Echo Environment Awards 2021

Echo Environment Awards 2021

On April 28th the Echo Environment Awards evening was hosted by Roger Johnson from the BBC.

Several Wirral organisations or businesses were shortlisted and many congratulations to The Hoylake Pantry who won ‘New Green Business off the Year’ Award.

Echo Award Finalist Certificate

Our own Wirral Wildlife team member Hilary Ash was one of three finalists as Environmental Champion, nominated because of her involvement with New Ferry Butterfly Park and Wirral Wildlife. We were pleased to nominate her because Hilary is one of those superheroic volunteers who covers so many aspects from literally the ‘grass roots’ to the world of really understanding environmental strategies. Involved in an extensive range of projects and activities, Hilary leads the way by example, enabling people to take action for the environment on their doorstep. She plays a fundamental role in the work of both Wirral Wildlife and New Ferry Butterfly Park.

Hilary Ash

We offer many congratulations to the winner, Nick Drew who encouraged the development of a Green Map for the Liverpool City Region, getting the concept adopted in the 2018 Cool Wirral Strategy. The intention of the Mersey Green Map is to connect people to local environmental success stories, natural assets and sustainable businesses that they may not be aware of. Nick recognised the need for an evidence-based and independent look at Liverpool City Region’s environment and was instrumental in the Heseltine Institute Report being produced for LCR Year of Environment. Worried by the pace of progress being made to make Liverpool a zero-carbon city, Nick decided to take action personally. After going on a course to become officially ‘Carbon Literate’ in January 2020, Nick then educated his fellow Wirral Environmental Network trustees on the importance of Carbon Literacy, resulting in the local environmental education charity becoming the first Carbon Literate organisation in the Liverpool City Region and showcasing the path for other local organisations to follow. A worthy winner.

Nick Drew, Environmental Champion Award Winner

A Good Neighbour

Our Liverpool Echo Environment Award

In April 2019 the New Ferry Butterfly Park team was awarded the Liverpool Echo Environment Award for the Community Impact category. This award was appropriately sponsored by Merseyrail, our neighbour.

 

The following week Dave Kyle, Merseyrail Electrics Facilities Manager, helped the park on its Opening Day by providing temporary railing up Howell Road to the entrance of the park, splitting up pedestrians from motorised traffic. Just as well, as unknown to Dave, works were happening on the line that day and a JCB came up the road with nearly 1,000 visitors expected that day.

 

The JCB arriving to work on the railway on the same day as the 2019 Open Day

 

For the day Dave put up a repurposed yellow metal framed Merseyrail poster display cabinet up with a photograph of the NFBP team receiving the award at the Gladstone Isla Conservatory, Stanley Park, Liverpool. This was put on the railings of the fence but slipped down during the year and water got in.

 

The Butterfly Park team receiving the Liverpool Echo Environment Award

Howard Gibson and Peter Miller, New Ferry Butterfly Park volunteers, designed a free standing waterproof frame which was put up outside the main gates of the park in Charlie’s Field. This will give passers-by information about the park’s attractions and forthcoming events. It was a challenge to put up. When digging holes for the uprights a bed of railway sleepers was discovered 50 cm down and the display had to be re-positioned several times so the uprights lay in the gaps between the sleepers.

The new display board outside the Butterfly Park

Merseyrail have helped us several times over the years on opening days, corporate work days, donations of primroses saved from railway works, supporting the planning application for a new a set of spectacular Silver Jubilee Gates and with this display cabinet. They are a good neighbour to the park.

New Ferry Butterfly Park: How a Derelict Site Became a Nature Reserve

Over the next few weeks we will publish several blog posts about the value and history of New Ferry Butterfly Park.

New Ferry Butterfly Park opened its gates to visitors on 15th July 1995.

This year should have been a celebration of its 25th Anniversary but that is postponed because of the Covid19 restrictions.

Over the past 25 years the reserve has become a haven for wildlife thanks to the management plans and hard work of its volunteer community. Its value has been recognised by the Awards it has received.

In 2014 we received our first Green Flag Award and raised it in the presence of the Lord Lieutenant of Merseyside and the Mayor of Wirral. Each year since we have retained it.

In 2015 New Ferry Butterfly Park was thrilled to be nominated for Defra's Pollinator Champion of Champions Award. We did not win first prize but were given a winner’s certificate and we were extremely pleased to see the importance of pollinators being highlighted.

Last year (2019) the Park received the Liverpool Echo Environmental Award in the Community Impact category. This was in recognition of the role the Park plays in the local community.

Under normal circumstances the New Ferry Butterfly Park Opening Day on the first Sunday in May is a feature of the local New Ferry calendar, attracting in the region of 800 - 1000 people in recent years.

Local people regularly visit on Sundays from May to the beginning of September when we are open from 12 – 4 p.m. We have three guided trails with leaflets: a Nature Trail, Art Trail and History Trail.

As well as these activities, pond dipping is supervised by the wardens and everyone is thrilled to see the newts and other water creatures.

Local schools, especially St John’s and Grove Street, use the Park for class visits in the summer term. Many uniformed organisations and other groups, varying in age from toddlers to the more mature like U3A, visit each summer for guided tours. At the end of a visit younger children do a craft activity.

Last year (2019), including Open Day, Sunday afternoons and booked visits, we had 3000 visitors.

The nature reserve is thriving and a future post will show some of its inhabitants. We hope that we will soon be able to resume our many community interactions.

Recognition for New Ferry Butterfly Park and its Volunteers

New Ferry Butterfly Park won the Liverpool Echo Environment Award in the Community Impact category (see blog post on May 3rd).

Three representatives (Hilary Ash, Linda Higginbottom and Ian Jones) attended the Mayor’s Parlour on 5th May for tea and cakes, along with the other award winners from Wirral, to be congratulated by the current mayor, Councillor Tony Smith.

The first week in May was also National Volunteers Week and a celebratory event was held at the Town Hall by Community Action Wirral. A certificate was awarded to all the volunteers who run New Ferry Butterfly Park as recognition that they make a difference to Wirral.

Butterfly Park Wins Liverpool Echo Environment Award

Last night, at an award ceremony at Stanley Park in Liverpool, our reserve, New Ferry Butterfly Park, won the Liverpool Echo Environment Award in the Community Impact category.

Congratulations to everyone involved in this wonderful urban nature reserve. It's the Open Day on Sunday 5th May from 11 am to 4 pm so do come along and join in the fun.

Congratulations also to the other Wirral winners:

Green School of the Year - Heswall Primary School

Carbon Champion Award - Wirral Metropolitan College

Young Environmental Champion - Elizabeth Gadsdon - The Little Collector

Environmental Champion - Emily Gleaves - Waste Not Want Not

See the Liverpool Echo website for a full report and photo gallery.