Port Sunlight River Park AGM

The Annual General Meeting and Celebration is on Thursday October 12th from 7 - 8.30 p.m. All welcome.

The Old School Room at the Lyceum, Port Sunlight, CH62 4UJ.

More details by email from Alison McGovern's office

Seed Gathering Saturday

Come on an autumn walk to collect seeds and berries to grow into new plants.

This event is at Port Sunlight River Park on Saturday 21st October from 1.30 - 3.30 p.m.

Meet at Dock Road North Car Park.

For more information contact the Ranger on 07857550060 or email

Wirral Wildlife Out and About

Did you come and say hello to us at Gardeners Question time on Saturday 16th September?

Our new display boards and table cloths had another outing. The previous weekend we had been at Earthfest where we braved the rain but this time we were snuggly in a marquee.

At each event we talked to lots of lovely people who were interested in wildlife and the environment. At Gardeners Question Time there were visitors from all over the country and we were promoting wildlife friendly gardening.

There is another chance to catch us out and about this weekend as it is our Apple Day at Eastham Country Park on Sunday September 24th from 1.30 - 4pm. We will have more than 20 different varieties of apples from Willaston and Brimstage Orchards on our display and tasting table. You will be able to see how apple juice is made using our wooden press and sample it. Mersey Morris Men will be dancing too to add to the fun.

Apple Day 2016: our Chairman busy with the apple press.

Vote for Cleaver Heath

Our Cleaver Heath Nature Reserve project has been shortlisted for a public vote in Tesco’s Bags of Help initiative.

www.groundwork.org.uk/sites/tescocommunityscheme

Vote in store for us to win the top prize!

Voting is taking place in the Tesco superstore at Heswall, and the Tesco Express stores in Neston, Eastham, Pensby, Little Sutton and Ellesmere Port.

Voting is open through September and October.

Vote For New Ferry Butterfly Park

This year's Green Flag. Photo: Richard Ash

Help us to make New Ferry Butterfly Park the nation’s favourite in the People’s Choice Awards

This year an army of experts awarded a record breaking 1,797 Green Flag Awards to the UK’s very best parks and green spaces.

One of the award winners was New Ferry Butterfly Park.

The scheme is now asking the public to vote for their top 10 favourite parks. This is a chance to show how much New Ferry Butterfly Park means to you.

You can find New Ferry Butterfly Park details at http://www.greenflagaward.org.uk/park-summary/?park=2066. To vote simply follow this link and click the vote button. Once you’ve voted, why not encourage others to get involved too.

Voting opens 1 September and closes 30 September, with the top 10 winning sites being announced on 11 October.

Show how much New Ferry Butterfly Park means to you. Make your voice heard. Vote now.

Wirral Wader Festival - 8th to 10th September

There will be lots to see and do at Wirral Wader Festival next weekend.

High Tide Bird Watches

1. Cheshire Wildlife Trust Red Rocks Reserve, West Kirby

Saturday 12.30pm – 3pm,  Sunday 1.00pm – 3.30pm 

High tide bird watch with the Dee Estuary Voluntary Wardens as they protect wader flocks on the beach.

Learn more about waders from the Wader Quest volunteers and about Red Rocks Nature Reserve from the Cheshire Wildlife Trust.

Live wader roost webcam in the Wirral Sailing Centre car park, Dee Lane. There will be a chance to watch a live wader webcam with images from Little Eye island and opportunities to brush up on your SLR/bridge camera skills.

Parking: Dee Lane and along the Promenade (South Parade), West Kirby (CH48 0QG) and Stanley Road, Hoylake (CH47 1HZ)

2. Hoylake

Saturday 12.30pm – 3pm, Sunday 1pm – 3.30pm 

High tide bird watch with the RSPB, Dee Estuary Voluntary Wardens and Wader Quest.

Meet at the RNLI station. Nine species of wader are regularly seen and it's a chance for you to brush up on your identification skills. If you don't have a telescope there will be some provided.

Parking: Hoylake Promenade, (North Parade) (CH47 3AL)

Wildlife Walk at Red Rocks Reserve with Cheshire Wildlife Trust

Starting at 3.00pm Saturday and 3.30pm Sunday

Meet at Wirral Sailing Centre car park (CH48 0QG).

Sunset Walk to Hilbre Island 

Saturday 5.30pm-8pm

Booking essential. £3 fee.

Join Wirral Rangers and Cheshire Wildlife Trust on a magical walk to Hilbre Island. Email to book and for meeting details.

(Composting toilet available on the Island, no other facilities).

Family Activity Day

Sunday 1pm – 4pm 

Cheshire Wildlife Trust Red Rocks Reserve, on the beach between West Kirby and Hoylake 

Join in and get creative with family activities on the beach including natural art, a scavenger hunt and sand sculptures. You can also follow the wader trail or enjoy a wildlife guided walk.

Learn more about our coastal birds and meet the creatures that live in the estuary mud.

Environment Agency: Working Hard, Eating Hard

The Environment Agency encourages its employees to devote two days a year to community and environmental projects. I am a Waste Regulatory Officer. My usual day job involves responding to incidents, inspecting a wide variety of sites from recycling sites, landfills and household waste transfer stations, investigating illegal waste sites etc. So it was a pleasant contrast to take a day away from regulating to help the environment in a different context: conservation.

Our group consisted of other Merseyside Waste Regulatory Officers, Land and Water Officers who investigate and prevent pollution incidents and Enforcement Officers involved in the tackling of waste crime and enforcement.

Photo: Steve Lyus

At New Ferry  Butterfly Park we split into  three groups; felling an Elm tree to prevent the spread of Dutch Elm disease, removing young sycamores to make way for planned new bee hives, using Austrian scythes to tackle brambles and clearing patches of ground to re-expose the railway track in order to create space for wild flowers.

It wasn't all work either. After we had stuffed ourselves with cooking from our BBQ, cake and homemade brownies, Hilary took us on a tour and shared with us the fascinating history of the site and her specialist botanical knowledge. We also did some pond dipping.

Photo : Paul Loughnane

We enjoyed making a contribution to protecting vulnerable species of plants and butterflies. One of the officers commented to me, "I thought the commitment and enthusiasm from the volunteers was lovely and inspiring, they had worked so hard and dedicated many years to produce such a great resource for local schools and the community". We all learned new skills and had new experiences (for some, it was their first time on a compost loo) and the weather was kind to us.

I would heartily recommend other groups to come and help out.

Thanks to Paul, Hilary, Steve (x2) and Howard

Debbie McCall

Environment Officer (GMMC) Merseyside EPR Waste

Debbie with her prize elm cutting