CradleyWild

6 December, Christmas Fair. Cradley Wild will have a stand selling sustainable (and hand-crafted!) items. Come and say hello. This will also be a chance to hear more about our plans to make Cradley a Bee Village and to sign up as a bee guardian. 10.30am-2.30pm, Village Hall.

11 December, Mason Bees. Di H will talk about the fascinating world of this solitary species and how we can encourage them in our gardens. Note, this is an afternoon event, 2.30pm, Village Hall 

14 December-6 January, Festival of Trees. Come and see Cradley Wild's Christmas tree and those of other local organisations in Cradley Church.

18 December 2.30 committee meeting at Patrick's

15 January, Mammals of the Malverns. A talk by Johnny Birks, ecologist, author and mustelid expert. This starts at 4pm in the Village Hall to encourage children to attend. It will be an informative and entertaining event, so please spread the word.

12 February, Ten Years of Monitoring Bat Boxes. Dave Lee and Denise Plume will tell us all about bats, including how to make a box of our own. 7pm, Village Hall.

12 March

12 April 2pm visit to old country farm

17 May 2.30pm Farm visit to Amwells Farm in Much Marcle.

JUNE Richard Comont, bumble bees.

September AGM and screening of Six Inches of Soil

As ever, events are free to members, £3 to guests. If you haven't subscribed to membership yet, it's a mere £5 and you can join at a meeting or pay via BACS.

Please eMail CradleyWild@cradley.org.uk if you would like to join our group.

BEETLES ABOUT, December newsletter

Beetles (Coleoptera) are the largest order of insects. Worldwide there are over 300,000 known species with new ones being discovered all the time. There are some 20,000 in Europe and around 4,000 species in the UK.

So, what characterises a beetle? Its body consists of a head with eyes and antennae; a thorax; an abdomen covered by two pairs of wings and six legs. Although most beetles can fly, they spend most of their time on the ground and vegetation. They have biting mouths which allow them to exist on a wide range of solid foods including dried animal bones, grain and wood, although the majority feed on living plant material including roots, woody stems, leaves and fruit. Some even lap nectar from flowers. The ability to exploit such a wide range of foods is one of the main factors contributing to their success around the world.

Beetles of several families have adapted to life in the water, retaining the ability to fly to allow them to move from pond to pond. The adults have evolved smooth outlines with broad paddle-like hind legs. Most of them remain air breathing carrying air-supplies with them under water.

When it comes to reproduction, all beetles undergo a complete metamorphosis. They begin life as eggs which produce a wide variety of larvae. There is normally little parental care. Most larvae have the same kind of food as their parents and most in Europe and the UK have just one generation each year passing the winter as larvae or adults - active or in hibernation.

Ladybird, ladybird…

Probably the most familiar and best-loved British beetle is the ladybirds – particularly the seven spot (red with seven black dots). However, there are close to 50 different species of ladybird in the UK with a range of background colours – red, black, yellow and orange. Most ladybirds and their larvae are carnivorous making them a gardener’s friend as they consume numerous pests such as aphids (black fly, green fly). It is worth noting that using pesticides to control pests will unfortunately also harm the beneficial ladybird population.

When ladybirds gather in large numbers it is known as a ‘loveliness’. Recently when walking back from the Malvern Hills I was aware of lots of ladybirds in an adjacent meadow. When I arrived home, the front of the house was covered in them! This summer Test Match play at Lords had to be delayed because of a ‘loveliness’.

If your home was occupied by a mass of ladybirds this autumn, the chances are that they were Harlequin ladybirds (Harmonia axyridis), looking for somewhere to hibernate over winter. (Curtains and windowsills are favourite places; native ladybirds prefer leaf litter.) This species of ladybird arrived from Japan in the 1960s and is larger than our native ones but shares the same range of background colours (making it difficult to distinguish them from the natives) – one sure way is to look for a white triangle in the middle of the head. There are concerns that harlequins will displace some of our native species but there is nothing that can be done about this. Fortunately, they are also carnivorous consuming large numbers of pests.

Other beetles: the dung beetle, the Devil’s coach-horse beetle, the stag beetle, the cockchafer or ‘Dumbledore’, the click beetle, glow-worms, fireflies.

How to encourage beetles in your garden

Overall beetles provide beneficial services and although they could exist without us, we would struggle to exist without them. So, what can be done to help beetle populations? First try to minimise or eliminate the use of pesticides and bear in mind that many, especially ladybirds and their larvae, are great pest controllers. Second try to leave some areas of the garden a bit wild and untidy. Piles of stones and wood and leaf litter are excellent hiding places for many beetles and provide overwintering sites. A log part-buried in a shaded or damp area, or a stack of logs, will also provide shelter and food for larvae.

