Thursday 16 February 2012

Living Seas website

You may be interested to look at this website about the Irish Sea

Friday 10 February 2012

Orchard Pruning

Wirral Tree Wardens would like to invite you to the second guided pruning session at Brimstage Orchard, behind the Country Mouse, Brimstage Hall.

The work day will take place on Sunday 19th February between 1.30 and 4pm. It is free to members of Wirral Tree Wardens, Wirral Environmental Network, Wirral Wildlife and BTCV as all these organisations have members committed to the Orchard and its care.

If you would like to book a place, please call or text Gen on 079797 54011 or send an email.

If you are not a member of a group mentione, a fee of £15 is payable by individuals who wish to learn pruning skills but cannot commit to spending time on the orchard. (Sessions in future years would then be £25).

Last guided pruning session attracted 18 people, all of whom agreed to commit 6 hours a year and therefore no-one was charged. 36 trees were pruned and everyone enjoyed the learning experience.

Please wear old clothes and sensible work boots and, if you have them, work gloves. If you have good secateurs and loppers, please bring them and we can sharpen them on site if needed.

Genevieve Woodland

Wirral Tree Warden co-ordinator

Sunday 5 February 2012

Comma Project

New Ferry Butterfly Park have recently been awarded an Empty Shops Fund grant by Wirral Council to encourage the use of vacant shop premises for creative activity to reinvigorate the town centre and help economic recovery. The idea is also to raise awareness of the Butterfly Park.

Carol Ramsay, Project Manger of The Comma Project thinks there is no reason why, in the future, New Ferry can’t have enough butterfly attracting plants within its open spaces to attract many more butterflies to the area. Maybe one day New Ferry could become a town of biodiversity, a Butterfly Town.

They are now looking for expressions of interest from artists and creative enterprises. ‘Comma’ Community Arts Project programme for 2012 is aiming to create 5 mini residencies (4 weeks each between May – Sept) working in an empty shop space within New Ferry, Wirral.


Comma Butterfly. Photo by Jean-Pierre Magloire.

Artists will be producing artwork about, for and with the local community. The proposals we choose should be nature/environment based to tie in with the work of New Ferry Butterfly Park. There is emphasis on interaction, we really would like the people of New Ferry to feel a part of this project.

The support and funding we have received will cover the cost of premises rental, utilities, premises insurance, marketing and publicity.

Funding is available per artist/project for expenses and materials and to provide workshops. Carol said: “I'm also on the lookout for new volunteers, perhaps local people who have visited the Butterfly Park in the past but maybe not been involved as it's all outdoors. I need volunteers to help staff the shop. It would be really great to be able to have the space open to the public as often as possible.”

For further details of what your proposal should include or details of how to volunteer please email Carol Ramsay.

Closing date for completed proposals is Friday 2nd March 2012. The link to Carol's blog about the project is:
http://www.a-n.co.uk/artists_talking/projects/single/1838820


People can also take a look at her book about the Butterfly park published here:
http://www.blurb.com/books/2408319