How to care for nature in Balsall Heath

  • Look for the moon. Every time you leave the house at night, see if the moon is visible. Pause to appreciate the tides, seasons and signs of faith it gives us. The Royal Museums Greenwich can help us learn how to sight the new crescent moon.
  • Pick up litter. If you want to do it with friends, join a litter-picking group. Cannon Hill Litter Pickers, Birchwood Litter Pickers and Moseley Litter Pickers welcome volunteers.  The Bahu Trust does community clean-ups too.
  • Grow some plants. If your outside space is a yard, grow some plants in pots. Prune trees, rather than cut them down.  Cultivate a garden, rather than slab it to help prevent flooding. Why not go to the Myrtle Cottage Bee Garden, near the Ort Café, Alcester Road for inspiration?
  • Encourage wildlife into your garden, especially species that are declining. Swifts, birds that live in cities, are under threat. Give them a nest box, wildflowers and a pond to attract them. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds suggests easy ways to make swifts welcome.
  • Reduce the amount of meat you eat.  Eat more vegetables and avoid throwing food away. Find out why in the Muslim’s Guide to Food and Climate Change.
  • Walk or cycle. For shorter journeys, try not to use a car. Saheli Hub in Calthorpe Park teaches women to cycle. Why not explore the Rea Valley Cycle Route once you’re on two wheels? Look at the Muslim’s Guide to Transport and Climate Change for other ideas.
  • Help improve a park by joining a friends’ group. Friends of Seven Streets Pocket Park is looking for volunteers.
  • Do you live near a park that could be better cared for? Join with neighbours to set up a friends’ group for your bit of green space. Birmingham Open Spaces Forum can show you how.
  • Use less gas and electricity in your home. Look at the Muslim’s Guide to Energy and Climate Change to learn how to do this.
  • Insulate your home. The Energy Saving Trust has tips on reducing heat loss but many of them are expensive.  So join up with other people in Balsall Heath who are thinking about how we can find cost-effective solutions together. Get in touch with Retrofit Balsall Heath.
  • Find out about practical measure to protect the earth in Balsall Heath by staying in touch with Balsall Heath is our Planet, a community initiative that aims to reduce the environmental impact of our inner-city neighbourhood.