Find and join your local Brum Biosphere Lifeline and Nexus communities by following the link below. creating a new way of life in our city! Civic Gospel reborn
The UK has 500,000 kilometres of rural road verges PLUS urban ones!
57 plant species were found on 1 visit to 2 Km of road verge on the urban fringe yesterday along with a range of insects
Share this if YOU want ALL councils to SAVE money AND British Nature! #MeadowManagement
Good news! Ministers have finally given green light to new #NaturalHistory GCSE. Big hats off to tireless advocate Mary Colwell 🙌 Now young people will be able to get to know & love the natural world & gain vital skills to protect it @curlewcalls🌷🌳 🦅🦡 https://t.co/UZ9jvqHGaH
Did you know? ⚽
Overnight, Blues’ Paik Seung-ho became the first Birmingham-based player to take to the field at this year’s @FIFAWorldCup, playing 84 minutes of Korea Republic’s win over Czechia.
A total of 11 Aston Villa and Birmingham City players are representing their countries on football’s biggest stage this summer.
Good luck to all our players! We’re right behind you. 👏
#AVFC #BCFC #FIFAWorldCup
Fantastic update from our @stwater Minworth Sand Martin Bank 🐦
We’ve already ringed 22 chicks, with more nests still to check! After ringing 38 chicks in total last year, we’re on track to beat that record in 2026.
Great to see all the hard work paying off! 🙌
🦆 Global Birdfair is exactly that!
🌍 Check out all these countries being represented at this year’s event
🇸🇹 Name this flag!
💚As we gather to inspire a love of nature we hope you’ll join us
🗓️ 10, 11 & 12 July
📍 Lyndon Top, Rutland LE15 8RN UK
🎟️ https://t.co/kr8cgUnDls
The planning application for the new park at Stechford Public Open Space has now been submitted ✅
Plans include:
🛝 New play area
💪 Outdoor gym
⚽ Multi-use games area
♿ Disabled parking
🌿 Landscaping improvements
📋 Planning Ref: 2026/01437/PA
Residents can view and comment on the proposal via the Birmingham City Council Planning Portal.
We promised to keep fighting for investment in our green spaces and community facilities and we’re delivering🙌🏽
Thank you to everyone who supported this project and to the developers for agreeing to the Section 106 funding that will help make it happen👏🏽
35 butterflies of 12 species on the recording transects @BibbeysWildFarm today:
10 Peacock
5 Painted Lady (sig. visible migration)
4 Green-veined White
4 Orange Tip
3 Small Copper
2 Small Tortoiseshell
2 Small White
Holly Blue
Common Blue
Red Admiral
Comma
Speckled Wood
I really enjoyed visiting @sparkgreenpark today to see how passionate voluntary action is building pride in place and also to reach my 15,000th wildlife record milestone on @inaturalist
I am so proud that thousands of my records fall within the @EcoRecording Brum area 😎
300 pioneers are gathering to take the Brum Biosphere initiative to its 1st partnership milestone!
You can find & join your local lifeline or Nexus community here
https://t.co/wGzgy52ljn
Together we can build community and pride in place to create a new way of life in our city!
40 Lifeline & Nexus communities are rising across Birmingham to build pride in place and a local green & sustainable economy whilst restoring nature and boosting health & wellbeing.
Together we can create a “New Way of Life in Our City”
Find & join here:
https://t.co/wGzgy52ljn
I just signed Dame Judi Dench's petition, calling on the urgent restoration of our ancient woodlands!
Please sign and share: https://t.co/DQ4ibSDrjJ via @38degrees
Exploring Brum’s wild nightlife!
Massive thanks to @RingersWm for providing a @PulsarWild TELOS XL50 thermal imager from @ThomasJacksLtd
This is part 1 of my exciting adventures across our great city - a beautiful Brum Fox!
Relax, enjoy and share the magic of #WildBrum 😎
A Weekend That Showed Birmingham Is on the Rise
Some weekends remind you what this city is capable of. This was one of them.
Saturday began with a few hours of work — the usual discipline — before heading to the Birmingham Botanical Gardens for the launch of the Birmingham Biosphere. The project, created and delivered by Chris Millward , is a powerful example of what deep knowledge, relentless energy and genuine passion can build for this city. Chris has shaped something with real purpose, and it was a privilege to be there in support.
The setting also mattered. Birmingham’s green spaces are the lungs of the city — places that support wellbeing, biodiversity and community life. Protecting and enhancing them is essential as the city grows.
Before the event, I spent time at the Bulldogs Veterans game, played in memory of John Simpkin, the founder of Bulldogs Rugby League Club. The turnout, the respect shown and the commitment on the pitch said everything about the culture he built. A fitting tribute to a man who shaped so many lives through sport.
I was invited to speak about the Sports Quarter, the Birmingham City FC Foundation , and the scale of opportunity ahead of us — the jobs, the skills, the investment, and the multi‑billion‑pound commitment from Knighthead that is reshaping Birmingham’s future.
Sunday brought a different setting at the BYSA (Birmingham Youth Sports Academy) Players’ Awards, but the same sense of momentum. The room was full of players, parents, coaches, volunteers and supporters, joined by the Lord Mayor, Councillor Zaffar Iqbal, and the Police and Crime Commissioner.A moment that raised smiles was presenting the Commissioner with a limited‑edition print of Birmingham’s most famous fictional gangster — Tommy Shelby. I also had the privilege of presenting the Lord Mayor with an award recognising his long public service. His journey — arriving in Birmingham unable to speak English and becoming the city’s First Citizen — reflects the resilience and opportunity this city offers.
We recognised Safraz and Hazrat, both recently awarded MBEs for their service to the community. A standout moment followed as Anwar received an Outstanding Award for twenty‑five years of commitment. One of the original group who built BYSA from nothing, and a man who has shaped thousands of young lives. Awards across all our teams followed, representing hundreds of young players who give everything for their football and their community. As Chairman, my remarks focused on opportunity, growth and the pathways we are building for young people across Birmingham.
Two days. Two very different environments. One clear message: Birmingham is on the rise.
A weekend full of ambition, community, service and people who care deeply about this city — a reminder of why Birmingham’s future looks brighter than ever.
A pleasure of a weekend 🫶🏼
https://t.co/ZcEK8Rsh4V
Photography by Edwin Ladd