News

With less than 75 days before London 2012 gets out of the blocks, Risley Moss Local Nature Reserve in Birchwood is set for its own bit of Olympic glory, with families invited to a "Running Rings" activity morning this Saturday (19th May).

Opened by local MP Helen Jones, the event will offer young and old the chance to walk, run, skip or amble anything from a couple of hundred metres to a mile around the beautiful nature reserve, with the option to receive a time and a certificate as they cross the giant inflatable finish line.

The morning, which runs from 10am to midday, is part of The Mersey Forest's "Running Rings" project to help people get active and enjoy nature in the build-up to the Games. The project has been awarded the official London 2012 Inspire Mark, with two further activity mornings also scheduled at Risley Moss for Saturday 16th June and Saturday 7th July. The events are co-organised by Warrington Borough Council and local running club Spectrum Striders.
 

People who live near woodlands and other green spaces have a head start when it comes to a healthy immune system and avoiding allergies, says research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

This is thanks to helpful bacteria which are more abundant in greener surroundings, say scientists from the University of Helsinki. Quoted on the BBC website, Dr Hanski from the university said:

"There are microbes everywhere, including in the built environment, but the composition is different between natural environments and human-built areas. The microbiota in natural environments is more beneficial for us.

"Urbanisation can be seen as a lost opportunity for many people to interact with the natural environment and its biodiversity... ...I think it is important to develop city planning that includes green spaces, green belts and green infrastructure."

Read more on the BBC website.

A range of partners across the Liverpool City Region (including The Mersey Forest) are working together to put forward a submission to Government to form a Local Nature Partnership (LNP).

To find out more, visit this short PDF guide which explains what LNPs are, and sets out the proposed role and objectives of the Liverpool City Region LNP. You can have your say on these working definitions and offer your support in this brief online survey.

The Liverpool City Region LNP will have strong links with the Cheshire, Lancashire and Manchester LNPs as of course nature does not adhere to administrative boundaries.

Last weekend's spectacular Sea Odyssey event attracted tens of thousands of people to Liverpool's parks. You can now see a selection of great photos on the Liverpool City Council Parks and Green Spaces Flickr groups for Everton Park and Stanley Park.

If you have any photos of your own of the city's parks, why not enter them into the Liverpool Parks Photo Competition. Good luck!

If you own or manage a woodland, the government-appointed Independent Panel on Forestry is keen to hear your views in their online survey.

The Panel was set up by government to make recommendations on England's future forestry policy, and they are keen to hear from woodland owners and managers about what motivates them to create and manage woods, and how this varies between different types of owners.

Take the survey (closes midday on Mon 7th May).

The Panel is due to publish its final report later this year, following consultation with a wide range of stakeholders including The Mersey Forest (read about our input into the Panel).