Growing a greener Warwickshire – Tree planting season 2022/23
As the 2022/23 tree planting season gets underway, Warwickshire County Council shares its top tips for anyone wanting to plant a tree in the county. Latest update from Warwickshire Council Newsroom: The UK tree planting season runs between the colder months of November and March, when trees are naturally dormant and there is less chance […]
Bring back the bees
Guest blog by Sally Lancaster – Generation Zero Carbon Shropshire You may have heard that bee populations are in decline, but why should we care about this? Everyone knows bees make honey but what else do they actually do to benefit us? It turns out they do a lot more than you may have thought… […]
Try your hand at Citizen Science
Citizen science is when research is conducted, wholly or partly, by members of the public, who don’t need to have a science background. Citizen science is sometimes described as “public participation in scientific research”, and can have benefits both ways: advancing scientific knowledge by increasing capacity to undertake research, as well as increasing our own understanding of science. Latest blog post from Zero […]
If you care about bees should you eat honey?
Guest article on honey and bees by Michelle D’Arcy Jewell from The Vegan Hub: I’ve had a few people suggest that if they stopped eating honey then it would cause a decline in the number of bees and that would be catastrophic for the environment. I can totally understand why people might think this, after […]
For peat’s sake…
Latest blog post from Zero Carbon Shropshire: What is peat and why WAS it important to humans? Peat is a wonderful thing. But it is in many ways a victim of its own success. Let me explain. Peat is a soil-like substance made of accumulated dead plant material, mainly Sphagnum moss, that has grown in […]
Volunteers help Ellesmere’s toads to cross the roads
“Two roads in Ellesmere will be partially closed overnight until the end of April [2022] to help toads in the area to head back to their breeding ponds after hibernation. From 26 February to 30 April short sections of Swan Hill and Caegoody Lane will be closed between 7pm and 5am. Meanwhile, a local group […]
The Ercall takes centre stage in Local Nature Reserve photo competition
“Telford & Wrekin Council have announced the winners of its My Walk Today photo competition, with The Ercall featuring in both the adult and under-16s winning entries. The competition, launched by the council in December to coincide with the school Christmas holidays, encouraged people to visit the borough’s 17 Local Nature Reserves over the holiday […]
Litter pick
Take part in or organise a local litter pick. Help clean up the local environment, stop rubbish spreading further into water courses and ensure items that can be are recycled. Plus make your local area a much safer and more pleasant place to be! Existing groups There are a number of voluntary groups around the […]
Support Local Wildlife Organisations
Support wildlife rescues, habitat conservation and rehabilitation charities and any wildlife organisation providing research, education and advice. This could directly helps local wildlife to thrive, habitats to be protected and biodiversity to increase. Support doesn’t have to be by donating money. You could volunteer time, attend talks and demos, or donate items in need such […]
Feed the Birds
Looking after the environment isn’t just about waste, energy and climate change. Caring for our local habitats and wildlife are vital to ensure biodiversity thrives throughout countryside and busy towns. A simple thing you can do to help is to support the local wildlife in your garden or nearby parkland. Having the chance to get […]
Happy New Year – Are you up for the challenge?
With a couple of difficult years behind us, many people are looking forward to 2022 with hope. Here at Mossy HQ we hope that everyone will be kind. Kind to each other, to their communities and to the beautiful planet we live on. This year instead of making one large New Years Resolution, why not […]
Opportunity to play a leading role in Shropshire Climate Action – ZCS calls for new Trustees
Play a leading role in helping Shropshire to address climate change and restore nature – Become a Trustee of the charity Shropshire Climate Action. The Shropshire Climate Action charity (known as Zero Carbon Shropshire – ZCS) brings together a wide range of organisations and individuals based in Shropshire. Our shared aim is to fix the […]
Telford & Wrekin growing trees for the future
Telford and Wrekin Council launch a new Seeds4TW project, promoting the collection and planting of tree seeds through the borough. As part of the Sustainable Telford and Wrekin project, a new webpage has been set up and launched to help promote borough residents to get involved in planting trees for the future. In line with […]
Shropshire estate becomes official release site for Cuan Wildlife
Bradford Estates covers around 12,000 acres of Shropshire countryside and has partnered with wildlife rescue charity Cuan Wildlife to allow more animals to be released back into their natural habitats. Fran Hill and Deb Bolger from Cuan Wildlife visited Bradford Estates, which is based on the Shropshire/Staffordshire border. The partnership will allow rehabilitated wildlife to […]
£15.9 million grant scheme available to create new woodlands
