On 5th July, we welcomed Charlie from Read Now Write Now and a group of enthusiastic children for the Nature Novels creative writing workshop. The children learnt about local nature and used their knowledge to inspire them to write a short story. They also designed an illustrated postcard about why nature is so important and how we can all help protect it.

We were delighted to see such positive feedback, with quotes from the children including,  “I learnt a lot today and had a fun time” and “I think this session was awesome”!

On 9th July, we attended a very informative and inspiring event at Hoylake Parade Community Centre to celebrate the biodiversity of the area. Speakers included:

• Friends of Hoylake Willows – Gardening for Wildlife and Butterflies of Hoylake talks
• Friends of Roman Road Sandhills
• Cheshire Wildlife Trust about their plans for Hoylake Wetlands/ flood alleviation scheme
• Thomas Doherty-Bone on the history and future of Natterjack Toads on Wirral
• Local historian Stephen Roberts about attitudes to Nature in Hoylake through the ages
• Author Roger Morgan-Grenville, who has written a new book about British biodiversity recovery, The Restless Coast, which includes a chapter on Hoylake.

There were also poster displays and stalls from local organisations including Hilbre Bird Observatory, Wirral Wildlife, Clean Mersey… and Wirral Environmental Network!

Thomas Doherty-Bone’s talk about Natterjack Toads is available to watch on YouTube.

On the same day, our Garden History class had an extremely interesting visit to the Herbarium at the World Museum in Liverpool. The herbarium houses amazing plant specimens from the 1700s, as well as archives from the original Liverpool Botanic Gardens, founded in 1802.

Also on 9th July, WEN Trustee Anne Litherland attended the Act Now, Change Forever Mass Lobby of Parliament, organised by The Climate Coalition.

Anne met Angela Eagle, MP for Wallasey, and discussed issues relating to debt justice. Other topics covered during the meeting included progress towards ratification of 30% of oceans protected by 2030, stopping bottom trawling in Marine Protected Areas, and whether the government would sign the Global Plastics Treaty.

Read Anne’s report about the event here

The Green Hub has been buzzing this month – the bees and hoverflies really love the flowers on the oregano! We have also spotted Gatekeeper, Comma, Small White and Meadow Brown butterflies, caterpillars of Cinnabar moth, Eyed Hawkmoth and Vapourer moth, and, though we couldn’t see any grasshopppers in the long grass, we could hear them.

Garden tasks with our Nature In The Northend group involved watering plants, weeding the herb bed, and clearing out some of the duckweed from the pond (where there were still lots of tadpoles to be found at the start of the month). Raya has painted a sign for the Pollinator Palace, taking inspiration from plants found at the Green Hub. There have been rich pickings from the allotment plots and orchard area, with harvests of rhubarb, squash, tomatoes, beans, carrots, apples, plums. white currants and blackcurrants.

On 31st July. we took part in the Big Butterfly Count at the Green Hub. As it was an overcast day, sadly there weren’t many butterflies out and about. This was our tally:
3 Gatekeepers
2 Large White
1 Speckled Wood

See more photos and videos of some of the wildlife seen at the Green Hub here and here.

With the Wildlife at WEN group, we delivered pollinator planters to the residents of Falkland Road who had expressed an interest in receiving one. They contained plants such as dwarf sunflowers, nasturtiums, salvias, and ox-eye daisies – all flowers that will attract a range of pollinators.

Thanks to our completed Clothes Swap Cafe project, Open Door charity were able to borrow rails from us for their Fill-a-Tote Thrift Sale at the Bloom Building in Birkenhead. Don’t forget, we have rails, hangers and shelving available to borrow by anyone who wants to hold their own Clothes Swap or pre-loved clothing sale.

The Quirky Community Hub in Hoylake holds a Clothes Swap on the 4th Saturday of each month and Indigo in Rock Ferry have seasonal Clothes Swaps too. Follow Quirky and Indigo on Facebook so you can see reminders of their events.