Current Bulletin
We are an active group of enthusiastic amateurs and professionals, who arrange indoor and outdoor meetings and study the natural history of the Sandwell Valley. We are also involved in conservation issues and survey in Birmingham and the Black Country at large. We aim to identify all finds, and keep accurate records on all sites we visit, including our own particular area of the Sandwell Valley. Newcomers, whether beginners or experienced naturalists, are warmly welcomed. Please come along and get the flavour of the organisation before you decide to join officially.

The Sandwell Valley Naturalists Club was founded in 1975 by 27 naturalists, both amateur and professional, who were concerned about the future of the valley within its urban setting. Several recording projects were initiated and have been in the main continued over the past years by an increasing number of enthusiasts. It recently changed its name to 'Sandwell Valley Naturalists.

In order to guard against inappropriate or intrusive developments in the Sandwell Valley, we liaise on matters of nature conservation with both Birmingham City Council and Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council, through its staff at Sandwell Park Farm. In general the area under the jurisdiction of Sandwell lies to the West of Park Lane with Birmingham overseeing the area to the East of Park Lane.  Maps



Sandwell Valley

Sandwell Valley lies in the English West Midlands and is an oasis of green in the centre of an essentially industrial area. The valley has woods, parkland, marsh and fields, and is rich in wildlife. A noted RSPB Bird Reserve is situated in the valley, overlooking one of the several pools in the area. Read more about Sandwell Valley

Note - the 'Cascade Lake photograph' expands.



Activities

Meetings are held usually on the first Wednesday every month, throughout the year.
We hold indoor meetings from October to March and these are normally held at the RSPB Centre, off Tanhouse Avenue, Hamstead, West Bromwich.

Field meetings are held from April to September at a Variety of locations within the Valley or at other locations in the Midlands where the fauna or flora is of special interest. In these cases the Club provides site information and advice with regard to the terrain and other matters that members or visiting friends may find useful. We are fully insured with BTCV in case of mishaps and this insurance is annually renewed but anyone coming to the meeting will be expected to take note of the health and safety provisions set out by the activity leader.

Members are encouraged to submit records of animal and plant species found in the valley, and all records are sent to the The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and Black Country for inclusion in their database - EcoRecord.



Surveys, Projects and Species Lists


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Webmaster Clare Hinchliffe.   clare.h@icloud.com
Wildlife images in the strip and elsewhere on this page are copyright, Sandnats.