The Blog @ Shropshire Wildlife Trust

Every so often, a project comes along at the Wildlife Trust that really captures the essence of what it means to protect wildlife. This is one of them.

The Hollies appeal is a lovely green, environmentally friendly way to celebrate a Shropshire Christmas.

The Hollies, on the Stiperstones ridge, is a magical place to explore with the whole family (get up there this weekend!) but did you know that it is home to some extremely twisted, gnarled, wisened old trees?

The wind has blown their branches into wonderful shapes and holes in the trunks reveal secret homes of mice and weird bugs. These are the Hollies. Not a pop group from the 1960s, but one of Europe’s oldest Holly forests right here in Shropshire.

It is up for sale and Shropshire Wildlife Trust need your help to buy it.

You may be thinking, “Why should I bother?” well ok. But look at it this way; if we raise enough money, we will be protecting 400 years of natural history right here on your doorstep.

If we buy it, it will remain open to the public to explore for free, for ever. That includes school and youth groups too!

Take a picnic, fly a kite, go bug hunting or just fall asleep in the sunshine, knowing you’ve helped save this remarkable part of Shropshire’s landscape.

Go on, it’s Christmas time. (Make a donation for Christmas and we’ll give you a lovely gift certificate!)

And if you are feeling extremely generous, why not donate £50 or more? You’ll recieve a VIP invitation to our party to say thank you very much!

Please tell your friends and family, because we need to raise £250,000 by March next year.

Have a look at this short film telling you more about the site and appeal, then please click on the “Hollies Appeal” link on the right (Useful Links), to donate online.

Thank You.

A long, long time ago, when magic was still in the air, a group of intrepid teachers set out on a journey that would take them to places they had only ever dreamed of. The leader of their brave group wore a feathered hat and looked splendid in his bright red trousers- everyone called him Jon Cree.
Now Jon Cree was a legend in his own right- many tales had been told about his magical kingdom, Bishop’s Wood in deepest, darkest Worcestershire.

Jon of the feathered hat could weave a tale so splendid, that all who listened were captivated- held and transported to wherever he chose to take them.

As Jon wove his tales, strange things started to happen to the teachers. They started talking to their hands and feet, then laughing with delight, they began tales of their own creation- giant purple worms and monsters with lawnmowers.

Entranced, they followed their red-trousered friend out into the woods. Now, everyone knows that teachers never tell lies; but Jon Cree waved his magic hat and lies, lies, lies came out of their honest mouths! Sticks became bat wings, leaves now fairy blankets and rabbit poo became hard cash. What are we to think now?

Kennings and Haiku, sagas of fish, many biscuits and tall tales later, the band of merry travellers found their way in the dark back home. “What an adventure!” they cried, clutching a jammy dodger and a cup of tea. What are our promises to each other after this storytelling day?

To read more, to play more and to enjoy the sound of words, to use the world around to shape our stories and verse. (that almost scanned).

Thanks Jon, for a magical day- and thanks too, to all you intrepid storytellers who braved the cold to come out to Wood Lane. See some of you on Thursday for another Jon Cree adventure, Leading Earthwalks.

If you would like to know more about training courses run by Shropshire Willdife Trust, please check the “Training Courses” or “News and Events” categories. We’ll keep you informed of relevant courses coming up, as well as giving you a chance to feedback on training you’ve received.

Mark Eccleston is a bit special. He first got into photography just 5 years ago, with a digital camera and snaps of his local wildlife in Telford Town Park.

He has, we think you’ll agree, got a natural talent for his chosen hobby and we want to show off his talents here.

He has spent the last year lost in the wilds of South Shropshire, taking pictures for us to use in our ID guides - so all the images you see have genuinely been taken in Shropshire and are not downloaded from some faceless photo library!

The Blue Remembered Hills project is sadly coming to an end in December, after 5 years celebrating the wildlife and local communities of South Shropshire. The images in Mark’s collection reflect the beauty of this landscape.

More images are available by request from Shropshire Wildlife Trust, but please be lovely and give credit to our photographers when you use their pictures. Thank you very much.

Welcome to Shropshire Wildlife Trust’s blog.

Explore this site to find out about places in Shropshire for getting outside and exploring the wild, muddy, green, leafy, squelchy, creepy-crawly world around us.

This blog is aimed at teachers of all key stages in Shropshire (Telford and Wrekin too), but we hope the information will be useful to everyone.

How do I use this site?

• You can plan visits to wild places in Shropshire’s countryside and find out how we can help you get the most out of your trip.
• Find out how to develop great wild areas in your grounds and get lesson plan ideas for using them.
• Become an instant wildlife expert in our “Monsters in your Garden” section.

As this site develops you can look forward to…

• A step by step guide to setting up a wildlife area anywhere from school grounds to your own back garden.
• Up to date news on funding trips, resources and school grounds.
• Keep in touch with all the latest wildlife news
• Feedback on work we’ve done with you, or events you’ve attended.

Do we want anything from you?

Yes please.
Prove to us you are not just sitting at home, too afraid to go outside. We dare you.

Tell us about your adventures, send us pictures of yourselves, covered in mud or splashing in puddles.

It doesn’t matter how old or young you are. Join us outside!