A new grant scheme for landowners has been launched create woodlands that boost biodiversity, support rivers, and provide public access. £15.9 million funding from The Forestry Commission will support the creation of new woodlands. This includes planting new trees, alongside allowing trees to self seed and grow. This natural woodland regeneration improves habitats for wildlife […]
Lottery funding supports new environmental youth group
Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Beauty (AONB) in partnership with South Shropshire Youth Forum have recently secured National Lottery Heritage funding for their Young Rangers project. Encouraging 12-16 year olds to take part in a range of conservation, outdoor discovery and heritage activities around the Shropshire Hills AONB. In addition to the school aged project […]
Killer tree disease task force set up by Telford & Wrekin Council
A dedicated team is being set up by Telford and Wrekin Council to tackle the impact of Ash Dieback, a killer disease that could wipe out up to 35% of the counties trees. The disease was first recorded in the area in 2013. Ash Dieback is a fungus that is sweeping across the UK and […]
Ancient trees vs relief road
Guest article by Campaigner Jo Blackman… Today is Earth Day, a day when people all over the world collectively call for the transformational change our world so desperately needs. Earth Day challenges us to hold governments, local councils and corporations to account for their role in the climate and environmental crises, while also helping to […]
World Earth Day goes live 20th-22nd April
Starting back in 1970, World Earth day was a day to celebrate and encourage environmental protection. Occurring every year on the 22nd April it is an opportunity to focus on our planet and highlight the damage that humans do to Earth as well as the positive opportunities for change. Starting from the 20th April there […]
Current state of UK’s native woods showcased in first of it’s kind report
National Charity the Woodland Trust has released the State of the UK’s Woods and Trees 2021, a first of it’s kind report laying out the facts and trends on the current state of the UK’s native woods and trees. By understanding their current state effective plans can be made to protect and recover natural areas, […]
Cuan Call for Marathon Runners
Cuan Wildlife in Much Wenclock has just two of it’s five London Marathon places remaining. The 2021 London Marathon will be a virtual event in the same format as 2020, which saw a record breaking 37,966 runners taking part. The virtual event can be run anywhere in the world and participants progress is tracked via […]
Alison’s Bee Class – Beeswax Versatility Supports Wildlife Education
This week we are featuring the wonderful Alison Wakeman. Many of you may have come across her during one of her educational talks or during a food or craft fair, or you may be familiar with her beeswax food wraps that are sold through numerous zero waste shops in Shropshire. As with many small businesses […]
Search to find Shropshire’s Young Environmentalists
Wellington Rotary Club are currently running a “Young Environmentalist” Competition for youngsters aged 7 -17 as part of a wider National Competition. The Club say: “The aim is to encourage young people to explore, investigate, research and undertake an environmental sustainability project on the theme of ‘Climate Change/Carbon Reduction’. Those entering may focus on one […]
Free Live Outdoor Learning Lessons by Shropshire Charity
Shropshire based charity The Field Study Council (FSC) has continued providing free live lessons through lockdown. This terms online learning has focused on taking primary aged children outdoors with their expert tutors. With 3 sessions coming up, tune in to their youtube channel to get involved. Who are FSC? FSC aim is to create a […]
Lockdown Friendly Star Count
Looking to the stars isn’t just for astronomers, stargazing can be a free, fun, family activity. It’s not only a great chance to admire the night sky, but by counting the stars it allows us to understand light pollution. Light pollution not only spoils the view, but it can disrupt wildlife’s natural patterns. CPRE The […]
Reducing Christmas conflict – present giving and receiving with the eco averse
At some point during our relationships with friends and family, we have all got stuck on what to give someone as a present whether it is for their birthday, for Christmas or another special occasion. For those of us who are attempting to reduce waste the idea of not giving a gift may cross our […]
2019 State of Nature report shows 1 in 7 UK species is under threat from extinction – 5 easy things you can do to help
To improve how we treat this planet, we need to first understand the impacts we are having on the world around us. In almost every country around the world there are teams of dedicated scientists researching the natural world and providing us with evidence to base our ideas and knowledge on. The latest report to […]
Support local wildlife with your pumpkin leftovers
Easy DIY pumpkin bird feeder! With around 8 million leftover pumpkins estimated this year in the UK, make sure yours isn’t wasted by repurposing it to support local wildlife. With Halloween over and lots of tasty pumpkin soup made, why not get one more use out of your pumpkin before putting the husk into the […]
Welcome
What is Mossy Life and who am I? I am an average UK raised woman in her mid (OK late!) 30s who has a passion for the natural world and tries to balance looking after the environment with the needs of my family in an ever changing world. Until recently family consisted of my two […]