Author: mwn_admin

Virtual Ecologies is an intergenerational learning project which aims to unlock local ecological knowledge, through free critical and creative response workshops, hands-on outdoor gatherings, skills development opportunities and unique experiences with artist-educators and natural scientists, for people of all ages across East Yorkshire.

All their events and activities are free of charge, with all materials, resources and hospitality included. Events include family workshops, field trips and guided walks, school enrichment days, communal wild space festivals, photography and journalling mentorships and more. Through these experiences, they aim to reduce rural and coastal isolation and remove barriers to access for engaging in creative exchanges.

It’s an amazing looking Lottery and Arts Council England funded project, with the first events already listed. Check out the website here.

It is lovely to welcome two new councillors to Molescroft Parish Council, we look forward to working with them to promote wildlife and biodiversity in Molescroft.

You can see the announcments of the appointment of Cllr Phil Briggs and Cllr Adrian Costello on the updated Molescroft Parish Website!

Humber Forest and East Riding of Yorkshire Council are marking National Tree Week (November 23 – December 1) with a series of activities across the region.

East Riding Libraries are hosting ‘Tree Parties’ featuring woodland-themed activities. North Bridlington Library will offer Woodland Friends Duplo Storytimes and Marvellous Microscopy sessions, while both North Bridlington and Hedon Libraries will hold woodland-themed Lego Art sessions. No booking is required for these events.

During the week, Humber Forest will plant over 4,000 trees at sites in Cottingham, Arram, and North Newbald. The initiative, supported by Defra’s Nature for Climate Fund, is part of the community forest network covering Hull, East Yorkshire, and North Lincolnshire.

The organization provides grants covering up to 100% of planting costs and five years maintenance for farmers, landowners, businesses, and communities interested in planting trees or hedgerows. Volunteers carry out the planting work, with many reporting benefits to their physical and mental health.

“At a time when our climate is truly in crisis, it is really helpful to be able to feel I am doing something to help,” says Gillian Darton, a tree planting volunteer with The Conservation Volunteers.

The Humber Forest team aims to plant over 250,000 trees by March 2025.

For Tree Party event information, visit www.eastridinglibraries.co.uk/whats-on and search “trees.” To learn about tree planting opportunities, visit www.humberforest.org or email humber.forest@eastriding.gov.uk.

The global decline in pollinator populations has become a pressing environmental concern, largely driven by human activities that reduce flower-rich habitats. But there’s good news for urban conservation efforts: new research from Warsaw suggests that small, cultivated wildflower meadows in cities can effectively support pollinator populations.

The recent study compared two types of urban meadows – artificially sown wildflower patches and natural meadows – examining their impact on three key pollinator groups: wild bees, butterflies, and hoverflies. The findings bring encouraging insights for urban planners and conservationists.

Key findings:

• Both meadow types supported similar plant diversity and pollinator species richness
• Butterflies showed a strong preference for natural meadows, appearing in numbers twice as high as in sown meadows
• Wild bees and hoverflies thrived equally well in both environments
• Small sown meadows proved just as effective as larger natural areas in supporting pollinator diversity

The research highlights an important solution for fragmented urban spaces: properly maintained wildflower meadows, even in small patches, can effectively compensate for the loss of larger natural habitats. This is particularly valuable for city centers, where space for natural meadows is limited.

Our friends at Wolds Hedgehog Rescue have put out a call for help:

Calling for people in the Bridlington, Driffield, Beverley and surrounding areas.

As we are attending more training courses and our volunteers are becoming more experienced we are able to offer more of our cages as medical care cages. This means we are now experiencing a shortage of foster cages and foster people.

If you think you would be able to help you will need a garage that isn’t used for vehicles or an outhouse or shed. They must have a window and electricity and suitable shelving for cages to be put on. We will provide all the equipment you will need and are a very friendly bunch of people.

Training will be given and there is a lot of support at all times.

If you would like to talk about this please ring 07722483845 and Ann will be happy to explain things.

You might be looking at your beautifully carved pumpkin and wondering how best to dispose of it.

Please do not just throw it in your garden or compost heap. Did you know that pumpkins are actually really bad for the opportunistic hedgehogs that stumble across them and decide to tuck in?

Much bettter to get them into your brown bin on this occasion, even if your compost heap normally takes your kitchen leftovers!

For more details have a read of this BBC Countryfile article!

Location: Tang Hall Community Centre , Tang Hall Community Centre, York, YO31 0UG, York, North Yorkshire , YO31 0UG

Date/time: Sunday 17 November 2024, 12:00

Have you ever wished you could make your area better for wildlife?
Be inspired by information stalls, presentations and practical workshops to develop your ideas, grow your knowledge and build your skills to take the action nature needs.

More information on the YWT event page!

Beverley Repair Café is for the benefit of the whole community. A team of volunteers will do their best to repair broken items, on a ‘donate-as-you-can’ basis, with the aim of reducing the amount sent to landfill and improving people’s financial and mental wellbeing.

The next session for BRC is Saturday Morning (26th October) at 9.30am to 11am at The Armstrong Cafe.

The second annual Bulb Planting Day will take place on Friday 25th October, thanks to funding from East Riding of Yorkshire Council – Do It For East Yorkshire. Beverley in Bloom will be planting along North Bar Without/New Walk from 10am. People are invited to join the effort and plant bulbs which will flower every Spring for years to come.