The Mayor of Solihull has officially opened the brand new Frog Lane Country Trail in Balsall Common.
The trail was formally opened to the public on Tuesday 4 June with the Mayor and Deputy Lieutenant, Professor Sir Nigel Thrift, in attendance to welcome guests and celebrate the opening. The new trail is a circular loop, approximately 2km (1.24 miles) in length, which connects onto existing public footpaths.
The opening was also celebrated by a group of Year 2 pupils from Balsall Common Primary School, who scattered Flora Britannica wildflower seeds on a prepared soil bed. This wildflower mix was chosen as it is especially colourful and blooms all year round, complementing the nature trail and surrounding agricultural land.
New hedgerows have also been planted, made up of British native species - including hawthorn, holly, spindleberry, field maple and alder buckthorn, and new ponds have been created on the site.
Alongside this extensive planting, benches, information boards, and unique brass rubbing posts have been provided to help create an interactive sensory walking trail, so visitors can enjoy the surroundings and find out more about the wildlife and green space around them.
This biodiverse natural green habitat will encourage a wider range of plants to grow and attract a variety of insects and animals to the area. Enhancing the natural environment through rewilding will also result in increased carbon capture, reducing local air pollution.
The Mayor of Solihull, Cllr Shahin Ashraf MBE, said:
“It was my pleasure to officially open the Frog Lane Country Trail to the public and I welcome the creation of another fantastic biodiverse green space here in Solihull. It is vital that we continue to preserve and enhance our natural environment and it was lovely to celebrate all the hard work that’s gone into creating this wonderful new habitat.
“I really enjoyed helping the pupils from Balsall Common Primary School to scatter their wildflower seeds and I look forward to returning to Frog Lane to see how the Flora Britannica flowers grow. This beautiful nature trail is a fantastic addition to the community and I hope visitors enjoy it just as much as the new wildlife will!”
Mark Mitchell, Headteacher at Balsall Common Primary School Academy said:
“We are delighted to work in such close partnership with the Council and the community to keep seeing improvements to our local area. Our school is delighted to be able to celebrate the opening of this new pathway, giving us access to a greater range of wildlife environments and experiences.”