Heath project on Walsall and Staffordshire border to boost rare bee gets airing on BBC radio show

The work at Pelsall North Common, in Pelsall; Wharf Lane, in Chasetown, and at Chasewater Country Park near Burntwood is being showcased as part of a series on the BBC Radio 4's Today programme to highlight habitat regeneration projects.

Broadcaster Dave McMullan paid a visit to the sites with members of the Natural England partnership Purple Horizons team and Walsall Council earlier this month to learn about the help being given to the Tormentil Mining Bee.

Walsall is home to a metapopulation of the at risk and rare solitary bee which is listed as a Section 41 Conservation Priority Species in England. It feeds its larvae on the pollen of Tormentil, a rare wildflower.

The project aims to connect heathland, wetland, woodland and grassland between Cannock Chase and Sutton Park which is seen as vital for the recovery and climate resilience of the area’s reptiles, birds and pollinators.

The ambitious project aims to restore eight key heathland areas across 25,000 acres of land including the Black Country which was given Global Geopark status in 2020 and is home to several Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

Partners include Walsall, Staffordshire and Lichfield councils, wildlife trusts and the Canal and River Trust. Purple Horizons takes its name from purple heather which covers much of the heathland areas across the region, providing a vital source of pollen and nectar for bees and other pollinating insects.

Walsall's leisure chief Councillor Gary Flint said: “The Purple Horizons project offers an opportunity for our residents and community members to reconnect with the nature that’s right on their doorstep, and to experience the health and wellbeing benefits that spending time in our green spaces across the borough can bring.

“The work that the project is undertaking is crucially important to ensure the protection and development of some of our most valued natural habitats and species. It’s vital that we care for these landscapes now, so that both wildlife and people can use and enjoy them in harmony for generations to come.”

Aaron Bhambra, a Birmingham University student who specialises in the study of pollinating insects, said: “We’ve been working with Walsall Council for several years to restore the natural landscapes which were once part of a huge area of heathland between North Walsall and South Staffordshire. The idea is to re-wild these fantastic landscapes and to restore them to their former glory.

“Purple Horizons is a promising community-based project that involves lots of environmental charities and local governments, all working together to restore our most valuable and precious natural sites across the West Midlands.”

BBC Radio 4 Today is on air from 6am-9am or or online via BBC Sounds