BillvM

TREE OF THE MONTH: the first in a series

1.  Small Leaf Lime (Tilia Cordata)

Small Leaf Lime is indigenous to most of Britain and was once the most dominant tree species. It is now an ancient-woodland indicator – if you spot it in a wood or forest, you could be in an area that has been woodland for hundreds of years.

HOW TO IDENTIFY IT: Its leaves are heart-shaped with a pointed tip and are hairless except for small tufts on the underside veins. They are typically six centimetres long, though they can be as small as three centimetres on younger trees. The white or yellow flowers appear in June, are small and have five petals. They grow on a bract (stalk) in a cluster of about 10 flowers.

GOOD FOR WILDLIFE? Yes, its flowers provide nectar and pollen for insects, particularly bees. The leaves are eaten by many moth species, including the lime hawk-moth and are also attractive to aphids that produce a sticky liquid – a source of food for honey bees. The aphids in turn are food for birds and ladybirds. Long-lived trees provide dead wood for wood-boring beetles, and nesting holes for birds.

OTHER INTERESTING FACTS? The wood is soft and light, white-yellow and finely textured. It is easy to work and used in turnery, carving and furniture-making. It is still used today to make sounding boards for keyboard instruments as it does not warp. Sadly the number of Small Leaf Lime trees is decreasing. This is in part due to climate change causing soil to dry out. It is also due to habitat loss due to development. This is definitely a tree to plant, if you have enough land – it can grow up to 20 metres!

Patrick F

 CRADLEY WILD EVENTS

The village hall bustled with activity on a wet evening in November as Cradley Wild members and friends made bird boxes, hazel stars and clay cane toppers to sell at the village Christmas Fair on 6 December. Guided by Celia Devereux and Dave King, a goodly pile of sustainable things were crafted, all ideal Christmas presents! Just saying…

Cradley: a Bee Village. Plans are afoot to build on the success of last year’s Planters for Pollinators campaign, which we ran with Cradley WI, by encouraging more bees to thrive locally. Watch this space for more details, but if you planted up a container last year, hold on to it – it will be needed again in 2026.

A Butterfly Is Not Just For Summer, November newsletter

This is perhaps an obvious statement, but the best way to retain a butterfly’s interest in your garden is to provide food and shelter for its lifecycle, so there is no reason for it to leave.

As we come into the coldest time of year, butterflies, along with many other insects and animals are looking for places to overwinter. Butterflies overwinter in different life stages – as eggs, caterpillars, pupae or adults. Most will overwinter in non-adult stages. All will be in a dormant state.

Adult butterflies, who do not migrate (comma, peacock and small tortoiseshell) will tuck themselves into warm places such as a shed, log pile, or ivy wall. Some butterflies, such as small tortoiseshell and peacock store glycerol in their bodies, which acts as an antifreeze. This (as well as getting rid of any water their bodies don’t need) stops them from freezing as temperatures drop – a superpower indeed!

Tortoiseshell and peacocks sometimes come indoors, which causes a problem when we turn on central heating, as it tricks them into thinking spring is here. If you find one in your house in a place where it can’t stay, the best solution is to rehouse it in a suitable location. The butterfly is likely to be confused, so gently place it in a cardboard box, let it calm down and put it in a shed, porch, garage or outhouse.  Remember it will need to escape when spring arrives.

For caterpillars and pupae, a leaf pile is helpful if you leave it undisturbed. As you read this, the eggs, pupae and caterpillars will already be in residence. They tend to hide in the leaves of their plant food or tucked away in grassy tussocks – usually in sunny places. 

Ways to maximise butterflies overwintering in your garden:

* Create a log pile.  Useful for many different insects.

* Leave a patch of nettles in a sunny position. If your garden is too small to accommodate this, then plant a pot up with nettles.

* Plant some dog violet to attract fritillaries; thistles or mallows for painted ladies, and cock’s foot for marbled white. Again, growing in a pot is a good alternative to the ground. Butterflies love sun, so plant (or leave the pot) in a sunny area.

* Allow some grass to grow tussocky for gatekeepers and meadow brown to overwinter in.

• Orchards and hops are also useful for overwintering – the comma likes hops and the large tortoiseshell, prunus (cherry) and salix (willow).

Let’s hope we all emerge from winter to a kaleidoscope of beautiful butterflies.

