Wild about Barrow
Are you wild about Barrow? Then, young or old, this exciting new group is for you. It’s called Wild About Barrow and is part of Barrow in Bloom. It is all about improving the natural environment in our parish. Nature is in trouble and needs our help.
Over the coming months we will be sowing wildflower seeds in the Millennium Park, as mentioned in Barrow in Bloom, and other projects. There will be a Tree Of The Month and Nature Notes on things to see and do.
Volunteers are very welcome. If you are interested in getting involved, please contact us at wildaboutbarrow@gmail.com. We’ll let you know when we are planting the seeds in Spring and hope you’ll join us.
Wildflowers:
Wildflowers are coming! Read all about Wildflowers in Barrow on our new page here!
Photo from Landlife Wildflowers where we bought our wildflower seeds
The seed mix supports bees, butterflies and other pollinators as 92% of the wildflowers included in this mixture are recommended by the Royal Horticultural Society as ‘Perfect for Pollinators’.
Swifts:
Are you interested in swifts? Although this poster mentions support from churches, everyone can help protect swifts. Please contact wildaboutbarrow@gmail.com who will then co-ordinate our village response directly.
idverde and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) are currently working on a project to help Swifts throughout Leicestershire along with other partners within the Wildlife Trust, Leicestershire County Council, Charnwood Borough Council and local Swift groups.
Swifts are an endangered species due to the loss of their natural nesting habitat - normally in roof spaces ('better' building techniques and insulation etc. have resulted in swifts not being able to get into the roof spaces anymore).
The idea of the project is to make swift boxes and to encourage churches and local residents to put them up before the birds return in mid to late May. It would be lovely to have a discussion with churches and residents in the village to see if they would be willing to help with this.
Nature Notes:
If you have any ideas of what to see or what to do for the natural environment please send contributions to wildaboutbarrow@gmail.com
- Spring 2024 Nature Notes
- Winter 2023 Nature Notes
- Autumn 2023 Nature Notes
- April/May 2023 Nature Notes
- Feb/March 2023 Nature Notes
- Dec 2022/Jan 2023 Nature Notes
- Sept/Oct 2022 Nature Notes
- July/Aug 2022 Nature Notes
- May/June 2022 Nature Notes
- March/April 2022 Nature Notes
- Jan/Feb 2022 Nature Notes
Tree of the Month 2021:
Wild About Barrow is awarding the Tree of the Month to any notable tree in our parish so if you have noticed an outstanding tree please send a photo with details of where it can be found and why you think it deserves this honour to wildaboutbarrow@gmail.com. It may be its unusual shape, beautiful colour or flowers, sheer size, value to wildlife or something else.
We will select the winner and post it on Facebook along with details of the nominee.
December 2021 Tree of the Month: Yew (Taxus baccata) On Mill Lane opposite the Navigation Inn
November 2021 Tree of the Month: Sessile Oak (Quercus patraea) Cotes Road, opposite Humphrey Perkins
October 2021 Tree of the Month: Crimson King or Purple Norway Maple (Acer platanoides schwedleri nigra) on Mill Lane playground
September 2021 Tree of the Month: Crab Apple (Malus sylvestris var) On Fishpool Brook side, by telegraph pole, Millennium Park
August 2021 Tree of the Month: Weeping Willow (Salix sp) Bridge Street
July 2021 Tree of the month: Beech ( Fagus sylvatica), Holy Trinity Memorial Garden
June 2021 Tree of the month: Horse Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) At Millennium Park
May 2021 Tree of the Month: Maidenhair tree (Ginko biloba) at the junction of Cotes Road and High Street
April 2021 Tree of the Month: Cherry Tree (Prunus) Ennerdale Road
March 2021 Tree of the Month: Paper Birch (Betula papyrifera) 23 Cotes Road
February 2021 Tree of the Month: Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) Nottingham Road
January 2021 Tree of the Month: Cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus lebani) Holbourne Close
Nature Notes 2021:
If you have any ideas of what to see or what to do for the natural environment please send contributions to wildaboutbarrow@gmail.com
