at a practical level in your immediate area."
Volunteer with BTCV in Berkshire.
Find out more about Employee Action Days
Green Heroes 2008
Monday, 16 June 2008
BTCV Green Hero awards recognise the huge difference that volunteers and community groups can make in looking after their local wildlife and green spaces.
BTCV patron, His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh will present the winners with their awards at a special ceremony at St James's Palace on 24 July.
Meet the winning BTCV Green Heroes 2008
BTCV Chief Executive, Tom Flood said, "Every one of our Green Heroes deserves recognition for the contribution they have made to the local community, and the environment around them. Why not join them next year? Either by volunteering or by supporting the work of your local BTCV office in some way."
Environments for Learning
Saturday, 14 June 2008
Environments for Learning allows skills gained in the UK to be recognised by environmental organisations in many other countries. It is being developed by BTCV and partners across Europe, based on the new European Qualification Framework.
"This will be especially important for younger volunteers, who often take time out before, during or after studies," says Anita Prosser, Head of International Development. "It will also benefit people who are not motivated to study but who learn best in a friendly, informal setting".
The five pilot areas covered by the scheme will be leadership, project management, trail management, nature management and citizenship/community development.
The project is run by BTCV and is funded by the European Union’s Leonardo da Vinci programme. It will launch across Europe in September 2008. Project partners are: BTCV (UK), Green Balkans (Bulgaria), Estonian Fund for Nature (ELF, Estonia), Hólar University College and Environment Agency of Iceland (UST) (Iceland), Elix Conservation Volunteers and KESSA DIMITRA (Greece).
Ayr Springs into Action
Friday, 13 June 2008
A gardening group, regular volunteers and local families met at Voluntary Park in Ayr on Saturday 7 June. They began the next stage of a long list of plans to improve the area, once fly-tipped and unsafe, into a valuable community resource. Plans include creating a woodland and wetland area, a circular all-weather path and a mini sports ground for local schools to hold events.
It was a hot and sunny day, but the volunteers had plenty of water on hand to keep them going whilst they made a start digging a wetland scrape. That part of the field is usually boggy, but Ayr has seen only three days of rain in the last month, so soil conditions had become hard-packed and dusty. A marquee provided shade and a place to sit to eat a well earned barbeque.
Beautiful hanging baskets from the gardening group were available to buy at a fraction of the normal price and most of the children were face-painted by lunchtime.
Crumlin Glen S.W.A.T!
Wednesday, 11 June 2008
Last week the Belfast Conservation Action Team became a Spring Watch Action Team and descended on Crumlin Glen, Antrim to give it a makeover. The project was part of BBC Springwatch, and transformed an underused greenspace at the edge of a car park into a butterfly garden and seating area for visitors.
Staff and volunteers from Conservation Volunteers Northern Ireland worked hard to create the new garden and their efforts were rewarded when the project, completed in a few hours, was welcomed by local people who attended the event organised in partnership with the BBC. The project was also part of BTCV's Spring into Action campaign and volunteers received a certificate of thanks to celebrate Volunteer's Week.
Green Flag Garden?
Tuesday, 10 June 2008
Volunteers in Croydon have been getting to grips with the BTCV office grounds – in a bid to help win a prestigious Green Flag for one of the area’s hidden gems.
The office sits within the stables and outbuildings complex at Coombe Wood, a 5.6-acre woodland garden managed by Croydon Borough Council - with regular hands on support from the local BTCV team.
During Spring Into Action they not only cleared and repaired paths in the public area, but also transformed the small cottage garden into a haven for wildlife; constructing a loggery, building raised beds and planting for butterflies, installing bird boxes, feeders and brown water reclamation systems, building a compost bin and sowing wildflower seed in the lawns.
The first school group were due to visit this newly-created wildlife haven this week to learn about greener ways to manage their environment. The judging panel from the Civic Trust are due later this month to assess the whole site for potential Green Flag status – which would mark it as a pubic green space to be reckoned with, a standard-setting site for the whole of the country.
Volunteer with BTCV in Croydon.
A Bug's Life
Tuesday, 10 June 2008
Year 1 Children from Surrey Square Infants School in London's inner city of Walworth discovered their talents for creating a new kind of city ...a Bug City.
As part of Spring in to Action and supporting the BBC Spring Watch Action Team, the children helped transform a wasteland into a breathing place where wildlife can flourish. Bug City, created from bark chippings and old pallets will be a haven for stag beetle larvae.
Blue Peter Gardener, Chris Collins was on hand to provide help and advice to the Children. BTCV volunteers turned out in force to make the transformation and Kim Humphreys, Deputy Leader of Southwark Council helped out too.
Roots No.6
Thursday, 1 May 2008
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