Jessie M

The State of the Wye and Cradley Brook, talk by Dr Ian H, report

Any concerns about the perilous state of the county’s waterways, and the River Wye and Cradley Brook in particular, were significantly ramped up by Ian Hague’s talk at the Cradley Wild meeting in October. He reminded a packed hall, that over 85% of English rivers are failing through pollution. In the Wye, excessive nutrients (phosphate and nitrate) from manure and fertiliser, mainly chicken production, are causing algal bloom which is slowly killing the river. There are at least 51 million chickens in industrial poultry units (IPUs) across Herefordshire, Powys and Shropshire at any one time, all of which produce phosphate-heavy manure which eventually leaches into rivers.

Fortunately, a growing band of citizen scientists are sampling and monitoring the river and feeding back the results to the Environment Agency. Protest groups including savethewye.org are also lobbying Parliament for change and there is an ongoing civil action against water and poultry companies for their alleged role in polluting the region. 

Our own Cradley Brook is polluted by sewage from Colwall Sewage Treatment Works (224 times in 2024). Ian and other citizen scientists continue to monitor, test and report the Brook to keeps tabs on the extent of the pollution.

Ian suggested that ways we can all help our rivers and streams include reducing plastic usage; avoiding factory farmed and processed meat; using fewer sprays in our gardens; reducing water usage, and if possible, buying organic fruit and vegetables. Any potential pollution incidents can be reported on 0800 807 060 or on the Severn Trent Hotline 0800 783 4444.

LIFE ON THE HEDGE, October newsletter

1. WHY DEAD HEDGES ARE FULL OF LIFE

Over recent months, at least two members of Cradley Wild have constructed dead hedges in their gardens (see pictures). If dead hedges are new to you, they are upright structures of woody garden waste piled up to form a barrier. They have many benefits: they do not cost anything, and you can dispose of your woody waste locally, so no fires or trips to the local waste site are necessary. The hedges provide some protection against larger animals and are an excellent home for small mammals such as hedgehogs, reptiles, birds, insects and fungi. You can continue adding to them year after year as the lower layers rot down.

How to build a dead hedge

Dead hedges are made from woody garden waste such as rose, shrub and tree prunings and hedge trimmings. Heaps are typically between 90cm (3 ft) and 150cm (5ft) tall. There are no rules about the construction, however for durability they are typically made as a long heaps with a single central row of stakes at regular intervals, or as walls with stakes on either side to keep them contained. Stakes are spaced about 30 to 50cm apart preferably made of local wood stems where possible with a diameter of about 3 to 5 cm. They should have sufficient length to be firm in the ground and still be long enough to poke out of the top of the material you are laying.  For neatness and strength, you can bind the tops of the stakes with thin hazel or hawthorn stems to give greater durability and make them more animal proof.

2. HEDGE SURVEYING

I have been taking part in the Colwall Hedge Survey and that is now more or less complete. Here in Cradley I recently took a group for a walk along Vines End Lane to have a close look at the hedge on the left (see previous Newsletter). We now plan to conduct a proper survey on the hedges surrounding Chapel Lane in late September or mid-October, using the method set out by the Peoples Trust for Endangered Species (ptes.org). If you would like to get involved, or if you would like to discuss dead hedges further, please send an email to me via Cradley Wild (cradleywild@cradley.org.uk).

Patrick F

CRADLEY WILD AGM

We held a well-attended AGM in the Village Hall on 11 September. The Chair (Linda B), Secretary (Clare G) and Treasurer (Jessie M) as well as the rest of the committee (Patrick Fand BillvM) were re-elected on a show of hands. Linda B outlined the achievements of the last year and listed the forthcoming talks and activities. Jessie Mreported that Cradley Wild is in a much better position than this time last year and thanked National Landscapes and the Parish Council for grants. These will enable us to book more speakers, cover the cost of hiring the hall and meet other expenses. Clare G reported that Cradley Wild has almost 70 people on its email list. She also talked about the success of the Planters for Pollinators campaign which Cradley Wild managed in collaboration with Cradley WI and hinted that there might be a similar project in 2026.

The official part of the meeting was followed by a fascinating talk on Eco churches by John P. He talked us through the strict criteria that led to St James in Cradley been presented with a Silver Award (did you know that the church is almost 100% carbon neutral?) and the work carried out in the churchyard to make it more wildlife friendly. He also suggested other organisations that can help us all become more ‘eco friendly’, ending with a reminder that ‘nature adores a muddle’ and not to be too tidy in our own gardens.

