Welcome to RSPB Sandwell Valley

Hello and welcome to the RSPB Sandwell Valley Nature Reserve blog. Whether you walk your dog here or if you’re a local urban explorer or wildlife enthusiast or if you just enjoy being outdoors; we hope to make this blog a source of interesting, insightful and inspirational information. The place to come to find out what’s happening, who’s been and what’s here.

From Alex Sharrod and Nadia Shaikh

Welcome to blog post number 1! My name is Nadia, I am the community and Volunteer Development officer here at Sandwell. Along with my wonderful colleague Alex Sharrod, we endeavour to be a source of up-to-date hot off the press information about the people and wildlife that use Sandwell Valley nature reserve. With guaranteed weekly doses of wildlife titbits and community stories we hope to keep you informed an intrigued about the wonderful goings on.

A bit about me, I love the outdoors; I get excited about everything in nature, from the songs the birds sing, to how bees buzz and I even get giddy about the interesting patterns of bark on trees, although I’m no expert. I think I must know a little bit about loads of stuff; when I’m outdoors I get distracted, like a child in a toy shop, my mind never lingers on one thing too long. I might be looking at an interesting flower and then something more colourful buzzes past and I’m lost. I started volunteering for the RSPB back in 2008 and have worked in Manchester, Bempton Cliffs and South Yorkshire before ending up here at this wonderful place.

 I started working here on the 10^th February this year. Sandwell Valley is like no other nature reserve I have been to. It is a paradise for wildlife and people too. I can stand here overlooking a vibrant green landscape, amongst the trees and meadows and I forget that I am surrounded by tens of thousands of houses, schools, shops and road and railway. My first thought when I arrived was, ‘how lucky these people must be, to have this on their doorstep’; my second thought was ‘nature really does squeeze into places and thrives when we give it space’.

Enough about me, let me tell you about what’s going on at Sandwell Valley Nature Reserve at the moment. Apart from the obvious, bees buzzing furiously collecting pollen and the site is bursting with colour (we’ll tell you more about that later), there is something else in the air............... something that has been in the pipe line for a while, its getting us excited, were fidgeting in our seats like a bird on hatching eggs.

We are delighted to announce that your new visitor centre will begin construction this summer!! Unfortunately the old building was badly damaged in a fire in 2010 and we have been working out of temporary accommodation. We just can’t wait. Just thinking about it, this time next year we hope to be in the new centre and we’re looking forward to the local community coming to visit. You are going to have some fantastic new facilities, our room with a view; with floor to ceiling glass will be the perfect spot for a community coffee morning, art class or yoga session.

We are only able to do this amazing work because of funding awarded to us by the Heritage Lottery Fund, Ibstock Cory Environmental Trust, Edward and Dorothy Cadbury Trust and other Charitable Trusts – I would like to dedicate this first blog to you with a great big THANK YOU from RSPB Sandwell Valley.