Pictured: Neil Wyatt, chief executive at the Wildlife Trust
for Birmingham and the Black Country; Francesca Jarvis, project
officer at the Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country
and Mike Murray, senior development surveyor at St. Modwen, at the
Moseley Bog site
Birmingham based developer St. Modwen has donated £10,000
to The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country's
Moseley Bog and Joy's Wood regeneration project - an amount that
has funded an outdoor classroom and performance area on the site
that was once Tolkein's playground.
The money was donated by the St. Modwen Environmental Trust in a
bid to help improve the local environment, benefitting the region
in which St. Modwen operates. The outdoor classroom is part of a
larger regeneration project at Moseley Bog and Joy's Wood, which
will see access improved, the old woodland preserved and attempt to
reintroduce the Royal Fern, lost from the bog in the
1980's.
The Moseley Bog site, which is said to have been a childhood
favourite of JRR Tolkien and the inspiration behind characters such
as Ents and Old Man Willow, will now excite the imagination of
school children from across the local area through outdoor art,
lessons about native wildlife and literary classes.
Additionally, the new performance area will host next year's
(2012) Middle Earth Weekend, celebrating the literary works of
Tolkien through visual and stage productions.
Mike Murray, senior development surveyor at St. Modwen says:
"This project has long term benefits for the local community, with
generations of visitors returning to enjoy the atmosphere of
Moseley Bog year after year. It has been a pleasure to be involved
with something that is so steeped in history and I would like to
congratulate the Wildlife Trust on everything it has achieved in
this special regeneration project."
On average Moseley Bog and Joy's Wood receives up to 100,000
visitors each year and is recognised as one of Birmingham's most
important natural heritage sites.
Neil Wyatt, chief executive from The Wildlife Trust for
Birmingham and the Black Country says: "Moseley Bog is a special
place, known around the world and loved by local people, but in
truth it has suffered from years of underinvestment. Our project
will change this and give everyone the opportunity to see and
experience most of the site, without damaging its special
atmosphere and unique heritage significance.
"We are all immensely grateful to the generous contribution made
by St. Modwen which has funded our new performance area and outdoor
classroom. This area will now be able to host a variety of stage
productions and activities for all the family, including the ever
popular Middle Earth Weekend, ensuring that Moseley Bog remains a
popular and enjoyable place to visit."
The Wildlife Trust champions the natural environment and local
wildlife in Birmingham and the surrounding areas. As a registered
charity the Trust supports local families and groups to understand,
appreciate and enjoy green spaces, whilst preserving the natural
heritage and native species of the local area.
The St. Modwen Environmental Trust offers grants to groups
seeking to improve their local environment.