WI/CW collaboration Best Pollinators on a Planter - the results

Most named pollinator pictures: Gail Hampshire

Peoples Choice voted at the  Produce Show : Mary Skinner 

Beavers 11yrs and under

THE IMPORTANCE OF ‘OTHER FLIES’ September newsletter

This month we focus on two well-known groups of flying insects: hoverflies and dragon- and damselflies, why they are the gardener’s friend, and how we can encourage them in our outdoor spaces.

HOVERFLIES

These are among the most important of our beneficial insects, pollinating plants (they are the second most important pollinators after bees) and keeping pests (eg aphids) under control. Sadly, like many other important pollinators, they are in trouble, with numbers declining by 44% from 1980-2022 due to intensive agriculture, urban development and climate change. Some hoverflies have great names like grey-backed snout, superb ant-hill hoverfly and orange-belted leaf-licker! Others are impressive mimics, particularly of wasps and bees, eg the bumblebee plumehorn, the hornet hoverfly and the common dronefly.

To date, nearly 300 species of hoverfly have been recorded in the UK and, as their name indicates, their main behavioural characteristic is their ability to hover with a darting flight. All of them are nectar feeders, and they are especially fond of umbellifers (plants with many tiny flowers on stalks like cow parsley and ammi). Their larvae occupy a wide variety of habitats and include predators, scavengers and vegetarians.

To illustrate the wide range of hoverfly behaviour, here are some examples:

The bumblebee plumehorn: a great bumblebee mimic, lays its eggs in bumblebee nests where the larvae feed on dead bee larvae.

The ant-hill hoverfly: the larvae of this superb hoverfly develop inside ant nests, eating aphids and being tended by the ants.

The batman hoverfly (named for the mark on its thorax):  its larvae live in water-filled containers including holes in trees.

TWO WAYS TO ENCOURAGE HOVERFLIES

Make a hoverfly lagoon

Some hoverflies breed in stagnant puddles, and one way to mimic this is to fill a small container with lawn clippings and leaves. This won’t look pretty (and will smell) but it is an effective breeding grounds for hoverfly larvae. (Information from Dave Goulson).

Grow hoverfly-friendly plants

Viburnum opulus (guelder rose), Rubus fruticosus (blackberry), Phacelia (fiddleneck), heather and ivy are all good sources of nectar and pollen for hoverflies. (Information from the RHS.)

DRAGONFLIES AND DAMSELFLIES

Wherever there is fresh water, dragonflies (anisoptera) and damselflies (zygoptera) abound. Their two main distinguishing features are that dragonflies rest with their wings fully extended whereas damselflies often rest with their wings closed vertically above their bodies. Both have two sets of wings, whereas hoverflies have one. Damselflies tend to be weaker fliers with relatively slender bodies and smaller eyes. Frequently seen damselflies are the large red, blue-tailed, common blue and banded demoiselle.

There are three main categories of dragonflies: hawkers, darters and chasers. Hawkers remain airborne for long periods often patrolling a particular beat such as a hedgerow or stream. Some of the most encountered hawkers are the emperor, the southern, common and brown hawkers.

Darters spend much of their time on a perch – darting out when prey approaches.

Chasers also spend much of their time on a perch and have the broadest bodies of the dragonfly family. Commonly seen darters and chasers are the common darter (striking red body) and the broad- bodied and four-spotted chaser.

The life cycle of both dragon and damselflies requires water, which is one of the reasons why the addition of a pond, however small, is key to creating a wildlife-friendly garden.

Courtship and copulation are too complex to explain here but some readers may have observed the contorted positions which mating pairs assume (copulation wheel and tandem position). Eggs may be simply dropped into the water or washed off as the female dips her abdomen in flight. Some damselflies go right down into the water to lay their eggs on plant stems.

The nymphs mature in water and are voracious eaters consuming a wide range of other aquatic creatures by impaling them on spines at the end of an extremely extensile lower jaw known as the mask. Most damselflies complete their life cycle in one year, but dragonflies can take anything up to five years, especially in cooler regions. Bill vM

Two ways to encourage dragonflies and damselflies

Create a garden pond, however small. Even a small washing-up bowl or similar will attract both insects.

Fill it with a variety of native aquatic plants. Dragonflies particularly welcome oxygenating plants to provide oxygen for their larvae and floating plants to conceal them. Tall plants like flag iris will provide perching, roosting and egg-laying sites. (Information from WWT.)

WRIGGLY WONDERS, July newsletter

 ‘It may be doubted whether there are many other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world, as have these lowly, organised creatures.’ Charles Darwin on earthworms, 1881

Our soil is home to half of Earth’s species, from beetles and springtails (tiny wingless insects), to worms, spiders, nematodes, and billions of other microorganisms. These creatures are part of a diverse ecosystem and help keep soils healthy. Healthy soils are vital for combatting climate change, feeding the planet’s population, and stopping flooding and drought.

