19/05/2005 - Pupils from
Dorrington Primary School, Perry Barr, will
on Friday 20 May 2005 help make nearby Perry
Hall Playing Fields a better place.
They will be taking part in a planting day
organised as part of the Sustainable Management
of Urban Rivers and Floodplains (SMURF) project’s
work to enhance part of a stretch of the River
Tame running through the playing fields.
In all 90 pupils from Year Five will be getting
mucky and planting plants as part of the work
to add the finishing touches to the site,
making it a brighter, more attractive place
for those using the playing fields.
The SMURF project has recently completed
work to add more natural features to the river
to try and soften some of the hard engineering
of times gone by.
Speaking about the day, Head Teacher Jenny
Clarke says: ‘The pupils are really looking
forward to taking part in the planting. Events
like these encourage the young people to respect
and take care of their local environment.
We will be using the playing fields to enrich
the broad and balanced curriculum we offer
and the pupils are looking forward to seeing
the site blooming’.
Editors’ notes:
A public planting day has been organised
for Saturday 21 May 2005. It will start at
10:00am in the playing fields, off Walsall
Road, Perry Barr. Signs will show people where
to go. BTCV will co-ordinate the activities
on the day but the work will rely on volunteers
who are willing to provide a small amount
of time to plant the 1,800 small plants which
will make up the new wildflower meadow.
Those coming along are advised to wear sturdy
shoes and clothes they don't mind getting
dirty. People can give as much of their time
as they want to and all volunteers would be
very welcome. A packed lunch and drink is
also advisable if people are able to stay
for some time. All the plants, tools and equipment
will be provided.
As well as playing a part in putting the
finishing touches to the SMURF demonstration
site, those coming along will get the opportunity
to see what has been undertaken. The local
community has been involved in the project
from day one.
People can find out more about SMURF by logging
onto the project’s web-site:
www.smurf-project.info
SMURF is a three-year partnership project
that started in August 2002. This project
is supported financially by the EU LIFE-Environment
programme. It is a partnership involving,
amongst others, the Environment Agency, Birmingham
City Council, Severn Trent Water and The University
of Birmingham.
It is based on the River Tame in the West
Midlands – specifically the urban area of
the river catchment that includes Birmingham
and a large part of the Black Country. The
River Tame is a typical example of an urban
river – polluted, heavily modified by culverting,
straightening, re-routing and with concrete
banks and few natural features.
SMURF aims to tackle the environmental problems
on the Tame by integrating the planning and
management of land-use, water quality, ecology
and flooding. It is intended that the methods
developed by the SMURF project will be used
as a model for work on similar rivers throughout
the UK and the European Community.
Overall the SMURF project aims to:
Improve the amenity, ecology and sustainability
of the river Tame catchment
Involve local people in the planning of the
river basin
Establish ecological objectives for the river
system and a transferable Sustainable Indicators
set
Develop a detailed land-use planning model
to help with future redevelopment in the floodplain
and protect the community from future impacts
of climate change
Demonstrate how small scale changes can significantly
improve a heavily modified river.
