Green Stuff


Digital Disability celebrates the nature and trees, and has  worked on a number of different projects that support the natural environment and reduce carbon foot print.

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Discovering Local Green Spaces

we visited and mapped local green spaces

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Our group explored parks and green spaces and local tree trails :
NEWBRIDGE 
Playing Fields
Wolverhampton WV6 OJX
Download Newbridge Tree Trail map 

 

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@ WEST PARK
Park Rd West
Wolverhampton WV1 4PH
Download West Parktree trail map

 

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PEASCROFT WOOD
Central Avenue,
Bilston WV14 6LW
Download Peascrofwood Tree trail 

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Trees on these trail include:

DOUGLAS FIR Pseudotsuga menziesii

Native to West of North America Very notable and attractive, rather corky bark for a conifer.

DAWN REDWOOD Metasequoia glyptostroboides

Native to South West China

One of only six Genera of conifers throughout the world that lose their leaves in winter. Dawn Redwood was thought to be extinct and was first named from fossil remains.

‘CRIMSON KING’ Acer platanoides

Purple-leaved cultivar

of Norway Maple.

SILVER-LEAVEDMAPLE Acer saccharinum

Native to North America

A deeply-cut leaf, silver on the underside.

MORINDA OR WEST HIMALAYAN SPRUCE Picea smithiana

Native to Himalayas

An attractive weeping habit and wonderful long, slender, downward-facing cones.

THORNLESS HONEY LOCUST

Gleditsia triacanthos forma inermis   

Native to Central North America

It normally has very large (and somewhat dangerous) spines on the main trunk and branches. However, the form inermis is spineless.

COMMON HAWTHORN Crataegus monogyna

Native to Britain and Europe Although other Crataegus species have berries, the Common Hawthorn has drupes (single-seeded, succulent fruits like cherries).

COMMON SYCAMORE Acer pseudoplatanus

Native to Europe

Large specimens can be very stately, and their bark-sloughing (in rectangular plates) can be very noticeable and attractive.

COMMON ELDER Sambucus nigra

Native to Britain

Considered a weed of forest

plantations and therefore culled on   

a massive scale. It has the benefit of flowers for butterflies and berries feed some of our native birds.

ENGLISH, COMMON OR PEDUNCULATE OAK Quercus robur

Native to Britain, parts of Asia and Africa Pedunculate meaning having a fruit stalk (peduncle), hence acorns are held on stalks, unlike the Sessile Oak where acorns are held directly onto the tree stems.

Fraxinus excelsior 'pendula' Weeping Ash

Carpinus betulus Hornbeam

Fogus sylvatica purpurea Copper Beech

Tilia Cordata    small leafed lime

Glyptostrobus Metasequoia pencilis  Chinese Swamp Cypress

Betula  Papyrifera Paper Bark Birch

Cercis siliquastrum Judas Tree

Platanus x hispanica London Plane

Metasequoia glypotosrobides Dawn Redwood

Ulmus plantijin Elm Cultivar

Arbutus menziesli Madona

Quercus robur Common Oak
Quercus Petrea Sessile Oak
Tsuga Heteophylla Western Hemlock
Populus Lasiocrapa Chinese necklace Poplar

Salix Chermisina Red Stemmed Scarlet Willow

 

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Our Earth Week 


on Wolverhampton Community Radio in association with
Community Radio Environment Network UK.
Community radio stations all over the country coming together to celebrate love for our planet, our interconnectedness with nature talking about ways to deal with the climate crisis 
Special thanks to Penny Southgate. 

Dr Paul Darke interview with Sam Henry from No Limits to Health Cycle project,
on WCR FM Wolverhampton Community Radio, during Our Earth Week 2023.​​
(Podcast 3)

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Celebrating Our Earth Week in Wolverhampton. Podcast 1
Smestow Valley Nature Reserve Wolverhampton

Chris Allen talks to Paul & Claire Darke look back on Our Earth Week.

Steve Downes & George Reiss friends of Smestow Valley (with on-location material from event)

David Guest - Smestow Valley, Ralph Aldous - art and nature, Mark Hand - Wildside Activity Centre 

Paul Wilkinson Canal & River Trust, John Rowley - Wolverhanpton  Environmental Centre (WEC)
 

Celebrating Our Earth Week in Wolverhampton. Podcast 2
Business Education and the impact on everyday lives

Alex Rollinson Marstons Energy & Waste Co-ordinator, Wolverhampton Homes - Simon Bamfield

Mike & Rosemary – Electric Car – City of Sanctuary, St Edmunds - Recycle Project

Dew Harrison – Electric Eco House / Own Home, Tomato Energy

Paul & Claire Darke discuss the Environment with Chris Allen.
 

Dr Paul Darke interveiw with West Midlands Combined Authority   / West Midlands Greener Together
talking about Community planting, Carbon Literacy, Home improvement warm homes and much more. 
on WCR FM Wolverhampton Community Radio, during Our Earth Week 2023.​​

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Celebrating Our Earth Week in Wolverhampton. Pocast 3

Local Environmental Activity and Interest

Chris Baines – Trees

West Midlands Combined Authority  - West Midlands Greener Together Community planting, Carbon Literacy, Home improvement warm homes etc

Julia Farrell -  Fairtrade Wolverhampton, Sam Henry – No Limits to Health (Cycling) , Moya Lloyd & Hannah Boyd Boundary Way Allotment, Shoba Asar-Paul – Alll Saint Action Network (ASAN)

 

Visit the green spaces of Wolverhampton - with Chris Baines
A video by Wolverhampton Today.