Earthworms play an incredibly vital role in recycling nutrients, improving soil structure, and providing a food source for other species in the food chain. They eat up to their own body weight in food every day, feasting on dead plants, fallen leaves, fungi, bacteria, and even dead animals, breaking down and recycling organic matter in the process. This naturally fertilises the earth and packs it with vital nutrients. Wormcasts (worm poo) have five times more nitrogen, seven times more phosphorus, and one thousand times more beneficial bacteria than the original soil.

Worms loosen, mix, and oxygenate the soil as they burrow channels, leaving space for water to be drained away from the surface and stored. In the process, they help clean up contaminated land by detoxifying polluted environments and provide a protein-rich source of food for other species such as birds, hedgehogs, and frogs. Many birds rely on earthworms as a food source, but hotter, drier summers reduce the availability and the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) link the decline in thrushes, starlings and waders to long-term changes in their food.

But sadly, earthworm populations have reduced by a third in the last 25 years. Some reasons for the decline are poor agricultural practices, extensive drainage, pesticide use, inorganic fertilisers, climate change and lack of monitoring. If earthworm populations continue to drop, the BTO suggests that the decline in numbers would sit alongside ‘insectaggedon’ and the wider biodiversity crisis.

Fortunately, there are things we can do to help the worms. We can adopt ‘no-dig’ methods, leaving organic matter on the surface (chop & drop), adding manure and compost, ditching chemicals, and using a blanket of organic mulch to keep the soil moist and cool for our earthworms.

Celia D

HEDGEROW WALK REPORT AND SURVEY

Around 15 people took part in the Cradley Wild hedgerow on a sunny day in May. We started by looking at the hedges at Lutian House and discussing the value of the shape and structure of the hedges and the various trees and shrubs, in particular the benefits of using indigenous plants such as Oak, Blackthorn, Hawthorn and Field Maple. We then explored the hedges of the lower end of Vines End Lane, looking not just at the hedgerow, but the margin between the hedge and the road. This is an area that supports small mammals such as mice and shrews. We found that on the whole, the hedges were in good condition with a good variety of plants in both the hedges and the margins.

There is a lot more to do to get a measure of the quality of each hedgerow, and we are planning to start surveying in earnest this summer, while leaves are present to make plant identification easier. Please email flemings5@googlemail.com if you would be interested in taking part.

Patrick F

DO YOU HAVE A PLANTER FOR POLLINATORS?

It is really pleasing to walk around the village and see the 110 planters full of pollinator-friendly plants and watching them bloom and flourish. It’s even more exciting to see insects feasting on the nectar in these wayside food-stations.  

If you have planted up a pot or container as part of the campaign, don’t forget to take a photograph of it when it is at its loveliest. This will serve not just as a record but will enable you to enter the village Produce Show in September and win a handsome trophy.

These are the categories to keep in mind:

1. Best planter planted by 11-year-olds and under.

2. Best planter for insects (photograph your favourites on the planter).

3. People's Choice (voted for by visitors to the show on the day)

Please make sure your planter number is clearly visible. All entries to be submitted electronically. More details to follow.

HOORAY FOR HORNETS, June newsletter

Mentioning the word ‘hornet’ is probably enough to put shivers up many peoples’ spines. Their sheer size plus the knowledge that their sting packs a wallop is enough to trigger this reaction, but hornets don’t deserve this fearsome reputation. They are no more aggressive than bumblebees and will only sting to defend their nests.

Some years ago, a friend discovered a hornet nest at the entrance to his woodland workshop and was deliberating what, if any, action to take. I suggested he read up about them and, once he had, he decided not to interfere. To enter his workshop, people had to cross the hornets’ flight path and the only ‘person’ who got stung that entire summer was his dog who unwisely stuck her nose in the nest entrance! We quickly discovered that like moths, hornets are attracted to light. After a day’s work, we would sit under canvas with lanterns on the table watching several bobbing up and down under the canvas awning.

The UK (European) species of hornet is vespa crabro. Some years ago, a new species, the Asian (vespa velutina) sometimes known as yellow-legged, arrived in Europe and has now spread to the Channel Islands. It has a reputation for being much more aggressive than our native, but this isn’t true. The Asian hornet is easy to distinguish from our native which has a yellow abdomen and is significantly larger. The abdomen of the Asian is almost entirely dark as is the thorax and head.

