Tackling the causes and consequences of climate change

A newly formed group of Willenhall residents, The Friends of Seven Arches, is dedicated to improving the quality of the local area.

The group's goal is to create an attractive and safe environment for people and wildlife. These devoted locals are actively involved in the removal of litter from Willenhall's green spaces. Their hard work and commitment to Willenhall have helped to improve parks, woods, and riverside areas for fellow residents to enjoy.

The Friends of Seven Arches are working closely with Council Parks Services, who share the same passion for nurturing Coventry's green spaces.

Earlier this month, the two groups joined to undergo a clean-up at the Seven Arches. The event took place on Saturday, 8 October. The Friends of Seven Arches later took to Twitter to praise the event.

They said, "Absolutely amazing turnout for our big clean today here at the Seven Arches in Willenhall, Coventry. The first on-site was a beautiful deer as well. Thank you to everyone that came, including our Coventry Park Rangers." Attached to the Tweet is a photograph of the wonderful volunteers and Park Rangers standing proudly in front of a large pile of waste bags they'd filled with litter.

Trevor Robinson, a Coventry Park Ranger, said, "I attended the litter pick with The Friends of Seven Arches, and we did very well! We collected two van loads of rubbish which was later picked up by Streetpride."

It's not the first time Coventry Park Rangers have tidied this location. Back in 2020, the Rangers played a part in removing waste from the river, a job which will be much easier today with the support of The Friends of Seven Arches.

In the Spring, the group is planning to host a nature walk centered around the bats inhabiting the Seven Arches. Bats come out of hibernation around this time of year, making it the perfect time to visit.

Anyone interested in joining The Friends of Seven Arches can contact Coventry Park Rangers at cswhitley@coventry.gov.uk.

If you want to stay informed about The Friends of Seven Arches and their great work, you can find them on Twitter.

If you want to stay up to date on the efforts across Coventry's parks and open spaces, you can follow Coventry Park Rangers on Twitter.

Binley Cycleway update

A £150 million project to create the UK’s first all-electric bus city by 2025 has taken a major step forward with 50 new greener buses on the streets of Coventry

In this episode, we talk to Middlemarch Environmental, a UK-wide wildlife trust consultancy part of Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, about easy action you can take, as a business or individual, to protect the biodiversity of our region.

James Calow, Senior Ecologist at Middlemarch Environmental, also talks about the support he has received from the Green Business Programme, and how this has enabled his organisation to become more energy efficient and save money.

You can listen to the podcast online now.

Set up by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), the Natural Environment Awards will showcase the region’s good practice on this important issue and recognise organisations caring for local green spaces.

Community groups, businesses, local authorities, and educational institutions are all eligible to be nominated for their good work throughout the year. Judges will be looking for proven commitment and enthusiasm for preserving and creating green spaces in the West Midlands and how it helps the region reach the goal of achieving net zero by 2041.

It is hoped that the awards will also inspire new projects and increase awareness about the importance of preserving the natural environment.

The launch of the award comes at an important time as countries from across the globe meet in Sharm El-Sheikh for COP27 where the crucial role biodiversity plays in addressing climate change will be addressed.

Nominations are open until January 2023 and the winners will be announced in March.

Applications for the awards will only be open for organisations that are within the seven constituent authorities of the WMCA.

To apply and find out more information, please visit the WMCA website.

A new Transport Strategy has been drawn up by the City Council to help people and goods travel to, from and around the city for the next 15 years.

Earlier this year, Coventry became the first place in the UK to use a new road reconstruction and recycling technique.

This new technique will help us fix roads faster and also help us to reduce our carbon footprint.

The Coventry Park Rangers were delighted to be asked by the urban forestry team, to support the planting of a #queensgreencanopy tree awarded to Longford primary school, with the lord mayor and the west midlands deputy lord lieutenant, Pauline Black.