Planting Trees

plant oak trees

Our project engaged with local groups to plant trees in places local to them, where they had connections...

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working with Friends of Bantock Park
Planted a red oak tree in Bantock Park to commemorate 100 years of the end of World War One.

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Tree Planting Project

in association with Wildside Activity Centre

Thanks to the generous partnership funding provided by Digital Disability we were able to plant over 1000 trees and work with nearly 200 people in Wolverhampton and surrounding areas.

During January, February and March 2020 we worked with 9 different organisations and helped them plant trees in Smestow Valley Nature Reserve and at their sites too.

Coleman Street Supported Housing Scheme, High Flyers (from S. Staffs) and a lifeskills group from Newhampton Arts Centre all worked with us and our volunteers to plant trees near to Wildside.

We went out to care homes in Codsall, Wednesfield and Pensnett to work with residents, support staff and friends to plant trees in their grounds.

We also worked with the learning support sections of two senior schools and helped their students to plant trees in their school grounds and we visited a charity that provides holiday activities for disabled children and worked with some of the children to plant trees.

Two of the organisations kindly provided the following feedback on the project -

 

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(1)   - The tree planting activity was a fantastic opportunity for the Life Skills students to engage with their local environment and learn about the different trees and how and where to plant them. They enjoyed the hands on activity of digging the soil, selecting their trees and then planting them under the guidance of professionals who shared their subject knowledge in a very accessible way suitable to the needs of the students. It gave them a great opportunity to communicate with new people, follow instructions and build on their team work skills. There were physical benefits to working outdoors as well as the confidence and pride expressed by members of the group knowing they had made a positive impact on their local environment and could show this to friends and family members in the future.

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(2)   - The year 8 pupils at Moreton enormously benefited from being able to participate in the tree planting project with Wildside on their school grounds. They had been learning about climate change in their geography lessons and understood the vital role trees play in regulating our climate and the levels of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, as well as their ability to provide habitats for animals. They greatly appreciated the opportunity to explore their school grounds, learn about the different trees they were planting and do an activity in which they knew they were having a positive impact on the environment. Being proactive on issues related to the environment was good for the pupil's wellbeing, they all came away from the day excited with big smiles on their faces and happily shared their experience with their friends. It empowered them by showing them they were capable of making a positive difference and it also increased pupil engagement in lessons as they had applied what they had learnt to a real world context.

 

West Midlands Combined Authority Virtual Forest

Steve Downs
Steve Downs
Project Leader, Wildside Activity Centre
'We hope that we can engage with Digital Disability again with more of these activities in the future'

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 Paul Darke host on #Our-Earth-week  2024 on Uk Communiy radio

Wolverhampton City Radio (WCR fm) 

Special thanks to producer and podmaster Chris Obrien 

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Podcaste includes: 

Sustrans - Alistair Crisp 

Gatis Community Space -Maria Billington

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Senior Ecologist  The Canal and River Trust Paul Wilkinson

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FairTrade Wolverhampton- Julia Farrel from

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Leading independent environmentalist Chris Baines

Friends of Smestow Valley Nature Reserve Wolverhampton Steve Downs

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Social Prescribing with Wolverhampton Voluntary and Community Action

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Fungi enthusiast - Jefney Ashcroft 

Wolverhampton Artist - Hannah Boyd

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Wolverhampton City Council - Perminder Balu (Head of Green Cities & Circular Economy)
with Catherine Perry.

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Wildside Activity Centre - Andy Coulter 
St Edmunds Roman Catholic School Wolverhampton - Eco Club

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1 Our Earth Week Wolverhampton 2024

Paul Darke with Paul Wilkinson from The Canals and River trust talking about wildlife on the waterways and Andy Coulter talks about Wolverhampton Wildside Activity Centre

WCR FM Our Earth Week Community Radio UK
https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/b68vb9GnIOb

 

 

2. Our Earth Week Wolverhampton 2024

Paul Darke chats with Alistair Crispp from Sustans, and Perminder Balu & Catherine Perry City of Wolverhampton Council.

WCR FM Our Earth Week Community Radio UK
https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/fAMDHhJnIOb

 

 

3. Our Earth Week Wolverhampton 2024

Paul Darke St Edmunds RC School Eco Club,

Chris Baines

Steve Downs

Wolverhampton City Radio WCR FM Our Earth Week Community Radio UK

https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/D6JI5fJnIOb

 

4. Our Earth Week Wolverhampton 2024

Paul Darke

Julia Farrell from Fair Trade,

Social prescribers from WVCA,

Marie Billington from Gatis Community Space.

Jefny Ashcroft, talks fungi

and Hannah Boyd talks art,

WCR FM Our Earth Week Community Radio UK
https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/FWDFODNnIOb