The main problem with the Asian is its predilection for honeybees. They can loiter outside a hive picking off worker bees and eventually decimating the colony. This presents a real problem for bee keepers and we are to report any possible sightings of an Asian hornet nest.

The next time you have an encounter with a hornet, try to manage/suppress your fear

remembering they are no more aggressive than bumblebees and enjoy them for what they are and for the work they do as pollinators.

Bill vM

WILDFLOWER WALK REPORT

Jack-in-the-hedge, greater and lesser Celandine, wild garlic, stitchwort, dog’s mercury… These were just a few of the wildflowers spotted on a walk around the village with Ian Perry in May. Armed with a useful print-out of plants to identify, 20 wildflower enthusiasts set off on a voyage of discovery along Cradley’s verges, with Ian outlining botanical information of each, plus a scattering of folklore, along the way. With sun shining and the village’s hedgerows bursting with new growth, it proved to be a most enjoyable and informative way to spend an hour or so.

LET’S HEAR IT FOR OUR TOADS, May newsletter

‘The clever men of Oxford, know all that there is to be known but they none of them know one half as much as intelligent Mr Toad.’ Kenneth Grahame

It is rare for a toad to described adoringly or positively – they have long captured our imagination as warty, witches’ companions and used in spells – ‘ugly and venomous’ as Shakespeare said. But on these mild, Spring evenings along hedges, woods, gardens and marshes, common toads are marching to their breeding grounds. Unfortunatley, as with most wildlife, toads are struggling in our current hectic and fragmented world.

Toads need a healthy, undisturbed landscape where the soil is rich with worms and insects: where they can shelter throughout their lives and travel safely to their breeding ponds.  Housing developments, road building, wetland drainage, over tidying, road traffic, soil and water pollution are just some of the challenges they face.

Wildlife corridors and inter-connectivity are key to success for all our wildlife, including the common toad. Toad paradise would be a mix of pools and wetlands, hedgerows, grasslands, shrubberies and woodlands with healthy soils and corridors of undisturbed habitat where they can travel undisturbed and safely. We notice them more in early Spring as they travel to their breeding grounds. Sadly, however, many become road casualties – we have lost two thirds of the toad population since 1985. High kerbs and drains cause additional problems. 

This all sounds grim, but Froglife (a national charity) run local toad patrols and help around 130,000 toads cross safely to their breeding grounds each Spring. If you know of a toad crossing place locally and would like to help – please contact them www.froglife.org. The fortunate toads that make it to adulthood also need food and shelter. Log piles, allowing areas of long grass and vegetation to grow will help, as will a wildlife pond. This type of habitat will also encourage a much wider range of wildlife – orange tip butterflies breed on lady’s smock and dragonflies will colonise in ponds. Any of these things that you can do in your garden will help our depleted wildlife.

Jessie Moorehouse

Source: Brett Westwood, Worcestershire Wildlife Magazine

BIOABUNDANCE: a new term to help us understand species loss (and gain)

Most of us are familiar with the term ‘biodiversity’ and are aware that there are considerable concerns regarding its decline globally and particularly in the UK. But how many of us have heard of ‘bioabundance’? In some respects ‘bioabundance’ may be a more useful term than ‘biodiversity’. Let’s illustrate with an example.

Over 20 years ago, a well-regarded ecologist warned the Duke of Norfolk, whose estate borders on the South Downs, that he had recorded only 11 grey partridges and was concerned that the species was in serious decline. The Duke was determined not to let this happen on his watch. He significantly changed the way his estate is managed and today there are over 1,000 grey partridges. This is ‘bioabundance’ – the realisation that high numbers (always relative – think bitterns) indicate a thriving environment of a particular species. If one grey partridge had been seen it would have ticked the biodiversity box without providing any insight into the health of the population.

On a different but related subject it was gratifying to watch a recent episode of TV programme Countryfile which highlighted the successful reintroduction of some species (European beaver and crane) and efforts to curtail the decline of others (water voles, white clawed crayfish and sea grass).

Bill vM

Cradley Wild news April 2025

The recent glorious weather has had us all heading outside. As flowers start to open and blossom appears on trees, pollinators are also stirring, although their numbers are in serious decline. This month, Cradley Wild continues to work with Cradley WI on its Planters for Propagators campaign (see elsewhere in the Newsletter) and will be distributing starter kits at the school on 12 April from 10.30-12.30. If you can pot up a planter with pollinator-friendly plants, drop us a line at plantersforpollinators@gmail.com to register (no charge!).

