Last updated: September 2024
Dudley, a historic market town in England and part of Birmingham's metro area, is reported to have some of the lowest rates of public access to nature in the country, ranking in the bottom 10% of governmental statistics for available greenspace relative to population density (Ref 1). To address this issue, the Dudley's Path to Nature Recovery project was launched in 2024 by the Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust (BBCWT). The initiative aims to reduce inequalities in access to nature and create a greener future for local residents (ibid.). Funded by the West Midlands Combined Authority, the project seeks to reconnect local communities with nature through five key activities: conservation work, community engagement, citizen science, partnership development, and the creation of new walking routes (Ref 1, 2, 3). Among the project's activities, conservation efforts will include community engagement and focus on woodland improvement, heathland creation, and more. Additionally, the project will bring together key partners and community groups to explore collaboration models and identify potential sites for joint projects. Lastly, new walking routes will be created across the project’s landscape (Ref 1).
Invertebrate in the Birmingham and Black Country
BBCWT
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Parks and urban forests
- Large urban parks or forests
- Other
Key challenges
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Habitat and biodiversity restoration
- Habitat and biodiversity conservation
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
- Enabling opportunities for physical activity
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Environmental education
- Sense of community and community engagement
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Land use and Socio-economic change
- Unequal availability and access to public green spaces
- Health, Well-being and Social cohesion
- Disconnection from nature
Key priorities
Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration), Social Justice and community
Focus
Protection of natural ecosystems, Habitat restoration, Habitat conservation, Knowledge creation and awareness raising, Educational and awareness raising programs, Monitoring and maintenance of habitats and/or biodiversity, Citizen science and monitoring initiatives (e.g. species observations, habitat assessments, and data collection efforts), Species-specific monitoring and conservation programs
Project objectives
To connect local communities in Dudley and Sandwell with nature through Dudley’s diverse landscape of hills, focusing on five interlinked activities: conservation work, community engagement, citizen science, partnership development, and the creation of new walking routes.
To improve and restore priority habitats and species, including the Lesser Horseshoe Bat and Green Hairstreak butterfly, at key sites across Dudley.
To raise awareness of the area's rich geological heritage.
To engage the community by partnering with local schools and groups, enhancing environmental education and community involvement.
To create recreational opportunities and promote physical activity (such as walking paths), fostering a sense of place and deeper connections to nature by walking with communities across Dudley’s landscape.
To collaborate with the community in gathering species data through citizen science efforts.
To bring together key partners and community groups to explore collaboration models and identify potential sites for joint initiatives. (Ref 1, 2)
Implementation activities
To connect local communities with nature across Dudley's hills, five interlinked activities are planned for implementation. Conservation work will be carried out at key sites such as Rowley Hills, Saltwells National Nature Reserve, Castle Hill, and Sedgley Beacon, focusing on restoring priority habitats and species, including the Lesser Horseshoe Bat and Green Hairstreak butterfly, while preserving nationally important calcareous grasslands and associated floral species. Community engagement will involve collaborating with local schools to deliver curriculum-based environmental education and organizing walking events along the "Green Path." Community input will be integrated into the project outcomes, with efforts aimed at raising awareness of the area’s geological heritage. Citizen science initiatives will include establishing a Birmingham and Black Country invertebrates recording group and working with Brum Bats and local communities to gather data on bat species and movements across five sites. Partnership development will facilitate discussions among key partners and community groups to explore collaboration opportunities and identify potential project sites. Additionally, new walking routes will be developed in collaboration with local artists, mapping a "Green Path" walk from Portway Hill to Sedgley Beacon to strengthen community connections to nature and enhance a sense of place. (Ref 1)
Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities
Biodiversity conservation:
- Protect and enhance urban habitats
- Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems
- Protect species
- Undertake specific measures to protect species
- Undertake specific measures to protect native species
- Undertake specific measures to protect endangered species
- Means for conservation governance
- Public engagement
Biodiversity restoration:
- Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems
- Restore ecological connectivity
Main beneficiaries
- Local government/Municipality
- Public sector institution (e.g. school or hospital)
- Non-government organisation/Civil Society
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Non-government organisation/civil society
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
- Taskforce groups
- Dissemination of information and education
- Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)
- Citizen science
- Citizen monitoring and review
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The project is launched by the Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust (BBCWT -NGO) in 2024, with funding from the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA - local government) (Ref 1, 2, 3). The project facilitates community engagement through working with local schools to deliver curriculum-relevant environmental education and leading walking events along the 'Green Path'. Discussion with community groups enables their views to be accounted for and included in the project outcomes. Collaboration is established with the Black Country Geological Society to improve awareness of the area’s geological heritage. A Birmingham and Black Country invertebrates recording group is also established and facilitated, conducting citizen science work in collaboration with Brum Bats and the local community. Local artists are included in the creation of walking routes (Ref 1).
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a national policy or strategy?
Yes
(The project mentions Government’s 25 Year Environment Plan (2018) "In 2018 the 25 Year Environment Plan (25YEP) set out our goals for improving the environment, within a generation, and leaving it in a better state than we found it. It details how government will work with communities and businesses to do this" (4))
... a local policy or strategy?
Unknown
Type of enablers
NGOs/Community groups driving the implementation, Governance innovations (such as public private partnerships), Funds, subsidies or investment for GI/NBS in the city (available for the city or provided by the city)
Financing
Total cost
€100,000 - €500,000
Source(s) of funding
- Public regional budget
Type of funding
- Earmarked public budget
Non-financial contribution
Type of non-financial contribution
- Provision of labour
- Provision of expertise
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
- Citizens (e.g. volunteering)
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Green space and habitat
- Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
- Expected increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
- Reduced biodiversity loss
- Expected reduced biodiversity loss
- Increased presence and recovery of wild species
- Expected increased presence and recovery of wild species
Economic impacts
- Generation of other type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation)
- Expected generation of other type of work opportunities (e.g. voluntary, work for rehabilitation)
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved access to urban green space
- Expected improved access to urban green space
- Increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Expected increased involvement of locals in the management of green spaces
- Health and wellbeing
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Expected gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Cultural heritage and sense of place
- Improvement in people’s connection to nature
- Expected improvement in people’s connection to nature
- Increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging
- Expected increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging
- Education
- Increased support for education and scientific research
- Expected increased support for education and scientific research
- Increased knowledge of locals about local nature
- Expected increased knowledge of locals about local nature
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
No evidence in public records
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
No evidence in public records
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
Yes
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Unknown
References
1.
BBCWT (n.d.). Dudley's Path to Nature Recovery. BBCWT, Accessed on August 18, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Corser, J. (2024). Nature path project to get nearly £100k. Express & Star, Accessed on August 18, 2024, [Source link];
3.
WMCA (2024). Environment projects awarded grants from £1 million fund. WMCA, Accessed on August 18, 2024, [Source link];
4.
BBCWT (n.d.). About Us | Birmingham & Black Country Wildlife Trust. BBCWT, Accessed on August 18, 2024, [Source link];
5.
UK Government (2024). Dudley (Dudley) - local data profile. Accessed on September 22, 2024,;
6.
City Population (2021). DUDLEY Metropolitan Borough in West Midlands. Accessed on September 22, 2024,;
Creation of Walking Routes
BBCWTDudley's Path to Nature Recovery
Dudley's Path to Nature Recovery
BBCWT
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.