Stories In The Woods

St Marys RC Primary School have been working with a group of 8 Year 5 children for this project, based in our local nature reserve, Highfield Country Park, alongside the Friends of Highfield Country Park.

The children have been making woodland crafts, and Martin Maudsley has told the group nature stories over the 4 seasons and been filmed there.

The whole project will be at The Whitworth Art Gallery for the day on Saturday 2nd July. The children will have stalls to tell visitors about the woodland crafts (foraging, whittling, coppicing, charcoal making, willow bark weaving, wreath making and clay), and Martin is telling stories.

Listen to the stories HERE

Highfield Country Park Nature Recording Event

The Bee Sanctuary has got together an amazing group of people with specialist knowledge to help them make as comprehensive as possible record of the wildlife on the Bee Sanctuary and Highfield Country Park in ONE DAY.

Birdwatchers, Bug hunters, Bee botherers, Slug lovers and all nature watchers welcome.

12 June starting 10am

Highfield Country Park Walk

Join the Friends of Highfield Country Park for their monthly walk around the park on Saturday 28th May!

They will be exploring different areas of the park and discovering the range of nature and wildlife that can be found. This will also be a chance to find out more about the Friends group and their future plans.

Everyone is welcome to join and the walk will be suitable for all ages and abilities. Meet by the Bowler Street entrance (postcode: M19 2UA) at 11am with the walk lasting until around 12.30pm.

Find out more about Highfield Country Park HERE

Friends of Highfield Country Park Volunteer Roles

Friends of Highfield Country Park are looking for new committee members. Message below:

We are looking for two volunteer roles to fill in the committee and we would be extremely grateful if you could let us know if you are interested by emailing janesebire@yahoo.co.uk

We would also be very grateful if you could send this opportunity to anyone in your networks who might be interested.

Treasurer

As treasurer, you have responsibility for looking after our group’s money. Your role will be to keep transparent accounts including receipts and report to the committee. This role will require approximately 4 hours per month and is ideally suited to someone with financial or accounting experience.

Social Media Volunteer

We are looking for a creative and technologically savvy individual to help the Friends of Highfield engage the local community with the park, including through our new website and social media. We think this will require approximately 4 hours per month. 

If you are interested drop us a line and let us know why you would like volunteer for your local green space. Let us know by 19th April, and we look forward to meeting up for a walk around the park,

Best wishes,

Alec, Jane, Vicki and Lillian

Committee of The Friends of Highfield Country Park

Big Purple Dog Walk

A Mile for Minnie

A dog walk around Highfield Country Park is happening today to show support for a local resident and her dogs and all victims of dog violence. This follows a recent attack by an out of control dog that resulted in the death of another dog and injury and trauma to other dogs and people.

Thanks to Laurie for organising this in a show of love, support and solidarity.

When and where?

START 14.00 (gather from 13.30) at the Bowler Street entrance to Highfield Country Park

FINISH at the Fallowfield Loop entrance.

The route passes through the open green bit where the playground is for some running about, along the freshly resurfaced path next to the golf club, then back down past the Bluebell pond, the little animal graveyard, and picnic area, before following the path next to the stream to the Loop exit and more running around space.

It should be a nice easy stroll, and everyone is free to do as much or as little of it as they want/feel able, with or without a dog! (You can even sneakily cut across to short cut it and wait for us to meet you at the end.)

IWD at Highfield Country Park

If you go down to Highfield Country Park today, you’ll be sure of a big suprise!

Leve Ramblers are setting up fact sheets for you to hunt down for International Women’s Day.

Why don’t you venture out and see who you can find? Who’ll be the first to find them all? On your marks, get set…. GO

This event is made possible with the support of Manchester City Council.

International Women’s Day At Highfield Country Park

Monday 8th March is International Women’s Day. Levenshulme Ramblers encourages residents to travel to Highfield country park to learn about the various women that shaped our city.

Across highfield there will be over 20 information sheets dotted around the place. Who can you find? And what will you learn?

This is socially distanced activity for International Women’s Day in conjunction with and funded by Manchester City Council.

Thanks to Levenshulme Ramblers for organising this.

Highfield Country Park Volunteer Day

Highfield Country Park Bat And Bird Box Family Event

Family Event at Highfield Country Park – Building Bat & Bird Boxes – Fri 27th October

Come to this family friendly event and help protect the wildlife of the park. The biodiversity of the park is growing, and it is great news we now have confirmed bat populations living there. This event is supported by the John Muir Trust and we are grateful to them for support. Read more about bats in the UK at the Bat Conservation Trust.

Location: Highfield Country Park (meet at the picnic area by the Fallowfield Loop)

Time: 10am – 3pm

Date: Fri 27th October

Contact: Peter – 07507786893

Help Rebuild Highfield Stables

Shared from Dawn J Robertson

SOS PLEASE HELP

Family run Highfield stables in Levenshulme has burnt to the ground!!!

Thankfully the horses were got out in time but several chickens and a goose have been lost, along with a families livelihood.

For the next few days help is needed to clean and clear the land.

Do you have any decent wood or lumber you can donate? Any labour hours?! Please inbox Megan Powers if you can help or use this email for PayPal.

Missmpowers@gmail.com

or there is a just giving set up. If you can spare a few pounds we know how every penny counts….

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/highfield-stables

The initial news report is here….

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/five-fire-engines-blaze-levenshulme-12939103

Just devastating but could have been worse, please please help in any way you can.

Wendy who runs these stables is an amazing animal lover. I met her on a rainy summers night last year when a German shepherd dog was roaming in Levenshulme and I went to scan it. She was chipped to Wendy and was a stable dog. Concerned as to how she had got out and how she was living I met Wendy at the stables and was awestruck. We found the loose panel that looked like it had been kicked and secured the dog for the night. The stables were immaculate, as was every animal within them. She told me that Sheba was due to retire but it was hard to get the right dog. Months later a rescue friend of mine was struggling to find the right place for a gsd that was a neglected yard dog that wouldn’t settle indoors. Wendy took her in and took Sheba home. Later I needed a space for a semi-feral neutered mama cat I trapped in Old Trafford. Wendy took her in as a barn cat. Two fosterers had deemed Lulu too wild and unpredictable to be a pet, Wendy took her in at the stables. Shortly after she contacted us to say Lulu just needed the right quiet home as the only cat (she’s a Bengal), and she had found her one. Lulu now spends her evenings stretched out on a rug in front of a log burner. Last time I spoke to Wendy she felt the gsd had also rehabilitated and she may have found her a new, indoor, forever home too. This woman has a gift with animals and always puts their needs first, reads them so very well.

Whether unfortunate (neglectful) accident caused by neighbours or deliberate, the family do not deserve to suffer this and need our help.

Thank you.

Friends of Highfield Country Park Meeting

The next meeting of the Friends of Highfield Country Park is at 7pm on Tuesday 10th January at the Baptist Church Elmsworth Ave (opposite the Sidings pub).

BBC Radio Manchester Reports From Thairish On Dangerous Bikes

BBC Radio Manchester reported on dangerous and nuisance bikes today. Reporter Emily Wolstencroft interviewed Levenshulme residents in Thairish café including LCA Secretary Jeremy Hoad.

You can hear the report on iPlayer (44 minutes into the programme, repeated at 2h12m).

Listen on iPlayer HERE

Friends of Highfield Park Meeting

The Friends of Highfield Country Park will be meeting at 19.00 on Tuesday 12th May at the Baptist Church on Elmsworth Avenue.

Anyone who uses the park is welcome.