Litter pick report

On Sunday 9 March, a group of us, litterpicks aloft, set off to collect litter from Cradley’s verges. Starting from Fincher’s Corner, we spread out along Chockbury Lane, up to Pixiefields and Malvern Oaks, along Bosbury Road and down to Poundbridge. An hour later, our purple bags were almost full of a mixture of rubbish including doggy bags, empty drink cans and old pizza boxes (70% of litter is food packaging, with more than two million pieces dropped in the UK every day). Look out for details of our next litterpick and join us to help keep Cradley free of unsightly and environmentally damaging rubbish.

Upcoming events

Wildflower walk, Saturday 26 April

Spring has sprung after a long, damp, grey winter. Few can fail to have noticed the nodding heads of snowdrops and the chorister ruffs of winter aconites which were then joined by some early daffodils and primroses. Some of these are ‘escapees’ – plants which have been introduced by humans – but some have been here far longer and are indicators of ancient landscapes; plants such as the delightful wood anemone that spreads at no more than six feet in a hundred years. 

As spring continues to advance, there are more and more flowering plants to be seen. Many of these were welcomed as a source of food and nutrients at times when Waitrose was just a pipedream of Wallace Waite and Arthur Rose. Wild garlic is a good example and has a myriad of uses for the forager. Other useful and interesting plants flowering in spring include cowslip and garlic mustard (no relation to wild garlic). Join us on a short walk around the village verges when we hope to find all of these and more. Ian P

Don’t forget moths, March newsletter

Butterflies with their colourful wings and day-time flutterings, are such scene-stealers that it is easy to overlook their dowdier night-time cousins, the moths. Often dismissed as jumper- and carpet-destroyers, their poor rep is undeserved. They are also important pollinators and provide a vital food source for birds, spiders and bats. Some are even spectacularly lovely.

Moths are also relatively abundant (although their numbers are inevitably dwindling): the UK has around 2,500 species. Even a small garden can support over a hundred species if it has the right plants. Most gardeners are knowledgeable about the importance of growing plants for bees and butterflies, but many of us are unaware of the larval food plants of caterpillars (frequently native plants often dismissed as weeds such as nettles and Lady’s Bedstraw), or what nectar-rich flowers give moths enough energy to fly. Moths and their caterpillars also need fallen leaves, old stems and plant debris to help them hide from predators – another reason not to be too tidy in your borders.

What to grow to help the moth

As intensive agriculture has limited the habitat options of moths, it is more important than ever for gardeners to step up. Moths pollinate night-flowering plants and crops, taking up pollination duties when butterflies clock off. Most feed on flowers that open in the evening or become more heavily-scented at that time of day. There are plenty to choose from and if you grow a wide variety of plants, you will encourage a wider range of moths.

Nicotiana: adult moths access the tubular flowers with their long proboscis.

Evening Primrose: moths flock to their scent released at dusk.

Honeysuckle: a favourite of the Elephant Hawk-moth and the Twenty-plume moth

White campion: pollinated by the Lychnis moth.

Sweet rocket: attracts a wide range of moths.

Leaves for the caterpillars:

Foxgloves: loved by the Lesser Yellow Underwing and Angle Shades moths.

Lady’s bedstraw: food for caterpillars of the Hummingbird Hawk-moth, Elephant Hawk-moth and Bedstraw Hawk-moth

Mullein: irresistible to the caterpillar of the Mullein moth

Mint: munched by the caterpillars of the Mint moth and Plume moth

Planters for Pollinators: will you help make Cradley bloom this summer? February newsletter

As mentioned in last month’s Newsletter, Cradley Wild is collaborating with the WI to create 110 planters around the village to celebrate 110 years of the WI in the UK. The aim is to raise awareness of the loss of insect-friendly plants locally, and to work towards remedying this by filling 110 planters with pollen- and nectar-rich flowers.

We can’t do this alone so are calling on local people and local groups to pitch in to make Cradley bloom with flowers and buzz with insects. We are still in the initial stages of the campaign but would love to hear from any individuals or organisations willing to have a planter filled with pollinator-friendly plants in their front garden or on the roadside. Planters could be as small as a plant pot, a hanging basket, or a window box or something grander and more spectacular. Participants are to provide their own planters, but we hope to provide a starter pack and compost to help people get started. (If you don’t have a planter handy, still get in touch, we may be able to help.) Each planter will be numbered, and prizes for the best will be awarded at the Food and Produce Show in September. More details to follow as they are confirmed.

We are really excited about this project and would love to get as much of the local community involved as possible. Ideally, every road and every corner in Cradley will burst into bloom! If you are interested, drop us a line at  

plantersforpollinators@gmail.com and help us to help nature.

