Hello! I’m Holly, the Natural Networks trainee based in Birmingham.
Although I grew up in London, I think am a Brummie at heart and am thrilled to be back in Birmingham after graduating from university here over two years ago. In those two years I mostly worked and volunteered as a zoo keeper, which was a load of fun, but I am excited to be in a job now where I can focus more on environmental conservation. My placement is a joint venture between the TCV Birmingham Health for Life in the Community project and Birmingham City Council, which means that so far I have been splitting my time between TCV and the park ranger service at Woodgate Valley Country Park. Most of my time has been spent outdoors, which is where I am happiest, and I have only been to the TCV office in the old Birds custard factory a smattering of times, hence the very late introductory blog post!
Health For Life is a 5-year project funded by Mondelēz International (who used to be Kraft Foods) that has involvement in both primary and secondary schools as well as with community groups. The focus is on healthy eating and living, through increased physical activity, the development of community allotments and the delivery of healthy eating and cooking sessions.
Building raised beds at Woodgate Valley – that’s me in the middle sawing!
In the last three weeks I have not only seen more of Birmingham than I ever experienced during three years of university, but I have also met a wealth of wonderful people and been involved in some great volunteer sessions. During a particularly productive Green Gym at Woodgate Valley, a group of 5 volunteers built an entire raised bed in about 3 hours! There are also raised beds being finished at the Queen Elizabeth hospital, along with a woodland walk, both of which will provide exercise and a connection with nature for patients and the public. With the rangers I have worked with the enthusiastic Friends of Ley Hill group to clear laurel and cut back brambles. I’ve also met the Birmingham Trees For Life group, giving them a hand during a tree planting session with a school group; although the kids didn’t manage to get all 1000 whips into the (really hard!) ground they gave it a good try, and revelled in being outside.
Elf cup fungus spotted at Ley Hill
The future looks pretty jam packed for me, as I am going to be involved in the creation of an edible patch for Gardeners’ World Live 2015, a show garden for Gardeners’ World Live 2016, the Chelsea Flower Show, and Birmingham In Bloom, all alongside volunteer sessions, working with the rangers, going into schools and trying to find time to organise my life in the office. Despite the apparent madness I have loved every minute and am excited to see what the rest of the year brings – keep your eyes peeled as I will be sharing it all with you!