Next Cradley Wild event: 13 February: Sally Webster, Verging on Wild

We are delighted that Sally has agreed to come and talk to us about the valuable work she and her team of volunteers are doing to protect and manage Herefordshire’s roadside verges. Roadside verge flora, including plants like harebell, field scabious and ragged robin, is vanishing. The way verges are cut, and the increasing fertility or roadside soils means that they are disappearing and weed species increasing. This is bad news for wildflower species and the populations of bees, beetles and butterflies that depend on them, and for the birds who eat these invertebrates.

Sally will explain what Verging on Wild is doing to reverse the decline, talk about the successes so far, and give us pointers on what we can do to boost our verges in Cradley. She started Verging on Wild with two friends and the way it has grown and the effect it had is inspirational, as is she! Looking forward to seeing you there.

Fantastic Mr Fungus, January 2025 Newsletter

For a number of years, I was one of the experts on Radio Shropshire’s gardening show. Being both a keen organic gardener and wildlife enthusiast was a good combination to answer most listener questions. Every autumn there were questions like, ‘there are mushrooms on my lawn/tree/greenhouse – how do I get rid of them?’

Hmmm. Public understanding of fungi is limited at best, often it’s blind fear – they poison us and surely will decimate the garden. While this might be true in limited cases, without fungi we are lost.

Helping plants grow

Virtually all plants (it’s estimated over 90%) rely on fungi. In, on and around plant roots are fungal threads that are masters of absorbing soil water and nutrients, which they share with plants. In return, plants’ superpower is to make sugars from photosynthesis, very handy for a hungry fungus!

Nature’s recyclers

Nature operates a ‘circular economy’ to use a modern buzz phrase. No resource is ever wasted, it is reused repeatedly. Plants and animals contain vital nutrients that need to be reprocessed after their death to feed new generations. This comprises everything from cattle turning grass into cow pats to feed insects, to worms disposing of leaves underground.

Fungi are exceptional recyclers, particularly of ‘hard to reach’ nutrients. Take trees. Not very many creatures can digest wood, except fungi. Without the ability of fungi to decompose wood, evolution would have come to a grinding halt.

A good time to die

Even the way fungi kill things can be a positive. This is most apparent in woodlands; in a thriving population it is best to have vigorous, healthy trees. If they are stressed through drought or age, some fungi can act as pathogens to quickly kill the tree allowing new ones to grow.

The answer’s in the soil

Fungi of all sorts thrive in uncultivated and unfertilised soil. What Arthur Hollins realised at Fordhall was that nature makes soil an excellent growing medium without human involvement. Over millions of years, it has evolved to be a perfect mix of minerals, bacteria, algae, microscopic animals and fungi best suited to the locality.

So, when mushrooms appear in your garden, rejoice! They are a clear sign of a healthy environment helping your plants to thrive; they are also saving you money on fertilisers.

Let’s hear it for fantastic fungi, the unsung heroes of the natural world.

John Hughes

John Hughes, formerly of the Shropshire Wildlife Trust and Radio Shropshire, has been a voluntary board member of charitable organisation Fordhall Community Land Initiative in Market Drayton for many years. The FCLI, England’s first community farm, was formed in 2006 and comprises about 8,000 shareholders. Shares (£50) are still available and help support the organisation’s many activities and community-benefit projects including the Farm Kitchen cafe, the Youth Project, Care Farm, school visits, volunteering, conservation works, farm trails, tours, yurt clamping, family parties, weddings and seasonal community events. To find out more please visit: fordhallfarm.com

Nature Quiz

It was great to see so many at the Nature Quiz on Thursday 9th January 2025. A big thanks to Paul M for his splendid quiz master work, even if it did expose many gaps of knowledge! And congratulations to the team with the unpronounceable Finnish name who were the glorious victors.

Planters for Pollinators:

The aim of the campaign is to raise awareness of the loss of insect-friendly plants locally, and to work towards remedying this by filling 110 planters with pollen- and nectar-rich flowers. We are still in the initial stages but would love to hear if you can fill a palnter with pollinator-friendly plants in your front garden or on the roadside. Planters could be as small as a plant pot, a hanging basket, or a window box or something bigger. We hope to provide a starter pack and compost if needed to help people get started. (If you don’t have a planter handy, we may be able to help with that, too.) Each planter will be numbered, and prizes for the best will be awarded at the Food and Produce Show in September. More details to follow as they are confirmed.

We are really excited about this project and would also love to get as many of the local community involved as possible. Ideally, every road and every corner in Cradley will burst into bloom! Tell your neighbours! Let us know if you can take part at plantersforpollinators@gmail.com